and sheweth us the favour of a most mercifull Father and in this is perfect reconciliation 2 For the second this phrase is a Synechdoche bloud is put for a bloudy death upon the Crosse and bloudy death on the Crosse doth together note the curse of the Law felt in His soule who indured it Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law when he was made a curse for us Now though Christs intercession hath His place in appeasing God and other actions yet His death is chiefely named because the force that other things have to pacify God is derived from this sacrifice which Christ the Sacrificer Himselfe offereth Againe He so often nameth bloud not to exclude inward sufferings but because this was more easily knowne being visible 2. The cursed manner in which it was shed that is how it was shed so that His soule did feele the wrath of God against sinne the curse of the Law for in these two stands the vertue and excellency of Christs Passion This Doctrine is a looking glasse to us wherein we may see the heavy displeasure of God against sin Vse 1 heavy it is which could not otherwise be reconciled sinne is good cheape men thinke yet we see it was of that haynous nature that the pardon of it could not be purchased nor obteyned but by the shedding of the dearest bloud in the heart of the Sonne of God It letteth us see CHRIST His love to us Vse 2 and to our peace It gives us to understand in what pretious account we are to have this benefit Vse 3 if we should buy a thing with a masse of money how charily would we keepe it but this and the other are bought not with silver and gold but with the pretious bloud of CHRIST Marke lastly Observ the thing in which the Fathers were reconciled to GOD it was CHRIST His bloud for what spirits were at Christs sufferings in heaven which did need reconciling to God by bloud but the sinne of the just who were dead in the faith of CHRIST to come Now as we see they by the faith on this bloud had salvation Acts 15.11 How can they be said to be reconciled to GOD by Christs sufferings Quest who were in heaven with God before He suffered This is said Answ not in regard that now the benefit was applyed in them but because now the thing was done by force wher of they had reconciliation that was now actually exhibited whereby they in former ages were taken to mercy the sins under the old Testament are said to be forgiven in Christs death Heb. 9.15 because then that was done for which they were pardoned though the pardon was given forth before 2. Because these things were now actually passed twixt God offended and God man our surety and Mediator This letteth us see how Christ hath beene in all times the onely atonement twixt God and us Vse Lastly marke hence Obs that the Fathers were in heaven before Christs ascension Psal 73. Thou guidest me by thy counsell and takest me to glory The Saints dying goe into everlasting Tabernacles now what is an everlasting mansion never to be changed but heaven VERSE 21. And you which were in times past strangers and enemies because your mindes were set in evill workes hath Hee now also reconciled NOw He commeth to set downe this benefit with application to them unto whom he wrote 1 Making way to it by remembring their former misery 2 Hee mentioneth the benefit applied in them with the manner of working it 3 Openeth the end of it 4 By way of caution adjoyneth the condition of perseverance vers 22. First then in generall from the Apostle his example note thus much That we must not onely teach in generall Obs but apply in particular the things of the Gospell* ⎠* So Saint Paul doth every where the nigher they are brought the more they affect To tell a whole Towne there are priviledges bestowed on it doth not so much move as to tell them of this or that houshold that such and such things are bestowed upon them And therefore that Sacrament which commeth nearest Take eate this is my body given for thee it is most helpefull to particular affiance Beside such is the infirmity of many of Gods Children that if like a Nurse you doe not feede them putting the meate of their soule by particular application into their mouth you may famish them at least keepe them low in this heavenly grace Againe there is such an indiligent carelesnesse that we let them hang in the ayre unlesse they be brought the nearer to us that which is sayd to every body is sayd to no body let it therefore be exemplary for our imitation 2 Marke how the Apostle doth call to their remembrance what they had formerly beene taught teaching us Obs that we must not forget our miserable condition by nature worldly advancement maketh meane ones forgotten the Priest as we speake forgetteth he was Clerke but our spirituall dignity must therefore be with bearing in mind our naturall misery 1 Co. 6.11 Such were some of you but now ye are washed c. 1 For this is a ground of meekenesse it is like the Swannes blacke foote which when we behold will humble us 2 It stirreth up holy groanes O'miserable man that I am Rom. 7.24 3 It is a good sallad and maketh Christ with His benefits taste better 4 It is a good spurre to fruitfulnesse for the time to come Rom. 6.19 As you have given your members servants unto uncleannesse and to iniquity so now give your members servants unto righteousnesse in holinesse 5 Againe it is the ground of a holy blush wherewith all must walke before God Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee in these things whereof ye are now ashamed We must therefore heare on this side when we are told of our naturall estates Vse 1 you must not tell of your former lewd led lives in a bravery but beare them in mind and speake them when it is for edification even to glorify Gods mercy to further meekenesse and holy shame-facednesse in us Now for the particular hee sets downe their misery two wayes 1 In regard of their externall constitution you who sometimes were strangers Supply it out of the Ephes 2.12 from the Common wealth of Israel ₠that is you who sometime were not so much as members with the Church by outward profession and society Vse 2 much lesse of it as Saint Iohn saith they were amongst us but not of us therefore they went out from us 2 In regard of their more inward condition partly standing in the quality and disposition of their mind which is here set downe enemies in minde partly in conversation in evill workes in which we have set downe What is a most miserable condition viz. Obs not to be a member of Gods visible Church to be a stranger to the societies where Gods word is preached
