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
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
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
whom this health and welfare is wished are those that were at Colosse to wit the saints the faithfull brethren in Iesus Christ that is to say the Church of God that is made vp of faithfull men and saints all brethren in Iesus Christ at that time in Colosse The thing wished by Paul and Timothy is first grace euen that grace euen that mercy that is shewed vpon the world in Iesus Christ the Lord of grace and mercy without whom there is no grace to any nation tongue nor person vpon the earth Then the second thing is peace that followeth on grace for his grace once obtained in the remission of sinnes vpon it then followeth that inward peace of the soule and conscience especially towards God and all felicitie both spirituall and corporall And without that grace there is no true peace nor blessing of God all is but a curse to thee though thou hadst all the world Now to come to the preface vpon the which we minde by Gods grace to insist passing ouer the salutation and the rest before In the preface of the Epistle the Apostle procureth and conciliateth to himselfe the good will and affection of these Colossians to this end that they liking of the person of the writer should esteeme the more of the doctrine exhortations precepts and directions that after followe For the liking of the person of the teacher and writer serueth much to the imbracing of the doctrine that is taught and by the contrarie the misliking of the person that teacheth the word of God hindereth the faith of the hearer The Apostle knew this and begins with a preface to allure and conquer their fauour and good will The arguments whereby he laboureth to doe this are two The first is he lets them vnderstand that he thanketh God for them The second argument is he letteth them vnderstand that as he thanketh God for them so immediatly he prayeth for their happie and prosperous estate in Christ Iesus So there are the two arguments whereby hee will procure their good will and attention to this his doctrine We thanke God saith he euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ there is the first argument alwayes praying for you there is the next argument In the text following he expounds euery one of them in their owne roome Then to come to the proposition of the argument we thanke God saith he euen the Father In thanking God for them he congratulateth with them for that blessed state that they stoode in in Iesus Christ Obser ∣ uation 1 Ye see brethren his reioycing with them for that estate stands not in thankesgiuing to them or praising of them for that estate but in praising and glorifying of God to teach vs in all our congratulating together for the prosperous estate of any people or person in particular not to forget God but to make our congratulation a thankesgiuing to God and praising and glorifying of him and why should we not if we looke aright on the matter whatsoeuer thing ioyfull or prosperous falles out in this world either vpon our selues or vpon others temporall or spirituall all are his benefits and falles downe from heauen from him and therefore why should we not when we reioyce for any thing either giuen to our selues or vnto others remeber our God and giue thankes to him for the same Note Our reioycing should goe vp to heauen from whence that blessing descended and came downe This manner of congratulation is not in this place onely but through all his epistles and it is far different from the reioycing of the Ethnickes that neuer speaketh one word of God The flattering Lowne will say to the Emperor it is your wisedome you haue done this or that and neuer a word of God So that as many congratulations as you reade in these prophane men they are all as many blasphemies against God giuing the praise due to God to a creature that is but vile and stincking though he were an Emperor or a monarch ouer the whole earth And as this was the fashioning of the Ethnickes congratulation that knew not God it is euen so with men in praysing men now in our dayes forgetting God How many be there which flatter men as though all were done by them and not by the author of grace what is that but blasphemie against God Obser ∣ uation 2 Marke secondly for whom it is that he thanketh God and prayeth not for himselfe praying saith he ardently for you We are not bound to pray only for our selues but we are bound to pray for others also Selfe-loue draweth vs so neere our selues Selfe loue that it maketh vs forget others Thou art not bound onely to pray for thy selfe but if thou be a member of Christ thou art bound to pray for the body in generall and particular and all the benefits of God bestowed on any person on the earth temporall or spirituall should be to thee a matter of praysing God Brethren if we had that zeale to the glorie of God and that loue to our neighbours which we ought to haue there would not be a blessing of God that fell to our neighbour but we would glorifie God for it as if it had fallen to our selues These are the latter dayes and worst dayes wherein zeale to God and loue to man is cleane departed out of the hearts of men This is a cursed generation To whom giues hee the thankes We thanke God saith he euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ marke the wordes he saith not God onely but he telleth vs what a God this is God said he that is the Father of Iesus to let vs see that it is vnlawfull for thee to acknowledge another God but onely that God that manifesteth himselfe in the sonne The knowledge of God in Christ is the very key Seeke the face of God in Christ and Christ in the Gospell that opens the gate of heauen maketh thee to get entry into that light that hath no accesse Knowest thou God in Christ then hast thou an entry to him Otherwise thou knowest him not nor thou shalt neuer be able to enter into heauen The Turke for all his speaking of God got neuer accesse to God The Iewe for all his boast of the knowledge of God knoweth him not nor neuer shall knowe him nor see him without Iesus Christ God that sittes in heauen will not looke vpon thee without his sonne he is no father to thee neither will be neither will he shew any sparke of loue to thee but in his onely sonne the Lord Iesus Therefore say not that thou knowest God or that he is thy Father except first and aboue all thou knowe the Lord Iesus thou shalt neuer knowe him but to thy vtter ouerthrowe and wracke if thou knowest him not in Iesus Christ Now to come to the second part of the proposition contayning his prayer hee thinks it not enough to thanke God for them but hee will pray for
of heauenly inheritance of the Saints thou must come creeping to that communion of Saints be ioyned with them here if thou mind to haue any part with them in heauen separate thy selfe from that societie of the Church of God thou shalt be debard from heauen thou shalt neuer get a sight of it Looke the epistle to the Ephesians where he sheweth wherein the riches of the glorie of this inheritance is Where is it he saith it is among the Saints Ephes 1. 18. So then associate thy selfe to the society of the Saints in earth Men may passe their time and what reckon they of a Church It smelles in their nose what should they speake of it it is a stinking word mockage and scorne to them but I say glad shalt thou be to be of that number or else I shall debarre thee from all societie of the Saints in heauen Thou shalt be excommunicated out of heauen if thou excommunicate thy selfe here from the Saints Now where lies it you take heed where your heritage lyes and you will looke to your charters and euidences diligently for that cause you will looke the scituation of it Hee saith that this heritage of the saints is in the light there is the place a lightsome and a ioyful pleasant place The line of pleasant places saith Dauid Psalm 16. 6. is fallen to me It lyeth then in the light it is in heauen as Peter saith in his first Epistle 1. 