principall end to which the grace of GOD used them was to shadow out CHRIST as followeth but nakedly considered as apart from this grace of the Gospell they did acknowledge our debt what we should pay they did make confession that we did it not they did also acknowledge the mystery which belonged to us in this regard for it is to be noted that nothing can be fitly conceived here but the Iewish rites not our agreement and covenanting with GOD in Paradise or Mount Sinay all these things will we doe this is the debt it selfe not Syngrapha or Chyrographum which doth testifie the debt Now the Ceremonies some did testifie their debt Galath 5. If a man be circumcised say as seeking righteousnesse in the Law he is a debter to the whole Law Marke that as a man by the bill of his hand so the old people by the Circumcision did testifie that they owed GOD obedience in all the Law 2. Some testified their guilt as all their legall uncleannesses and washings their sacrificings both sinne offerings and burnt offerings the one shewed their guilt the other that they were by nature altogether corrupted and must be killed as they were themselves that so they might come to live to GOD such were their humbling their soules annually In conclusion their whole worship did testifie that the perfect offering with which GOD's wrath was to be appeased was not yet come 2. That Heaven was not yet opened that they were all in desert of death through sinne this was all they could doe as purely legall as they are considered a part of the ministery of the Law so farre as it is opposed to the Gospell thus they were a ministery of condemnation beggarly elements a Chyrographum against us Yet the principall end to which GOD used them was to signifie the sacrifices to come this was the principall I say because the Law it selfe is made a servant to grace yea justice in God doth put it selfe forth that the grace of God may be more manifested and it may be therefore the Apostle here saith they were a Chyrographum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subcontrary in respect that they had another end more maine which was with us though they wanted not this testification also Now how this testification doth extend to us guiltlesse is above shewed The use of this may be first to admonish us whence it came Vse that the spirit of bondage did so abound in the people of the Iewes ever since CHRIST Answ They were still occupied in one rite or other which did testifie uncleannesse their services were hand-writings against them they proclaimed their guilt aloud but shewed the grace of God very obscurely Againe we see what cause we have to be glad of our LORD IESUS who hath freed us of these lamentable services If wee have called in a bond or bill which we had abroad it joyeth us but we know not our happinesse who have these bonds in statute reversed for us And wee must take heed of this levin of Iewish ceremony from which we were redeemed so dearely A little levin worketh thorow the whole lumpe Ill weeds grow apace What an abundance are these rites growen to in the Church of Rome from beginnings farre smaller But some may say Object Our Ceremonies witnesse nothing against us we grant CHRIST is ascended The Ceremonies not onely as Shadowes of Christ Answ but as they are a more carnall kinde of instructing doe witnesse against us that the time of faith is not come that the Spirit promised is not given that the times wherein wee must worship in spirit and truth that is a spirituall manner not carnall that these times are not yet approached Lastly marke Doct. That Christ hath by suffering on the Crosse abolished these things So you have it Eph. 2.15 1 Pet. 1.20 He hath delivered you from your vaine conversation received by the tradition of your fathers Where it is to be noted that though the whole ceremoniall Law might in some regard be called Vaine for it was but a shadow of heavenly things it brought not things to perfection yet he doth especially note there the traditionary depravations of doctrines yea and their Ceremonies significant which they used by the institution of men to admonish them of inward holinesse as washing of hands Matt. 15. to put them in mind of inward cleannesse of which Christ saith In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrine mens precepts as also their corrupt conversation for Christ suffering did crucifie the vaine carnall and sinfull life of our old man that we might be even for the externall manner spirituall and holy to God through Him This then as it sheweth us the love of CHRIST Vse so it teacheth us how wee must much prize and warily maintaine this liberty Such things as we buy at a deare rate we lay them up carefully use them charily we say it standeth us in thus much But alas this benefit not silver nor gold but the bloud of CHRIST hath purchased for us it hath redeemed us as well from such vaine externall rites which men devise as from those typicall Ceremonies of the Law which respected CHRIST to come VERSE 15. And hath spoiled the Principalities and Powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed over them in the same Crosse NOw followeth the third thing which went before our quickening that is the freeing us from him who was GOD's fearfull doomes-man having power of executing death upon us by reason of our sinne Principalities and Powers doe signifie all those superiour and inferiour powers of darknesse with which Christ combated on His Crosse The thing is set downe by a gradation 1 He did spoile them which what it is shall be opened more 2 He did make a shew of them that is expose them to ignominy and reproach for so this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Matth. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 He triumphes over them within Himselfe or on His Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The summe is God in Christ hath quickened us when He had given us an acquittance from all our sinnes abolished all things which shewed any thing against us when He had on the Crosse of His Son disarmed made a scorne and triumphed over all spirituall powers who had us as executioners to His justice before in their custody In the Verse three things may be considered 1 The Victory it selfe 2 The Persons vanquished 3 The Manner First in generall we are to marke Doct. That God doth set us free from the power of Satan before we are made alive throughly in IESUS CHRIST He quickened us in Christ in what order having subdued all Principalities and Powers that held us even as in Christ our Head so in us this worke proceedeth First He died and by death conquered the Prince of this world Then when his power was broken Hee raised Himselfe up againe In the same order are we
we be thus thankefull what praise should wee offer to our God for bringing us under the Kingdome of His deare Sonne If we had some grievous Tyrant ruling over us and God should take him away and set a Prince of singular Clemency over us should not the blessing of all the kingdome come upon him for so singular a change But when he taketh the Divells iron yoaks off our necks and bringeth us under the Kingdome of that most meeke King who will not bruise a broken reed nor quench the smoaking flaxe here none in comparison is thankefull This giveth us to consider of our happy estate Vse 2 who are brought to live under Him reade Psal 72. To live in such a Kingdome were a great felicity but no more to be compared with this then the shadow with the substance What a blessing is it that we have His spirit to be a law in us good lawes in a Kingdome are no small benefit What a blessing is it that we have true peace from accusation of sinne from feare of death from disturbance which the remnants of sin doe cause before they be better mortified Say I am spiritually opposed and molested yea have great corporall enemies what a mercy is this that looking to CHRIST our King and crying for helpe we have succour they are weakened defeated scattered we are strengthened and comforted I see that I am besieged with enemies too mighty for me yea with Traytors in my owne bosome what a favour is this that we should be protected our King being such a wall and as a mighty flood about us that they cannot come neere us I want things looking to CHRIST I have supply I feare time to come looking to Him I heare it spoken This is our King Psa 48.14 Hee shall leade us to death VERSE 14. In whom we have redemption through His bloud the forgivenesse of sins NOw followeth the description to shew the excellency of this former blessing from the excellent benefit wee have by him and the worthinesse of his Person In whom in which deare Sonne and this phrase in whom noteth both the Author of the benefit next adjoyned and likewise the order or meane by which it commeth to be applyed in us viz wee being by faith in Him in whom then is through which Sonne we being set into Him by faith wee have redemption which word is taken Actively or Passively Actively for the act of CHRIST His working it Passively for the receiving of it into us or the applying of it in us that are believers so it is here as if it were said we are redeemed The force of the Word is ransomed brought forth of some miserable penall condition a price or ransome payd for us which was His bloud See Ephes 1.7 14. 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave Himselfe a ransome for all He construeth this redemption to be Pardon of sinne freedome from all that penall condition to which wee were subject by reason of sinne For to pardon sinne is to release the punishment to which the guilt of sin doth bind us What is the singular love of our King unto us Obs 1 even such that Hee hath bought us with His bloud wee are ransomed by Him and not with silver or gold but with His pretious bloud 1 Pet. 1 18 19. If that a King should empty all his coffers and alienate all his Crowne Land to rescue his Subjects he should shew himselfe a naturall Prince but what is this to that ransome which our King hath tendered This doth let us see what cause we have of thankefulnesse for CHRIST not onely in regard of his love Vse 1 and naturall affection to us but for this great benefit which we have by Him Were we slaves in the Turkish gallies taken prisoners in the warre were we kept hard in debters hall how would we give thankes to God for such a one as should purchase our liberty with some summe of money How much more to be released from that woefull captivity in which the Divell doeth hold us through sinne and the curse of God whereof he is the executioner This letteth us see our duties towards CHRIST Vse 2 not to be young masters our owne men walking after our owne hearts but to live to Him who hath bought us dearely the Apostle Saint Peter on the same ground inferreth this exhortation For as much then as CHRIST hath suffered for us us in the flesh 1 Pet. 4.1 2. arme your selves likewise with the same minde for hee that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that He no longer should live the rest of His time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God If men doe but small matters for us we are theirs to be commanded their servants theirs while we live to the utmost of our power but God may come from heaven take thy nature to the fellowship of His Person shed the pretious bloud of His man-hood and when He hath done all have no thankefull duty acknowledged Lastly we see hence our woefull estates by nature Vse 3 wee are bondslaves further then this our King doth set us free True it is we are like the Iewes when they were told of being set free from this thraldome we say they were never any mans servants never other then free So wee thinke we are free enough ô no beloved we are all by nature sold under ignorance under sinne under condemnation neither shall we ever come forth till this Sonne of God the truth set us free Remission of sins Observe hence Obs What is the greatest blessing which CHRIST our King doth procure us pardon of sinne great indeed binding us to be thankefull for our King We see how Kings at their Coronations when they enter upon their people they doe every way endeavour to winne their hearts testifie their princelike bounty and clemency hence come the customes of giving pardons to sundry even of capitall offences of releasing subsidies and such like dues otherwise of giving and enlarging and confirming charters to sundry places thus our Saviour that King of glory doth give a full pardon to His Subjects a generall pardon for it is sayd indefinitely none excepted that in Him we have forgivenesse of sinnes which Saint Iohn doth conster in these words the bloud of CHRIST clenseth us from all sins 1 Ioh. 1.9 originall actuall past future the most royall Charter that ever was given to the sonnes of men This is the grace promised I will be mercifull to their iniquities and remember their sinnes no more It is the justification and absolving of us sinners by God for that satisfaction or redemption which Christ tendered we are justified saith Saint Paul freely by His grace that is we are set free from our sins through Christ His redemption Rom. 3.21 Christ was made sinne that is a sacrifice or surety for sinners bearing all our sin that we might be made Gods righteousnesse righteous before God in him
conquerours and in the end crowned with a crowne of immortall glory There wanteth nothing but a little waiting Yet a little while and He that shall come will come and will not tarry Behold Hee commeth in the clouds and His reward of glory is with Him In the meane time let us live as those that look for His glory Vse 2 and not dishonour our selves with base actions of sinne that are appointed for such glory VERSE 27. To whom God would make knowne what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory THe Apostle having commended the Gospel unto the Colossians by the excellencies ascribed unto it that it is a mystery and a Secret knowne onely of a few then from the antiquity of it hid since the world began and from the peculiarity of this priviledge onely to the Saints not to the rest of the world in respect of the saving vertue and power of it Now he presseth his exhortation to embrace and receive it and the rather we should be induced hereunto if we consider the cause moving God thus to deale with us viz. not for any thing in our selves not for our worthinesse for our parts our wit or wils or any thing else or any other creature but meerely of His owne good will and pleasure to whom God would What should move to make this difference betweene men seeing all naturally are in the same case and condition even his owne will and good pleasure Hence observe Doctr. That the cause why the Gospell is revealed to us and not to others is the will and good pleasure of God So CHRIST saith Matth. 11 25. I give thee thankes O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes Even so O Father because such was thy good pleasure Were it any dispositions fore-seene in men then those should be called and taught who were of the best capacitie and towardnesse who were for civill carriage most unblameable but not many wise not many of great wit but babes and simples ones are called yea Publicans and Harlots had these things made known to them when Philosophers and Pharisaicall Civilians were excluded To shew it in particular as it is a grace of God to give His Lawes and ordinances so it is His meere Grace that they are bestowed on any rather than others This is shewed in giving them to Israel who were worse than Tyre and Sydon than Niniveh than the Nations I doe not send thee to a Nation of a strange tongue Ezck. 3.3 they would heare thee Had these things beene done in Tyre and Sydon they would have repented Niniveh repented at the preaching of Ionah Loe a greater than Ionah is here Yea God is forced every where to upbraid them with stiffe-neckednesse a necke of steele with hard hearts hearts like Adamant with brazen fore-heads yea to call them a gain-saying and rebellious people Even as His pleasure carryeth raine to one place and to another So He maketh His Ministers drop the Word of Wisdome amongst some and not amongst other some Matth. 