4. It is kept and laid vp where God dwelleth it may well content thee to dwell where God himselfe dwelles Yet where is it Thy life is hid with God saith he O then thy heritage is in God! what can bee said more A faire heritage lying in so faire a light euen in heauen with God and in God I see then all our life and ioy either in this life or in the life to come is in that light of knowledge in that spirituall knowledge so that a man that hath his minde inlightened to see as the Apostle saith to the Ephesians the hope of his calling the riches of the glorie of the inheritance of the Saints the man that hath this light he liues and enioyes a great inheritance howbeit he hath neuer an ynch in this earth and his ioy is a true ioy And againe a man that is in darknesse not seeing the face of God in no measure knowing nothing that man liuing hee is dead if hee were an Emperor a King and a Lord. This countrie is full of dead stinking carrions because they want this light and they would pull out their eyes that they should not see this light But woe to them in the end when this darknesse shall bring an vtter darknesse when thou shalt be a dead stinking dog in hell Get thou this light if euer thou wouldest see heauen and haue a part of it which is not in darkenesse but in the light of God To whom we giue all honour praise and dominion for euer Amen THE FOVRTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 13 14 15. 13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne 14 In whom we haue redemption through his bloud that is the forgiuenes of sinnes 15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creature THe last day welbeloued brethren the preface of this epistle being ended we entred into the doctrine The Apostle in his doctrine begins at the first grace that a man or woman getteth in this world in Iesus Christ The first grace or blessing of God in time after they are borne into the world for our grace mercie begins before all time ere we be borne our election began before the foundation of the world was laid but the Apostle begins at y e first grace in time the first grace in Iesus Christ for all is in him nothing without him is this christian calling from darkenesse to light frō that foule puddle of sinne wherein we lye by birth and nature nay if thou wert borne a king thou liest in the foule puddle of sinne we are taken out of hell for our birth is in hell and to hell we goe if we haue no more but nature Thou art taken out of hell and put into heauē there is the first grace in time Now to come to the text ye heard y e father he getteth the first glorie of our calling Thanking saith he the father He is the fountaine Then we heard wherein the calling consisteth not in a bare naming as one man would call another but the Lord in calling vs maketh vs meete of vnsufficient for heauen he makes vs sufficient of vnable he makes vs able of dead men he maketh vs liuely that is the effectualnes of our calling Then we heard whereunto we are called Our calling is not in vaine we are called to a lot a fairer heritage then all the kingdomes of the world nay y e poorest soule is called to be an heire of heauē Such as are called are called to the kingdome of heauen all other heritages are but dirt and draffe And who oweth this kingdom It is the kingdom of y e Saints It is distributed among the Saints and if thou be not a holy one and in their societie thou shalt neuer see that heritage laugh at them so much as euer thou wilt Where lieth this heritage To wit in the light of God thou neuer sawest such a light It lieth in God for God is thy light and thy life and if thou be an heire of this kingdome thy life is hid with God in Christ To goe forward yet the Apostle insisteth in this first blessing of our effectuall calling and maketh it more plaine in this verse His words are who hath raught vs out that is the force of the word From whence From the power of darknes What more And he translated vs. Whereto To the kingdome What kingdome Of his sonne the sonne of his loue his deere sonne the Lord Iesus Now brethren it is cleere but I shall briefly insist on the words to let you see the force and power of euery word for they are of weight For the words that speake of heauenly things are not the words of men Then the word he hath puld vs out with a force or strength with a constraining I hold it not a simple deliuerie Then look to thy calling It begins at haling of thee Thou art so fast holdē bound whē thou art called that if thou beest not pulled out with a strong hand thou wilt neuer come out and that Christ himselfe saith No man commeth to me no not one except the father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. Thou wilt neuer see heauen if thou be not drawne So our calling must begin at our drawing all the powers in the earth will not draw thee to heauē if the hand of the Lord draw thee not To goe forward He hath drawne vs out
From whence From vnder a power then the cause of thy drawing is this Thou art holden streight and thou art holden by a strong power There was neuer man holden in iron bands and prison so streight as thou art holden by sinne for as light as thou wilt skipt and leape and as nimble as thou seemest when thou art leaping lightest thou art fast holden and the more thou leapest in sin the faster and the faster thou art holden so ere thou get out there must be a power and a greater power then it that holds thee No man saith Christ will enter into a strong mans house before he haue first bound the strong man and then deuide the spoyle Mark 3. 27. No man will take thee out of sinne that strong man except he haue a power that is stronger then sinne What a power is this The next word tels thee It is the power of darknes Alas that darknes of Ignorance O that terrible clowd of darknes and ignorance that is in the soule of euery man naturally without the knowledge of God of Iesus Christ of life and saluation O miserable is that soule that lies in that darknes Then it is the power of darknes a strong power and the strongest power in this world that holdeth thee fast If thou be fettered with darknes then in deede thou maist say thou art fettered fast Brethren there is but two great powers only as for the power of a King out out it is nothing but draffe and dirt the power of the flesh is nothing There are but two kingdomes only The first is the kingdome of God the kingdome of light is a kingdome in deede The second is the kingdome of darknes the kingdome of hell to call it so yea and all the Kings of the world shall be vnder one of these two either a slaue of darknes or els a sonne and heire of the kingdome of heauen Now the kingdome of darknes next after the kingdome of light it is the strongest in this world and to speake plaine to you this kingdome of darknes is but the pit of God a dungeon and a prison house wherein the diuell first lies all chained of the which they are princes lying in bandes abiding their damnation and next them are the reprobate Caine Iudas and the rest and in the which the diuels and the reprobate shall be tormented euerlastingly So the kingdome of darknes serueth to this kingdome of light and they who are in it are but the executioners of God and rods of his fierce wrath Now then it is Iesus Christ that Prince of light that hath drawne vs out of that dungeon of darknes and ignorance He is that strong man whose strength is aboue all strength of the diuell sinne and hell It is he then that hath done this and what more hath he done He saith he hath translated vs taken vs from one place and remoued vs to another place nay it is not enough to bee pulled as it were out of hell except thou be taken away and translated as farre from it as thou maist looke to it Thou wilt goe backe againe if thou be not translated and kept farre from it Whereunto hath be translated vs he saith to a kingdome we shall heare more of this kingdome hereafter A kingdome must keepe thee It is impossible to be kept if thou be not kept in a kingdome The power of a King is required to keepe thee Whose kingdome is it not Caesars no Emperours in the earth nay the kingdome of Spaine Fraunce England and Scotland will not keepe thee flye as thou wilt flye Whose kingdome must it be then that must keepe thee The kingdome of his owne sonne and more of his owne deere sonne the sonne of his loue that is the kingdom of his sonne that he loueth so deerely Well and if that bee the kingdome that thou be translated vnto thou shalt be well kept it is the onely kingdome that is able to keepe thee For first behold the King Who is the King The King is the sonne of God a strong King Ioh. 10. 28. No man shall take you out of my hand O the strength of the son of God! He is God himselfe then he is more a sonne and a king that is so loued of the father and in him he loueth all within the bounds of this kingdome So see first the power and then the loue and no question thou maist say that thou shalt be well kept Blessed is the soule that comes to this kingdom And if thou be not yet translated to it striue to it as thou wilt be safe In a word will you haue wherein our effectuall calling standeth I say to you it standeth in this In taking vs out of one kingdome and putting vs into another in translating of thee from the kingdome of darknes and putting of thee into the kingdome of heauen in translating of vs from a kingdome wherein we liue as slaues fie on it thou liuest as a slaue here a bondslaue to Sathan and thy own foule affections to a kingdom wherein thou raignest like a king There is neuer a slaue there but all are kings in this kingdome neuer a slaue there all are sonnes and if they are sonnes they are heires as Paul reasons Rom. 8. 17. It is a translation from a kingdome of smaller power howbeit of a great power to a kingdome that is infinite No kingdome is infinite but Christs this is comfortable Findest thou thy selfe translated and called to be one of this kingdome See the infinite power of it that is able to keepe thee that thou shalt neuer fall backe againe to the kingdome of darknes And if a man be effectually called it is impossible that euer he shall fall backe againe no more then the diuell is able to take the sheepe out of Christs hands Therefore in the Epistle to the Romanes 11. 29. Paul saith The gift of God is without repentance so that the gift of thy calling is without repentance Blessed is that soule that findes it To come to the next verse In whom to wit in Iesus Christ the sonne of God What haue wee in him A faire grace we haue redemption Through what Through his bloud a deere price What is this Redemption Remission of sinnes Well well thinkest thou it a smal thing to haue thy sinnes forgiuen thee Now weigh the words for in the words he comes to another blessing a second blessing euen the remission of our sinnes that is the effect of the former but to begin at the first word In whom This second blessing is not without Iesus no no no grace no mercie no blessing without Christ this is plaine talke would to God wee could fasten to him so he saith In whom that is in the deere sonne of God Brethren being once translated that is effectually called and drawne to him wee liue not as other subiects vnder a king Subiects would be far Similie from their king and some there is that will
father and the father in me nay no sonne in the earth how verely so euer he represent his father may say so as Christ saith so the likeliest the quickest and the best representing of the image of God is the sonne of God There is no comparison and therefore in Iohn 14. 9. to Philip he saith In that thou hast seene me thou hast seene the father also Why because I am the brightnes of his glorie so that if thou seest me thou seest the father and without the sight of the father there is no life And thou must begin that sight of him here or else thou shalt neuer see him And if the sonne were not so liuely an image of God it were impossible to be content with the sight of the sonne but because he represents the whole maiestie of his father therefore the sight of the person of the sonne contents vs and we reioyce in him O if we had that sight of him as we should haue it then should we reioyce vnspeakably so to end the words imports this when he saith that he is the image of the inuisible God that he is visible Then I aske the question how is the sonne of God visible marke briefly in his manhood that is in our flesh he is visible because Iesus Christ in the flesh is as well seene with the bodily eye as a man and when we shall see him in heauen we shall see him in the very body so there is no question of his humane nature But how is that Godhead seene in the sonne that is a greater question I will assure thee it must be seene or else no life for thee But how is it seene first I answere with the eye of the mind A man hath a bodilie eye in his head and againe he hath another eye in his soule which when once it is illuminated by the spirit of Christ then that eye shall see better than a thousand bodily eyes it will pearce vp through the very heauens and neuer rest till it come to the sight and presence of God Indeede if it be not illuminated it will see nothing but being illuminated it will pearce through the very heauens and enter into the light of God see him So the sonne of God is seene in his Godhead by the eye of the minde and held fast by the heart and felt of the heart What meanes this sweete apprehension that a man will haue of the mercie of God of the wisedome and iustice of God what meanes it Nothing but a sense of the Lord Iesus Christ all is in the feeling of Iesus Christ who dwels in the heart by faith as the Apostle to the Ephesians 3. 7. saith so there is the first way how he is seene But yet would not the eye of the bodie see him Certainly I would see him with this same bodily eye And there is no faithfull man but their yearning is to see him with their bodily eye Now how shall I get a sight of him with a bodily eye I shall tell thee how thou shalt get a sight of him with the bodily eye Indeede thou wilt not get it immediatly but thou must looke in through the vaile There must be a vaile hung downe ouer betwixt thee and that glorious maiestie now through that vaile that glorie of God shines in that flesh of Iesus so the beames strikes so farre that they pearce within thee because thou wilt see the glorie of God through this vaile and thou wilt not onely see the person of the sonne in the vaile but through him thou wilt see the glorious father So in a word when thou commest to heauen thou wilt now goe here and there on the earth to see glorie and wilt gaze on heauen I say vnto thee all the glorie of heauen will be closed in Iesus Christ if thou turne thy eye from him no sight of glorie so all thy pleasure then will be to hold thy eye vpon that glorious son of God and that wil be our heauen and our ioy through the sonne to see the father and to see the glorie of the Lord Iesus clad with our nature sitting at the right hand of his father To whom with the holie spirit be all praise honour and thankes for euen Amen THE FIFT LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 15 16 17. 