10.6 Goe not into the way of the Samaritans So Acts 16.7 Goe not whither thou intendedst but into Macedonia Now if mans outward teaching be affoorded out of meere grace how much more God inward teaching yea His opening the eye of our mindes As no reason can be given why one mans eyes were opened one dead man raised rather than all the rest So no man can give a reason why these who now see and beleeve should be made to see rather than others Vse 1 This serveth to confute those who thinke the Word to be given or deteyned according to something in them to whom it is given or from whom it is deteyned in them or their progenitors But we have shewed sufficiently that it is first sent amongst any freely and if it be withheld from any it must be for their owne deserts or some who have beene before them parents to them not for their owne deserts for many of the heathen were not so hard hearted and impenitent as the Iew and for their Parents fault it could not be withheld unlesse we would make particular Parents to stand for themselves and their Children yea some thinke that the inward teaching which doth so teach that it changeth the mind that this teaching I say is given to such whom God doth see as fit to worke with it and use to this purpose as a Captaine setteth a man on a horse whom he doth see will mannage him well But this doth presuppose a connaturall Correspondence in corrupt nature to the supernaturall grace of God and a power in nature to use grace aright which hath long since beene condemned as a Pelagian error from these grounds that we cannot doe any thing which profiteth to salvation out of Christ that we are not fit to thinke a good thought Let us acknowledge Gods free grace that we have these things opened and revealed to us Vse 2 we of meane parts for understanding in comparison of others we who have beene often more vilely and viciously disposed then others let us acknowledge that He hath opened these things and hidde them from others even because it so pleased Him Finally let us walke worthy these ordinances to be fruitfull in them least He say to us as to Capernaum woe be to thee thou wert lifted up to heaven but I will throw thee downe to hell What is the riches of the glory of this mystery Vnto this mystery of the Gospell now spread abroad among the Gentiles be ascribed glory yea riches of glory that is abundance of glory Doct. thereby teaching us That the Gospell preached is not onely a mystery but a mystery full of glory Even that wherein the glorious power goodnesse and wisedome of God is set forth for what power goodnesse or wisedome is any thing comparable with that which appeareth in mans redemption verily all the glory of earthly Kings wherein they set forth their power goodnesse wisedome is nothing in comparison hereof The Gospell is not onely of great excellency in it selfe but it puts glory and excellency upon all that doe sincerely professe and embrace it it makes them to shine gloriously in all their conversation before God and men Pro. 4.8.9 so saith Salomon Exalt wisedome and shee shall exalt thee shee shall bring thee to honour if thou embrace her shee shall give thee a comely ornament unto thy head yea shee shall give thee a crowne of glory Let us then admire and adore this mystery of the Gospell Vse and the rather because we our selves are partakers of it and by it transformed into the image of God from glory to glory by the spirit of God This glorious mystery he setteth forth by the subject of it which is Christ Whence observe Doct. what the maine subject and substance of the Gospell is it is Christ
Christ working through that death in the behalfe of all His the death of the creature so farre forth as by the just judgement of God it hath a power through Sathans working to draw us from God to it selfe 3 A death of our corruption Galath 6.15 By the Cxosse of Christ the world is crucified to me and I to it that is by Christ crucified Briefly as Adam becomming mortall and dying to this mortall life wee all so soone as wee are borne members of Him are mortall and tend to death by force of that mortality in the roote of us So Christ dying spiritually to this world and the sin of all us His members that thus they might be abolished we so soone as by faith we are made His members or are borne of Him we begin to dye spiritually till in death we are fully mortified by vertue of that radicall death in Christ our Saviour who dying according to his flesh did so worke by His omnipotent spirit that as the guilt was at once remooved so the life of it was mortified that it lost the raigne and was successively to be abolished in the being of it in all those who by faith should come to be engrafted into him or all those who should spiritually descend from Him 4 Lastly He brought into our nature supernaturall life that so He in our nature might propagate it to all who were His. The use hereof is to stirre us up above all things to seeke with Saint Paul Vse 1 that we may know what is the power of His death the communion of His sufferings while I feele my selfe made like to Him in dying to this world and sin for by this we know that we are untied to Him suffering and dead to sin and this world while we feele our selves by virtue thereof in like case as I know my communion with Adam that I dyed in him while I see my selfe mortall hastening every day to death as he is dead The Lord Iesus make the scales fall off our eyes that we may see the vertue of His most powerfull death toward all that are His. This also letteth us see what we must doe when this world and the things of it are forcible upon us Vse 2 when our hearts feele the life of sin strongly making to them come to Christ dying speake to Him Thou Lord hast crucified this world thou hast overcome the strength of it thou didst dye not regarding the allurements of it why doe I feele it have so mighty a hand over me even bewitching me as it were at the sight of it So when I feele my sin stirring lively in the lawes of it then to fly hither Lord thou dying hast beene the death of the sin of thy people why doe I who am in thee find it stirre as if it never had received wound The more we get to see our selves in Christ dying for the abolishing of all our sins the more we shall feele them wasting in us Let us give glory to this glorious death which maketh us all to dye Vse 3 As in the naturall body kill the head and all the members dye after so here c. This sheweth us why it is that sin liveth in so many men in the world Vse 4 even from this that they are not engrafted into Christ and so doe not partake of the influence of that spirituall life which from Christ the head floweth into all His members Buryed with Him in baptisme you have put off your sins being set into Him dying and buryed ingrafted with Him buryed in or by your baptisme Observe hence Doct. God doth unite us with Christ even by our baptisme the Lord doth by baptisme signifie to us and confirme thus much yea worke it as by an instrument namely the putting His Christ crucified upon us and our ingrafting into Him dying and rising Rom. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For first by baptisme is sealed our communion w th Christ dying and rising secondly our communion in the effects which are mortification and vivification but yet wee must not think though God useth outward baptisme of His minister that this ministeriall action bringeth forth grace as the Papists doe who hold that God doth so use the ministeriall baptisme that He lifteth up that action as an instrumentall cause to worke grace so that it neither commeth solely from God nor yet immediately For this must be held that the power and act of producing grace is only and immediately from God There are two sorts of instruments some worke somthing with the Principall worker others doe not operari aliquid but ad aliquid they worke to something but not any thing having force to cause that whereto they worke such are Gods meanes which He useth and coordeyneth with him selfe in working of all such things which are not wrought but onely by power omnipotent thus he healed the blind with clay and spittle thus He overthrew the walls of Iericho with the blowing of Rams hornes But one may say this is absurd Object to use meanes which shall doe nothing doth any man doe thus Men use meanes which worke something in that they doe with them Answ because their force doth not reach alone to the effect they intend without the helpe of the meanes concurring with them but Gods force being alsufficient it is not absurd for Him to take to Him selfe such instruments in giving grace which are of no force to produce it especially when hereby he exerciseth our obedience faith c. He that planteth and he that watereth is nothing 1 Cor. 3.7 in regard of working in the soule that they tend to the Gospell is sayd to be the power of GOD to salvation Rom. 1.16 because through GOD it is powerfull who accompanyeth it immediately and enty rely working faith by it Yet Papists will not say that the Preachers syllables are elevated by GOD to rayse up the dead in sinnes and trespasses This then is to be firmely held that GOD useth baptisme of engrafting us with Christ and mortifying and quickning us in Him Vse yet the baptisme of water doth not conteyne any force nor is not lifted up to any such agency whereby grace is properly produced But it may be asked Quest how we are set into Christ with baptisme when none must be baptised but those if they be adulti who have faith in appearance and so are already in Him Things are sayd to be done when they are manifested and done in a further degree then before they were Answ thus the believer baptised is by baptisme manifested to be so before the Church yea often to Himselfe the more plentifull grace of God comming into Him while he useth it faithfully and his faith being more strengthened the union is more confirmed The use is to stirre us up that we would looke backe to our baptisme Vse which sealeth unto us so great matters if we have sealed bonds we will have them sometime read to us that we may know what
meane while see nothing into those favours which they themselves have enjoyed But let us learne hence so to be affected to God for that we have received that we faile not to tell what God hath done for our soules when we are telling of His kindnesse Lastly Doct. marke the largenesse of God's grace forgiving all our sinnes all past present and to come If any future sinnes were not forgiven us we could not have life eternall restored For as one of our sinnes kept without pardon would have kept CHRIST from rising from the dead so it would keepe us from feeling the power of His Resurrection if all our sinnes were not remitted to us There is no condemnation to one that is in CHRIST Rem 8.1 Hee hath passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation God doth not forgive as justifying us judicially but once neither doth he remit all present to the beleever suspending the pardon of future till hee should anew repent and beleeve for this standeth not with the nature of that everlasting Covenant I will remember thy sinne no more Againe unlesse one would hold a totall which must needs also bee a finall fall from CHRIST it would follow that one should be in CHRIST and yet for a time in state of damnation before God Why then doe we pray Object Answ forgive us our sinne That we may have continuance of our pardon sense and feeling of it that we may have pardon of God's Fatherly displeasure and so of bitter corrections which our sinne might cause not that we would have a new justification with GOD. How are those that are excommunicate made as Publicans Object and it is good in Heaven The Church doth not cut them off from all conjunction with GOD Ans but separate them from all communion with her selfe and in this regard doth censure them as Publicans and not let them communicate with them no more than prophane persons though she may think they may be brethren in God's secret sight and estimation and this censure of hers is ratified Hence then let us thinke of the Lord 's wonderfull love Vse to forgive one fault a second and a third this is much but to pardon such thousands of talents is wonderfull If the King should forgive a traytor against whom one treasonable practice was proved is it not great clemencie but to pardon one against whom there is good proofe of a thousand Articles in this kinde Thus it is with God hence Rom. 5. God amplifieth His grace and maketh it to glory above justice justice condemned in one sinne but grace is given to the pardon of many offences This is to be noted against the Papists they say God forgiveth all sinnes fully in Baptisme only after Baptisme God forgiveth not veniall sins and if we fall into mortal God forgiveth for CHRIST the eternall punishment but leaveth us to satisfie the temporall Thus when God forgiveth us not all our sins but sins committed before Baptisme not all after but mortall only nor mortall fully but in regard of the eternall punishment thus they infringe the Charter of all the Christian world that they may maintaine their merchandize of Pardons and indulgencies But this were to make God no pardoner but a mitigater of punishment If the King now when a traytour is condemned to dye doe change his sentence of of death into perpetuall imprisonment hee is not said to forgive the treason but to mitigate punishment Privilegiasunt amplianda When God saith He forgiveth all who but such enemies of mankinde would restraine it further than God Himselfe doth True it is that many punishments doe still lye upon GOD's children but they are childe-like chastisements not judiciary penalties whereby the Law might be satisfied VERSE 14. Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrarie to us and tooke it out of the way nailing it to his Crosse NOw he commeth to the second benefit which went before our quickening In laying it downe 1 He setteth downe the benefit 2 The manner of working it In describing the benefit he doth by a gradation set it forth 1 He blotted out the hand-writing against us 2 He tooke it out of the way quite abolished it The manner of working nailing it on the Crosse But to cleare the Text some Questions are necessary It may be asked Qu. 1 what is meant by this hand-writing The Apostle leadeth us to know it Answ 1 By the Quality it was Contrary 2 The Subject about which it was occupied in rites which doe define it sufficiently to be the Ceremoniall Law but it is more evident by comparing it with Ephes 2.15 Abolishing the Law of Commandements in rites by that which he presently inferreth Therefore seeing that CHRIST hath blotted out the hand-writing in rites let none condemne you in legall rites not obeyed by you This illation doth shew that legall rites are meant somewhere in the precedents Further Verse 20. he thus useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why doe yee use rites as touch not taste not