15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euerie creature 16 For by him were all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him 17 And he is before all things and in him all things consist WE shewed you the last day welbeloued in the Lord Iesus the Apostle when he ended his preface he entred into the doctrine and in it he beganne at the first grace and blessing that wee get in Iesus Christ in time which is our effectuall calling and deliuerance from vnder the power of darknes wherein we are conceiued and borne Euery man and woman is borne naturally a slaue to the diuel hell and darknes The best of vs all a slaue to hell the diuell and darknes so by this benefit of our calling wee are taken out from vnder this slauerie and translated to another kingdome not of slauerie but of libertie and light to the kingdom of his deere sonne the Lord Iesus Christ that is the first grace and benefit which the Apostle handleth Then from this hee comes to another benefit and he calleth it redemption or otherwise remission of sinnes Being now by your effectuall calling translated to the kingdome of Christ Iesus and being ingrafted into him the next benefit and grace we get is absolution we get a free remillion of all our sinnes and consequently we are freed from death and damnation that followes vpon sin This absolution and setting of vs at libertie from sinne and death is not without a price The iustice of God the wrath of God against sinne cannot suffer a sinner to be absolued without a ransome and price so our remission and absolution must be by a price and paying of a ransome But let vs see who paies it Indeede if wee our selues were bound to pay the ransome neuer any of vs could be safe no all the bloud of men and Angels and it were all shed to be a price for sinne would not redeeme a sinner Then who paies the ransome It is said we haue redemption not through our bloud but through his bloud It is then the bloud of Christ that is the ransome for our sinnes the Lord Iesus hath bought vs deere There was neuer from the beginning of the world nor shall not be vnto the end of the world such a deere price giuen as is the price of our ransome which the Lord Iesus hath giuen for vs. So that which he hath deerely bought to vs is nothing but a free
the father to the world and that in loue There is nothing in this new band but mercie vpon mercie mercie in the beginning mercie in the progresse and mercie in the end Indeede it is not without iustice and wrath but thou art spared and the iustice and wrath it strikes on the Mediatour so that that is iustice and wrath in the Mediatour it is mercie and grace to thee Nay he hath not spared his owne sonne yet he hath spared the stinking sinner Wilt not thou be thankfull for this benefit Well if there be not a sense of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ looke not for heauen I warne thee that art a King an Earle a Lord a Baron a subiect man wife lasse and lad if ye haue not a sense of this mercie of God in Iesus Christ ye shall neuer see heauen Now to come to the last circumstance after what manner is this reconciliation made with sinfull man The manner is set downe in these words making peace by his bloud shed on the crosse The father reconciles vs to himselfe after this manner by making peace with vs in the bloud of Christ Brethren when two men are at variance the third man will step in and intreate the person that is at variance with the other to be friends with him and he will obtaine it especially if he be an intire man But O that sonne of God! that deere and that welbeloued when he comes in it is not faire words it is not supplications that will doe the turne but him it behooued to go to suffer death and that dead stroke of hell that should haue lighted on me and thee and should haue brused vs euerlastingly he casts in his head and that stroke lights on him It cannot be holdē off thee by no other buckler but by his head and bloud shedding without bloud no remission Heb. 9. nay nay either shall thy bloud passe for it or els the bloud of the Mediatour O it is a terrible thing to haue to doe with the wrath of an infinite God! there is nothing can satisfie him but the precious bloud of his own deere sonne and no other death can satisfie him but a cursed death the death of the crosse a painfull death to be nailed quicke to a crosse It was the figure of the death of hell He was pained vpon the crosse with the paines of hell If he could not escape such a death who was an innocent how wilt thou who art a sinner escape that terrible death O what death shall abide thee if thou be not in him These words then teach vs two things first the greatnes of the enmitie that could not be remoued but by the bloud and execrable death of the Mediatour For if this enmitie had bin but a sillie and small feude what needed all this that the sonne of God should dye such a death Wherefore should all this adoe haue been wherefore should he haue suffered such extremitie So if there were no more to tell thee the greatnes of sin the death and the bloud of Iesus Christ shed on the crosse tels thee O sinne is great and yet the world will not heare it but the soule stinking sinner will wallow in it more and more O sinner sinne is foule and fearefull An euill thought is a great and terrible mountaine The first world had experience of this greatnes of sinne being without Christ Our Gentles in Scotland with the rest felt it I tell thee before this bloud came and the full time came there was nothing to hold off the dint of the wrath and stroke of God that that world found before the comming of Christ What was it a small matter to be an enemie to God was it a light thing to sinne No no for all that time before Christs comming for the greatest part God was doing no other thing but striking and hashing on sinners slaying her and slaying him Sinne raigned all the time to death saith Paul Rom. 5. in the end all perished and went to hell for the most part except some very few And I tell you this world thinkes there is no hell and very few get this grace for so long as that olde Tabernacle stoode few got entrie to grace So they miserable soules that lie now in torment they testifie and crie the horriblenes of sinne and O the preciousnes of the bloud that hath freed now the soules of men from sinne Now when he came into the world I put it out of question The calling of the Gentiles increased the number whereas one was saued before hundreds were saued after For Christ saith for once the bloud was shed men and women thronged into heauen Matth. 11. So all tels thee the blessednes of thy estate that hath fallen in this time If thou hadst any sense if thou wert sent out naked to begge thy meate thou art happie considering this time wherein thou art borne O the happines of this time when the bloud of Christ runnes abroad as a riuer to saue sinners but wee are blinded and as I said before that number is drawne in and beginning to be abridged and the force of the bloud is drawne in and begun to bee lessened and the force of faith is nothing now in respect of the former time of the Primitiue Church and daies of the Apostles and therefore as it began with a handfull so it shall end with a very handfull and blessed is that man that can striue to throng into heauen through this bloud of Iesus Now the Lord worke this in our hearts that as wee seeke for the kingdome of heauen so we may throng in at it through this bloud of Iesus To whom be praise and honour Amen THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 21 22. 21 And you which were in times past strangers and enemies because your mindes were set in euill workes hath he now also reconciled 22 In that bodie of his flesh through death to make you holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight THese daies past beloued in Iesus Christ wee haue heard a high description of the Sonne of God the Lord Iesus in the which he is painted out in a marueilous glorie In the last part of this description ye heard it was said that by him as the Mediatour it pleased the Father to reconcile to himselfe all things both in heauen and earth making the peace by the bloud of his crosse In the which words the Apostle turnes ouer vpon the whole Church that hee hath spoken of the sonne of God For all his glorie tends to the weale of his Church all to the reconciling of the Church with God the head in him as the Mediatour Now brethren in this text that we haue read vers 21. he applies this blessing of reconciliation to the Church of the Colossians in speciall And you also saith he hath he reconciled In the which words as before he turneth ouer
so now millions and great numbers are saued And whereas before it was but now one and then one that preased into the kingdome of heauen now they come in multitudes striuing and thrunging who should first enter into heauen Matth. 11. 12. For it is impossible that this light should be without life If thou take a pleasure in the light it is not possible that thou canst dye but if thou take no pleasure in it woe be to thee a double death The calling of the Gentiles shall befall thee Woe is to that man who dyes in the light of the Gospell without taking pleasure in the same Well it had been to thee that thou hadst dyed in darknes with the Gentiles for thy damnation shall be doubled Take therefore a pleasure in it and all the world shall not make thee to perish and that is that which Paul saith Sin raigned to death but grace raignes by righteousnes vnto life through the Lord Iesus Rom. 5. vers 21. But looke to the last words of the verse Vnto whom is the manifestation of the Gospell made Not to euerie one beguile not your selues for the Lord will not vouchsafe to manifest himselfe and grace in him to euery man but hee calles them his Saints to whom chiefly hee manifests himselfe Looke your books ye that scorne at the name of Saints if thou be nota Saint thou shalt neuer see heauen then this If thou be not a Saint thou shalt neuer see heauen manifestation is not made to euery man It is true brethren it is preached to all and all heare it it strikes in euery ones eares yet it is also true all men see not It is to many as the light of the Sunne is to a blinde man and the great multitude Simile gets no more good of it then a blind man gets consolation of the Sunne Who is it then that sees it None but the sanctified one that is none but they that are sanctified by the holy Spirit Nay no spirit no sanctification no sanctification no sight of God and so thou art no Saint but the diuell possesseth thee So none sees what this Gospell is but the sanctified ones and that man is he that hath gotten the spirit of Iesus to open the eye of his soule for it is the spirit of God that opens the soule to see what the Gospell of Christ is and what vertue comes with it when it comes If thou hadst the quickest spirit that can be if thou haue not the spirit of God thou shalt not see one whit in God because as it is the spirit of man that searcheth the spirit of man so it is the spirit of God that searcheth all things yea the most secret things of God 1. Cor. 2. 10. So none sees what the Gospell is and what it brings with it but such as are illuminated by the spirit of God Heare as long as thou wilt thou shalt a bide in blindnes till thou come to a desperate hardnes of heart if thou be not enlightened with the spirit of Iesus this is to be had in and by the Gospell Therefore brethren say euer Lord make me a Saint make me one of that number and make me to crie for the spirit of Iesus to sanctifie and Luk. 11. 9. 10. 15. enlighten me for otherwise thou shalt perish for want of the light of God Now to come to the next verse when he hath spoken of the Saints he insists vpon the reuelation of the mysterie made vnto them and hee sets it out in sundrie circumstances First hee sheweth who is y e Reuealer to wit God Secondly what cause moued him to make this reuelation to the Saints to wit his The reuelation or manifestation of the Gospell good pleasure towards them Thirdly what thing is reuealed to wit this mysterie And he termes it not simply a mysterie but he calles it the riches of his glorious mysterie and not that onely but the mysterie of Christ Fourthly among whom is it reuealed to wit not among the Iewes onely but among the Gentiles also through the world All tends to this to let vs see the glorie of the grace of God as it is said Ephe. 1. 6. So that this Gospell is shining bright and aboundantly in such a wonderfull great mercie that there is not a circumstance but it lets you see a wonderfull grace in God To come then to the first The reuealer of this mysterie is no other but God He was the author of the reuelation of this The first circumstance mysterie of the Gospell The Saints they begun not to see first but God first reuealed before they saw or could see yea they had neuer seene one glimse with their eye if God had not begun to reueale it no thou shalt neuer see any heauenly or spirituall Flesh and bloud can not teach vs spirituall things thing vnto the time it please the Lord to reueale it vnto thee Then in that hee is the beginner of grace herein appeares the more the glorie of his grace and the matter of praising of him but it staies not here We will come then to the next What moued him to reueale this mysterie to his Saints both of Iewes and Gentiles The Lord doth nothing rashly he hath The second circumstance euer good causes mouing him wherefore he doth this or that He is not like a vaine man that doth and vndoeth again and wots not what hee doth Saw hee any thing in these Saints to moue him Some Papist will say hee foresaw some merit in them O but the text saith that there was no such thing at all without himselfe which could moue him hee saw nothing I Nothing in the world did moue God to send Christ and his Gospell vnto vs but his owne loue and good pleasure say in the same or yet in the world which could moue him but his owne goodnes His good pleasure which was ere euer they were Saints is it that moued him to reueale this mysterie Then againe they were not Saints before the reuelation was made There is not a Saint before Christ be reuealed to them It is the sight of Christ that makes a man holy so there was neuer none holy but he that first gat that sight of Iesus the sight went before holines and holines followed vpon the reuelation because holines is the effect of the reuelation of the Gospell Then ye see that as the Lord is the beginner of the reuelation so it is not our deseruing but his owne good pleasure that moues him thereto The Lord of his good pleasure shewed himselfe to the world and no question this is spoken that thou shouldest euer glorie in God Alas would to God as we haue matter to glorifie God that we could answere to the thousand part of it Then to come to the third circumstance What is the thing The third circumstance that he hath reuealed He calles it a mysterie and
not barely a mysterie but a glorious mysterie and not that onely but he cals it the riches that is the infinitnes of the glorie of this mysterie Then ye haue a glorious mysterie and a rich mysterie of glorie a plentie of glorie such as neuer was I remember in the Ephesians 1. 18. Paul speaking of that inheritance he calles it not barely a heritage but the glorie of his inheritance and not that only but his inheritance glorious among the Saints This let vs see first that all the graces wee haue in Christ are good in substance they are profitable and not that onely but also it The riches of Christ lets vs see the gloriousnes of them in qualitie and not that only but also it lets vs see the infinitnes of them in quantitie So what would you haue in Christ In him thou hast good things in him thou hast glorious things in him thou hast infinite things infinite in length breadth and heighth infinite in deepnes incomprehensible euery manner of way So in Christ all things glorious and neuer a thing we haue in Christ but it is a thing of infinite weight yea the least thou hast it is of infinite weight All these earthly things in comparison of these are of no value the least bit of thy regeneration is worth them all so the grace of Christ is incomparable Howbeit the Apostle borroweth the speeches to expresse the same in some manner yet the grace of Christ is vnspeakable O if we could take some apprehension in heart and but once thinke of it no the heart is not capable of it no more then the tongue can expresse it And in the day of the Lord we shall see these things to be verified and happie shal we be if we can striue to know these things of Christ and striue to haue them in vs in some measure All our strife should be to prease forward to take euer a further and further apprehension of these gifts of Christ in our hearts then next to speake of them with a full perswasion Alas our speech is but a tastelesse word which testifies How we