handle not It may be asked Qu. 2 how this was a hand-writing against any They have a double consideration the one Evangelicall Answ whereby they are visible words preaching Christ thus they are not the other legall purely Mosaicall whereby they preached our guilt and the wrath belonging to us thus they were hand-writings against us It may be asked how Saint Paul can say Qu. 3 these were hand-writings against the Colossians and how he can name the taking of them away as a benefit to the Colossians seeing that nothing is more evident than that the Ceremoniall Law was laid on none by God but the houshold of Abraham Saint Paul saith to us who was of the tribe of Benjamin Answ Phil. 3. and it may be he changeth the Person in the Verse before having respect to this But to passe this Conjecture it may be answered that the Iewish rites had a double testification the one direct which respected their owne persons that worshipped with them the other indirect by force of Consequent onely and thus they did witnesse the guilt of all the world For if they testifie that the peculiar people of God were by nature in sin and guiltie of death then à fortiori they witnessed all the world beside lay in sinne and death And thus Saint Paul on the contrary maketh those Scriptures which are spoken against the Gentiles in the old Testament to witnesse against the Iew by nature the Iew is no better than the Gentile Now this was a benefit to all the Gentiles the abolishing of them not that it easeth us from any thing had beene upon us but because it doth save us from ever having this importable yoke laid on us and this I take to be the sound answer of this question What it meaneth Qu. 4 that God is said to blot out and take them away Because they are so answered in CHRIST Ans that their obligation
and obedience is utterly ceased Lastly Qu. 5 it may be asked how these Ceremonies were nailed on the Crosse As we conceive our selves Answ and all our sins with Christ on the Crosse So all the specialties which were to shew against us yea all the conversation of us as it was after this world is to be conceived with Him that the whole old man with his debt with the deeds he had done acknowledging this debt with his manner of conversing in carnall rites I say all of the old man is to be conceived thus in CHRIST and crucified with Him that all old things might be abolished Now to come to the Doctrines Observe first Doct. That not onely our sinne which is our debt is answered but that whatsoever may shew any thing against us is done away in CHRIST not onely our debt but every thing which might testifie any thing or breed us future danger is cancelled If a debter doe know his debt is answered yet hath his bonds and bills uncalled in he is still in feare but when he hath all such things as might speake any thing crossed torne made utterly void then he is safe for the LORD will have man doe all things so as he may shew his true meaning and wisdome in the dealing betwixt him and our Lord Iesus Christ doth give us example for in CHRIST answering our debt it had not been wisdome not to have defaced and abolished all such things as made acknowledgement of our debt and in GOD to have taken from His CHRIST satisfaction for us and kept with Himselfe such things which might witnesse us still indebted to Him had not so agreed with that single and upright meaning which GOD sheweth in all His wayes Againe our peace had not beene provided for for the Divell our restlesse enemie would never have rested to have followed the suit on us if he had so good evidence as our owne confession whether in heart word or under our hand to shew against us to that most just GOD. The use of this is first to teach us the great bounty of God yea and to shew us a patterne of sincere dealing Vse 1 to pardon us our debts is much but to deface all such specialties which might shew any thing against us to give in cancell crosse teare the least bill he had against us this doth amplifie His bounty It is storied of Adrian that seeking to win the favour of His subjects in Rome and Italy he for gave them all they were indebted to his Exchequer and the more to amplifie his free pardon he gave them out all their bills and bonds by which they made acknowledgement of any due to him Thus the great God amplifying His love dealeth with us and teacheth men what to doe when a debt is answered even to keepe nothing to shew for it that so their sincere dealing may be witnessed This letteth us see the fulnesse of CHRIST's redemption Vse 2 would He leave a great part of our debt unanswered as veniall sinnes the temporary punishment of sins and not suffer the least line of a bill to be uncrossed and torne asunder Lastly this maketh much for our comfort Vse 3 when we know that every thing that might breed us dread for hereafter beside the Ceremoniall Law there are many other hand-writings as it were which the Divell will threaten against us what will he say thou justified Daniel Saint Paul and others doe they not confesse they are sinners miserable and wretched their righteousnesse as Esay speaketh like stained cloathes This confession of the greatest Saints speaketh against thee Againe thy conscience doth know that thou art a grievous sinner thou hast not crucified the lusts of thy flesh and how oft hath thy owne mouth said thou hast no true faith no lively grace Nay sometime he hath got the hand to shew for their owne damnation How shall all this be answered Even by granting that indeed there are such confessions and bills of mine owne out against me but my CHRIST He did answer them and take them away This in generall Now in particular Doct. First we see That by CHRIST the Ceremoniall Law is taken away Looke Ephes 2.15 and in the Epistle to the Hebrewes which doth set it forth at large for the Law was not given that it should be perpetuall but only till the time of CHRIST which is called the time of correction or the setting things straight to that which they respected As a Physitian without changing his art giveth one thing to a childe another thing to a man And as a learned Schoole-master teacheth one booke to a novice another to a riper schollar so GOD without any change in Himselfe doth change these ordinances and did alwayes intend their ceasing in CHRIST Now we must know that when we say this Law of Ceremony was abolished in Christ the meaning is that it doth not binde any unto obedience As we see with us when Statutes are repealed they are not blotted forth of bodies and abolished from being monuments of advertisement but their force only taken away from constraining obedience so here c. not that the doctrine and knowledge of it nor yet the liberty of doing a rite in it while the edification of the Church so required is taken away the one is perpetuall the other was by the Apostles for a time lawfully practised For as the Morall Law is taken away from the use of seeking righteousnesse in it yet it remaineth as a rule of manners instructing us in our duties which we owe in thankfulnesse So this Law is taken away in regard of all the obligation and exercise of it but remaineth for many uses of doctrine and instruction The Vse is to let us see GOD's goodnesse to us Vse 1 what a benefit we count it when some one harmefull Statute by act of Parliament is repealed But what a benefit is this that a yoke which our fathers could not beare is taken away so that it never shall be laid upon us It letteth us see our happinesse above the Iewes Vse 2 that are free of so many fleshly grievances wherewith their worship abounded Wee see hence Vse 3 that it is GOD's will we should not be pestered with carnall rites and services GOD who will have His owne give place to our liberty how farre is He from liking that men should impose upon us their yokes of bondage This were misery for a man to be set free from GOD's hand and fall into mans usurpation Wherefore superstitious and lewd preambles of that popish captivity were those primitive ceremonies and observances which Saint Augustine in his hundred and nineteenth Epistle to Ianuarius complaineth of that all was pestered with humane presumptions And the Popish religion is hence erected as a yoke from whence by Christ we are redeemed The second thing to be marked here is Doct. That the Iewish Ceremonies as they were purely legall were as bills testifying the debt of the people before GOD The