should speake of Christ that thou wotst not what the grace of Christ meanes When wilt thou learne to call it a glorious Gospell Yet brethren marke this Gospell for as sillie as it seemes to you it is a rich thing it is the riches of God Wouldest thou bee rich Seeke the Gospell Wouldest thou be wise Seeke the Gospell For if thou hadst all the riches vnder the Sunne if thou want Christ thou art a poore wretch And if thou hadst al the glorie in the world if thou want Christ thou art an ignominious bodie full of shame If thou want the Gospell thou hast no wit thou art a foole if thou wert neuer so fine a Mathematician a Phisitian and a Lawyer O foole if thou hast not the reuelation of Christ thou hast a foolish head and thou shalt be shut vp in hell as a foole So brethren there is nothing to make choise of besides this Gospell and one day it shall proue so And one day you shall see it either to your shame or to your glorie Now to goe forward Among whom is this so glorious and so rich a Gospell reuealed He saith among you who are Gentiles Not among the Iewes and their nation onely for brethren so great a light craueth greater bounds who will goe draw in the Sunne into a house to make a house the seate of it and make it as it were a candle shining in the house O this passing light of the Gospell it must not bee drawne into one nation onely but this light that would illuminate a thousand worlds it must be set vp on high to shine on all the nations in the world And therefore hee saith it is manifested among the nations and so it is extended to this sillie vnworthy nation of Scotland O Scotland thy onely light is the Gospell and thy onely glorie is the glorie of the Gospell and shame and darknes shall come to thee if euer thou let this glorious light of the Gospell depart And I say to thee let this glorious Gospell slip and then of all the iudgements that euer came vpon a nation or countrey the most fearefull and terrible shall light on thee And therefore as euer thou wilt haue life and the ioyes of heauen striue euer to hold in this light But here the goodnes of God appeares that to condemned creatures he should haue suffered this light to shine all were condemned creatures the sentence was pronounced against all We of Scotland were of that number Gentiles Alas if we could once consider this O wretched man that euer thou shouldest haue seene this sight of the Sunne of righteousnes if thou reioyce not in it If thou couldest consider the benefit that thou art borne in the daies of light that y e beames of Iesus Christ goe into thy heart thou wouldest count more of it then of al the kingdoms in the world yea thou wouldest say euery morning and euening Blessed be God that I was borne in this lightsome time and among all things y t should make thee thankful this should be the chiefest that thou wast borne in the time of the light and grace of Iesus Christ offered to the world Hitherto wee haue spoken of these foure circumstances In euery one of them shines the glorie of God and that so wonderfully that God got not to himselfe in the creation such a glorie as he hath gotten by the reuelation of this mysterie of Iesus Christ For aboue all his workes the worke of this his mercie is the greatest Now in the end of the verse hee makes this more plaine that hee spake of the riches of God and the Gospell And hee comes downe more homely to their vnderstanding as if he would say O ye Colossians would you know what I meane by these riches I meane nought but Christ as these riches be nothing but Christ What was hid in this mysterie of the reuelation nothing but Christ when it was reuealed and the glorie of it laid out abroad as merchandise is vsed to be there was nothing in it but Christ For brethren all this word of the Gospell is nothing but Christ Al our preaching what is it but Christ The word of the crosse and then of his ascension all our Gospell hath no other matter nor substance And when he hath drawne these riches to Christ and made him all then hee comes neerer them and drawes in Christ to them to their consolation It is not enough that they should heare of Christ and him preached but he applies the same vnto their hearts and soules so the lesson is All the heauenly glorie and riches which thou hearest tell of draw it into In Christ consists all fulnes of glorie Christ for there is no glorie but Christs glorie For the glorie of the Father and of the holy Ghost dwels in him bodily and thou shalt neuer
in him are hid all treasures of wisedome and knowledge therfore be not wise without him seeke not wisdome without him There are false teachers entred in that make you thinke there is wisedome without him but I say vnto you if you would not be deceiued seeke no wisedome without him for in him is the treasure of all wisedome and knowledge There is the force of the argument briefly Now marke the order of the Apostle Before hee exhorted them that they should not be deceiued by the inticing of mens words and doctrine and hee laies out the reason taken from the treasure and riches of wisdome and knowledge that is in Christ So the Apostle to the Hebrues 13. 8. being about to exhort them that they should not be carried about with sundrie and strange doctrine hee laies downe this ground Christ is today and yesterday c. therfore be not carried away from him As if hee would say there was neuer saluation without him from the beginning of the world and there shall be no saluation without him to the end thereof therefore sticke to him This order teacheth vs this lesson that after wee haue let men see what is in Christ after we haue opened as it were and laid abroad before the eyes of the world all that store of wisedome and knowledge that is in him then it is time to exhort men to leaue all their doctrine and vanitie and inticing words of men and to sticke by this Christ in whom there is such wisedome and knowledge For brethren you must vnderstand men if they see not true wisedome they will drinke in vanitie the heart must be filled with The heart must be filled vvith something something if thou see not the truth thou must drinke in lyes And more when thou hast begun to receiue the truth as these Colossians did except that truth be opened and laid before thy eyes as it were to be seene what is in it and what is the meaning and true sense of the same except this Gospell I say be continually taught O vaine man thou wilt goe to the puddle of mens fancies thou wilt fall againe to mens doctrine The preaching of the Gospell must be cōtinued traditions and vanitie thou wilt be a Papist yea and an Atheist to And therefore there is nothing more needfull then this that these riches of Christ be laid out before our eyes and euer tolde to vs that in Christ is all wisdome and knowledge I aske what is the cause that this miserable world all men and all nations for the most part be so drunke in mens dreames what is the Popes doctrine but dreames and poyson drinke it in thou shalt be poysoned with it I tell thee because these false deceiuers close vp the Gospell and swaddle vp Christ in the swaddle bands this is the cause that these poore soules see no better and therefore they are led to damnation blindfolded O miserable bodies these foule spirits send out their poyson to dampne the world withall as alas the greatest part of Europe this day can tell But to sticke to the words The Apostle saith I speake this least any man should beguile you with inticing words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are set out in faire flattring talke Then ye see here he opposeth to all the treasures of Christ inticing words to wisedome he opposeth flattring words There is no wisedome without Christ all is plaine sophistrie as it is called in the Schooles Then in a word all wisdome being in Christ if thou y t wilt be wise without him seeke thy wisedome where thou wilt runne to Rome runne here and there to the Iesuites to get wisedome out of them thou shalt be filled with dreames thou shalt finde nothing but sophistrie thou shalt not meete with wisedome All that thou shalt see and finde shall be but inticing words And what wilt thou winne by this He saith that ye be not deceiued and tooke in a grin Thou shalt be taken in a grin as a beast if thou seeke ought without him Alas brethren when I remember Antichrist and his wofully deceiue soules this miserable world it is a pitie to see how it is abused by these traitors and deceiuers of mens soules O that damnation and iudgement that shall fall on that cursed kingdome of Antichrist For I assure you this world for the greatest part are taken in the grins by Antichrist and so reserued to iudgement And the more miserable are they that are in the grin of Antichrist that they thinke that they are in sweete bands for the end shall let ye see how bitter the bands were let them now be to thee as sweete as they will thou shalt finde in the end that of all bands in this world they are the worst To goe forward He hath vttered a great care to the Colossians whom hee neuer saw nor knew Therefore they might haue said what care is this thou hast of vs thou neuer sawst vs nor we thee He meetes with this in the next words O ye Colossians saith he though I be absent from you in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit Then ye see the Saints the true members of Christ they haue a sight and knowledge of others that the world knowes not of This world and naturall men that haue Iudgement and loue of the world concerning other men not the spirit of Iesus thinke that none can reach out to the worlds end and can haue knowledge of another nor any care ouer him if he see him not with his bodily eye but al is vaine For a spirituall man will send his soule to the end of the world and vpon this hee will vtter his care vnto him by his exhortation And this is a token of a greater thing euen of this ioyning of the godly together that one day they shal be together soule and bodie If thou haue a heart and care with the Church of God thou shalt raigne with her in heauen for euer And in deede if thou haue not this it is a venture if euer thou raigne with her Now when he hath set downe this spirituall presence with them he subioynes the effect of it reioycing saith he there is the effect of that spirituall presence his soule was with them Spirituall presence of the faithfull one with another and with ioy hee reioyced to see them So this presence spiritual whē the heart of the faithfull is with others it is no fantacie as a vaine head will thinke but I say thou hadst neuer such ioy as the faithfull will haue with others in a spirituall presence Thou neuer knewest this ioy that hast not this spiritual presence And brethren it is euen with the Church as it is with Christ 1. Pet. 1. 8. he saith you haue not seene Christ with your eyes yet beleeuing in him who is farre from vs in his bodily presence and louing him howbeit he be away ye reioyce with a ioy that is
here are busie about meates holy dayes of their owne making and such like from the which the Lord hath freed vs To impose lawes necessarie to be kept as they speake vnder the paine of saluation and damnation as the eating of flesh on friday O vaine foole As for things necessarie to saluation and the worship of God Papists passe ouer them as friuolous They will not condemne an adulterer Behold their religion brethren I thinke ye desire that I should speake some thing of the obseruation of daies and difference of meates Seeing this hath been handled in the doctrine of the Catechisme it is not my purpose to insist vpon it Yet I shall shew you mine opinion as plainly and briefly as I may possibly agreeing with the godly and learned in these daies Ye will aske is there any difference betweene meates what shall we thinke of them that wil abstaine from meates I answere if for policies sake because of any politike law and in regard of a common-weale thou abstainest from meates Law concerning meates thou doest well As on the contrary thou doest euill if thou abstaine not for the Magistrate is to be obeyed for conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. If againe thou abstaine from meates and vse not these bodily exercises that by abstinence and fasting thou maist be the better helped in the exercises spirituall as prayer and repentance whether there be a constitution of the Church to that effect or whether of thy owne motion thou doest it thou doest well But if thou begin to place godlines True fast in eating and not eating putting a necessitie in them and that with the opinion of merit that thou deseruest this or that as the Papists speake away with thee and thy fasting If thou be of that opinion fast and it were fortie daies together thou art an Idolater and all thine exercise stinkes in the nose Superstitious fast of God yea though thou doest fast till thy bones and skinne came together Now as concerning daies what shall wee thinke of other countries that yet keepe holy daies I shall tell you the holy daies as they call them they are either commaunded by God or instituted by man God is the author of them or els man The daies commaunded by God in old time before Christ came they were many as ye may reade in the bookes of Moses but as touching the daies inioyned by God to be kept of vs after the comming of Christ reade the Scripture from the beginning to the end and yet thou shalt finde but one day onely inioyned thee to be kept and that by the law Morall and this day is the Lords Sabboth and in keeping of this standeth the worshipping of God So thou that keepest the seuenth day thou doest the thing that is acceptable with God and thou that doest it not thou highly offendest God Then concerning the daies instituted by man whether of old or of late they are different Some were instituted by man for the honour of vulgar and common Saints of some of the which it may be doubted whether they were Saints or no. Some were instituted for the honour of the Apostles indeede they were Saints yea euen although the Pope would not canonize thē Some were instituted for the honour of God and Iesus Christ Now to go thorow as for the holy daies appointed for y e honor of common Saints I say this and it is the opinion of the learned they are Idolatrous thou that doest run to the bones of Popish holy daies this Saint or that Saint kissest it and thou wotest not whether it was the bone of a murtherer a theefe or an oppressour or of a Saint And therefore the reformed Churches in Europe haue abolished these daies As for the daies instituted to the honour of the Apostles indeed it is true y e reformed Churches agree not vniformally in this point Some keepe these daies and yet without perill of Idolatrie because they keepe the daies only and yet without dedication of seruice to the Saints But certainly will ye see the matter as it is It wanteth not superstition if the Apostles were neuer so holy to dedicate a day to them and seruice for them I wil not bring in more reasons yet this I say to celebrate a feast to any man whether dead or liuing with diuine worship to the same it is Idolatrie for the celebration of a feast with seruice adioyned thereto is a kinde of worship that pertaineth to God onely Reade the Lawe and ye shall finde this Now will ye haue Gods mind in this matter When Moses was dead God taketh his bones and caused them to be buried secretly that not one of the people should know where they were laid And wherefore doth he it To preuent the superstition of the people that they should not worship them and celebrate a feast to them He knew the vanitie of mans braine he will make a God of a dead bone Blessed art thou that art restrained by the word of God Will ye haue the example of the Iewes reade where euer they made a feast to Moses or Aaron or old Abraham And if any should haue a festiuall day they should haue had it but I neither read nor heard tell that they got any Come to the Apostles themselues reade the Acts when that idolatrous people would haue worshipped them they rent their cloathes for griefe of their