to condemne you or no weake Iew condemne you in not using these things but this is not probably here understood because the Apostle dealeth with the Colessians shewing them their duty as may be gathered by the inference and the next Verse Againe weake converts of Iewes it is not probable there were any with them The second sense Let none condemne you that is doe not take up these shadowes or continue the practice in them and so give occasion to other Churches of the Gentiles to condemne you but this though a good sense I doe not allow for these reasons 1 Because after the rule of the Apostle Rom. 14. Churches were not to condemne Churches though they were a little levened this way if they did it was a fact not very warrantable 2 Because in the twentieth Verse hee dehorteth them from detaining and using these rites 3 Because that as in the next Verse he doth call them to stand their ground against Philosophicall seductors So here against Iewish Ceremony-masters I thinke then this is the meaning Let none condemne you that is stand in the liberty so dearely purchased yeeld not your selves for any mans condemnation in these matters passe not if any man condemne you for not using rites crucified in CHRIST This is a way whereby we suffer not any to condemne us when wee stand not to any censure of them challenging our freedome Thus though we cannot keepe the Pope from cursing excommunicating us in regard of his deed and minde yet we may truely be said not to let him excommunicate us in respect wee submit not to any censure he passeth in kinde This then is the meaning Passe not if Iudaising spirits doe condemne you for not keeping a part of an holy day a new Moone c. for all these things are shadowes which in CHRIST and His Church the substance of them is accomplished 1 Observe hence Doct. That wee must not make account of mens sinister judgements as any way giving place unto them It is the property of erroneous spirits they will be prodigall in their peremptory condemning of all that dissent from them Thus you see how the Pope thundereth anathema's in every article against us and Papall spirits subscribe not to every Canon you shall be excommunicate yea an anathema presently Now then if we might not turne our deafe eare and contemne subjecting our selves to their sentences we should quickly shake in our beliefe Thus our Saviour taught His Disciples When they revile you excommunicate you for my Names sake passe not what they count of you great then is your reward So when the Apostles told Him what the Pharisies would except at Tush let them alone they are blinde leaders of the blinde and how doth Saint Paul 1 Cor. 4.3 I esteeme it the least matter of a thousand to be judged of you or men And we see how in the Primitive story when Victor would in the matter of Easter condemne all the other Churches differing from him they gave no place but rebuked his insolencie and contemned his audacious censure For wee stand and fall to our owne Master What have they to doe to judge us Yet this must be rightly understood For there is a sinfull carelesnesse of others censure when a man out of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a selfe-conceited proud pertinacious humour passeth not for others or when one regardeth not this or that because of the base account in which he hath the persons that speake it or when one distinguisheth not persons but is most carelesse of all alike whereas we must never out of pride or contempt as they in the Gospell what doe you stand upon that these old cursed people thinke that know not the Law but from a good conscience testifying with us in that we doe before GOD 1 Cor. 4.3 2 We must distingush betwixt weake ones misconceiving through weaknesse of judgement and malicious ones the latter are not to be regarded but for the other though we must not cease from that which is good necessarily to be done of us yet we must pity it in them and seeke at GOD to shew them the truth The Vse is to us Vse that we never feare men slavishly we are the servants of CHRIST if wee doe that which is His will what need wee care who condemne that wee know He approveth in us We that are taught of GOD shall we give place to blinde Bats who speake they know not what and have no savour of heavenly things they are incompetent judges wee yeeld not to them What careth an Artist if an ignorant person find fault with him he will say Cobler not beyond your last So may we to such who condemne us holding to that which is the truth Hence then may be reproved that pusillanimity in many who will give in if they be opposed in the least degree 2 Observ That to put no difference in meats for conscience sake or religious respect is no sinne the text proves it Doct. Let no man condemne you in meat that is care not for their condemning you when you put no religious difference betwixt meats as pure and impure so in drinkes Wee know the Iewes if a thing stood in a pot uncovered were not to touch the liquor it was legally impure to them for these things are all the good creatures of GOD and all these things in CHRIST are made pure to the pure There is a foure-fold distinction of meats 1 The one Naturall 2 The other Politike 3 Religious 4 Superstitious Some in regard of natural properties and wholesomenesse to our bodies good some have a malignancie in them and are hurtfull thus in way of diet to distinguish them is not evill So politikely for the benefit of the fisher-man and breed of cattell A truely religious difference is when GOD for some holy purpose doth make a distinction permitting some and denying others or when we in Christian wisedome abstaine from some things which we finde through our weaknesse to be hurtfull for us The fourth kinde is that we are to marke the superstitious difference when we will out of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sinfull imitation or out of mecre humane presumption prohibit the use of some meats and allow others and that as a thing pleasing to GOD thus Montanus forbade all drie things and would have them religiously refrained as comming from an evill beginning Thus the Papists forbid flesh egges and white meats though not as evill in their nature yet as defiling the conscience of him that useth them when now they are forbidden and that not onely because he transgresseth the commandement of the Church but because he neglecteth a thing which is good in it selfe even as a religious exercise But this was the old opinion of the Pharisies who did thinke that some meates did defile them not onely which GOD had forbidden but which they refrained out of humane tradition for they had their weekely fasts of their owne making Matth.