superstition And this day I trow they should riue their cloathes if they saw and vnderstood the superstition and worship that is done to them and if Paul had accepted of thy feast O vaine Papist hee should not abide in heauen one moment for that were to the dishonour of God they giue thee no thanke if they wist of it they would not faile to rent their cloathes and bodies both and to curse thee to thy face for taking the honour that is due to God and to giue it them So concerning this it is a peece of superstition and idolatrie to celebrate a feast and appoint diuine seruice to the Apostles I will except none of them no not Mary would not stand in heauen if she accepted of that honour that thou giuest her Fie on these vaine Papists they rent Gods cloake asunder and would put it on another fie on them and their stinking idolatrous daies To come to the next word In it hee subioynes another argument of his admonition that none should condemne them of these ceremonies and it is taken from the nature and definition of all the old Ceremonies What are they all but shadowes and therefore seeing they are vanishing things let no man condemne you vpon trifles let no man find fault with you nor thrust them vpon you as though they were necessarie poynts to the seruice of God Then no man should be condemned for a shadow a vanishing and fickle thing if thou werst a King doe it not there is no man so giuen ouer into the hands of men It was not giuen
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
but slaues and vessels of earth and not of gold let them cloathe themselues with gold as they will So behold the seueritie and mercie of God seueritie for the reprobate and mercie for the elect Ye will aske makes not God the chosen sometime a spectacle of his wrath was not Dauid in a miserable case and a fearefull spectacle of Gods wrath when as the sword went neuer out of his house all his daies and are there not many daily that are made fearefull spectacles and yet no doubt there are many of them that are of the chosen of God I answere indeede it is true the Lord will chastise his very sore here but all is in this world hang him head him burne him all is nought and that that is is euer conioyned with the mercie of God and his paine hath an end But the Apostle speaketh here of an eternall wrath The elect incurre not this wrath it is proper to the sonnes of infidelitie And therfore I say the elect are neuer made spectacles of Gods Gods punishments in this world on his are but chastisements wrath whatsoeuer the chastisement be that fals vpon them Ye will aske againe where was there euer such a spectacle seene In hell Saw you euer one tormented in hell with this wrath saw you euer one tormented in this world with this wrath God forbid I will not iudge so hardly of any that suffereth or are visited by the hand of God How is it then that the reprobate are made the spectacles of Gods wrath I say albeit thou neither see it nor thou heare it yet there are infinite numbers tormented in hell But there are some so pitifull hearted bodies who cannot heare tell that one goeth to hell O foolish pitifull hearted bodie I tell thee infinite numbers go to hell and shall goe and thou if thou beleeue not this shalt go with Hell the rest to hell For if this word will not serue to confirme thee in this truth that the reprobates shall be made spectacles of Gods wrath the wrath of God shall serue one day when it shall light on thee and them both as infidels to your vtter destruction Now to goe forward ye haue heard two arguments seruing to mortification The first was taken from heauen the second from hell as ye heard The last followeth and it is taken from these same sinnes in the which the Colossians sometimes walked as if he would say ye were such men sometime these sins all raigned in you before ye came to Christ ye were fornicators idolators couetous c. all these raigned in you as they did in any infidell Therefore let the remembrance of these sins be matter of mortification to you This is the argument briefly Of the which yee may gather that men should not looke How to remember our old sins idly on their sinnes wherein sometime they walked for when thou remembrest thou wast an harlot murtherer an oppressor and an auaricious man let that remembrance serue to an earnest slaying of sinne to come and mourning for thy sinnes past continually Fie on thee for euermore if this be not the effect of the remembrance of thy sinnes and so slay that foule affectiō that made thee an harlot and crie for that bloud of Iesus that washeth it away And certaine it is as all things that befall the elect are for their good euen so are their sinnes Rom. 8. for their good when they begin to repent them of their sinne and to slay it Dauid was better after his adulterie then he was before and he neuer remembred his sinnes as he euer remembred them without mortification For this is the nature of a sanctified remembrance it euer worketh sorrow in the heart and a mortification of the sinne O fie on thee when thou remembrest thy harlotrie and wilt not haue sorrow in thy heart for it nor mortifie it Well Paul saith Godly sorrow bringeth foorth repentance which is nothing else but a mortification of thy sinne sorrowing that thou hast done it and brethren sanctified remembrance maketh a fresh wound in the heart If thou stand in the grace of Iesus Christ thou wilt not so soone remember thy sins but as soone thou shalt be wounded with sorrow and griefe for them and thou shalt not so soone bee wounded but so soone that oyle of gladnes shall be powred into thy heart to comfort thee in Iesus and his grace and shall bring to thee a ioy vnspeakable Therefore this is my minde and it is true the ioyfullest bodie that euer was or is is a penitent The ioy of a penitent sinner sinner who with sighes vnspeakable groanes for sinne O then there is ioy vnspeakable and glorious in that heart 1. Pet. chap. 1. it refresheth the hart so sweetly that the mourning sinner is swallowed vp with ioy and blesseth the time that euer he mourned for sinne Come to the words of the text there are three things he noteth Three points in them First he saith they walked in them that is in these sinnes Secondly he setteth downe their manner of walking And thirdly the time when they walked in them As to the first ye walked that is in fornication and vncleannes and the rest ye walked in them as men are wont to goe from morning to euening The word teacheth vs this that a sinner cannot sit idle if sinne raigne in thee thou canst not sit idle but he must be euer going on yea and running on to sinne It is said in the epistle to the Ephesians that they gaue themselues to wantonnes with greedines striuing who should be formost There Eph. 4. 19. 20. was neuer two in a course of running striuing who should be formost and formost as a sinner in whom sinne raigneth will striue to be formost in sinne before all others There is none that went to hell nor none goe or shall goe but their owne Sinners walke to hell they neede no horse foote carieth them thither they neede not a horse to ride on and gallop thither There was neuer none so readie to goe to heauen as the reprobates are to goe to hell Would to God we could make as good speede in the way to heauen as they doe in the way to hell And so there is none that dieth that euerlasting death but it is according to his owne will Thy perdition is of thy selfe O Israel but thy saluation is of me saith the Lord. Thou wilt runne of thine owne will to hell except the Lord meete thee and hinder thy course The second thing he marketh in them is the manner of their walking Ye also that is euen ye walked after the same manner as the children of infidelitie did Looke as they walked so yee walked as they ranne ye ranne no difference betwixt you So the lesson is before the effectuall calling of God by his spirit and faith there is no difference betwixt the elect and the reprobate the soule of the elect
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