rule over you The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is borrowed from those who sit as judges of sports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as when there is running of tilt before the King there is some that sit by with white wands or staves who marke how every one breaketh and hits according as the law of the sport requireth and therafter give sentence with or against the Champions So we must remember that Prayer is a spirituall wrastling with God for the due manner of it it is to be done in all humility through Him who is our Mediatour to God this is a law of this heavenly wrastling the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the recompence of this strife is that God beareth us and will give us what we aske in the Name of His CHRIST Now these false seducers take upon them as judges in this case and determine against the Colossians that they did not strive or serve GOD in humility neglecting to worship Angels and to use them as intercessors to GOD and in this regard did make all their wrastling in vayne judging from them their reward because this law was neglected by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Willing that is at His pleasure it is fitliest reduced to that former Now followeth the difficulty In humility and worship of Angels These words may have as I conceive a threefold accommodation 1 They may note instruments wherewith those false Apostles seduced and the matter whereupon they grew thus censorious Let none deprive you of your reward or take upon him to judge you through humblenesse of minde 2 The second sense they may be joyned with the words following thus Let none at his pleasure play the judge over you entering into things he neve saw through shew of submission and through worship of Angels The third sense These words may signifie the matter as I have noted in which they judged Christians defective and therefore seeking in vaine to GOD thus Passe not you nor yeeld not to the sentence of any who doe condemne you in humility that is as wanting humility and in worship of Angels that is judge against you as not using any mediation of Angels or intercession to them The first opinion I admit not for these Reasons 1 As hee said above Let none seduce you by Philosophie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so he would here have used the same particle rather than another 2 I see not how a fained humility is fitly made a ground or pretence of usurping judiciall authority 3 The Greekes put little difference betwixt this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the simple is here put for the compound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did note there the matter about which their censure was occupied The second interpretation I like not neither 1. Our common Prosodie dis-joyneth them making the former part of the sentence all one Complexum 2. Shewing the meanes and ground of their going into things they never saw he telleth us it was their being puffed up with fleshly wisedome Wherefore with best correspondence this noteth out the matter as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the former Verse the matter I say in regard of which the false teachers condemned them because herein they were not conformable to themselves Now to the Doctrines Marke first Doct. That false teachers are led with a spirit of arrogancie which maketh them usurpe judgement over others This was apparant in the Scribes and Pharisies who judged of CHRIST and His doctrine as a seditious noveltie who excommunicated all that would professe His Name Thus the wise Gentiles judged the Gospell to be nothing but folly This having alwayes been the practice of lewd hereticall spirits to speake evill of things they know not Iude v. 10. And herein the Papists excell who challenge to their Pope fulnesse of power to determine of truth impose lawes to accurse all that come against his determination in matter of religion to translate Crowns to open and shut Heaven and all at their pleasure But you will say Object Doth not the true Church take upon her to condemne doctrines which if shee doe how can this be made an hereticall guise She doth Answ but ministerially pronouncing that condemnation which shee heareth the Scripture passe of this or that as contrary to Gods truth before her but it is otherwise with these erroneous spirits who out of their owne hearts or selfe-willed pleasures doe passe sentence against that they receive not Let them not at pleasure beare rule over you This is the property of the naturall man hee will take upon him to judge and condemne whatsoever doth not agree with him much liarning makes thee madde said Festus to Paul and doe not carnall men account those that walke more conscionably than themselves proud hypocrites schismatickes seditious persons what not For looke as fooles and distracted persons will have a fling at every thing which doth not humour their crazed phantasies whence we say A fooles bolt is soone shot So here c. This may serve further to informe us touching the manner of carnall men Vse that it is their kinde to breake out in this manner and therefore we must not be dismayed when we suffer it at their hands A second thing may here be added that the Apostle giveth them such a caveat againe and againe Let none condemne you Let none take upon him as a judge over you for in repeating these He doth not only shew our duty above noted Doct. but bewrayeth our softnesse and pufillanimity which doth make us subject too much to take to heart such sinister judgements A quicke horse need not be spurred and if we were not prone to yeeld too much in this nature hee need not againe and againe to dehort us Even as children though they know and conceive things aright yet great words facing downe the contrary and calling them children and fooles to thinke thus doe so amate them that they cannot tell what to say So we through childish weaknesse the things which wee have truly learned and quietly alone have received them into perswasion when wee heare others cry them downe condemn them as heresie schisme call us reprochful termes for holding them we let it sinke so with us that wee cannot tell what wee may thinke of the matter Seeing then there is such infirmity in us Vse let us arme our selves against it Shall we let the sentence of carnall men shake us in things we have learned of GOD Why they know not these things that they condemne them of folly falshood wickednesse should confirme us in the contrary A little childe come to any understanding so farre as to know a foole by his habit as his motley coat his woodden dagger if twenty such should say any thing against that he thinketh he would not beleeve it but would say these are fooles I know them well enough So if you doe but know naturall men of corrupt mindes by their outward fruits never be
moved what a whole worldfull of them speake for they have no knowledge in things spiritually discerned Beside to give any regard to them is to animate them in folly and make them imagine themselves as wise In humblenesse of minde Observe hence Doct. That wicked deceivers will seeme to stand for vertue and challenge those who are truly godly as wanting in it These lewd impostours took upon them to condemne those who in conscience of their sinne knew there was no sufficient Mediator for them in heaven or earth but Christ alone they doe passe judgement against these in matter of humility that is they condemne them as not humble Lying and tyranny are the Divels weapons wherewith he fighteth now to his lying this branch belongeth of his counterfeiting that he will turne himselfe into an Angell of light thus it is in his children bearing his image they will sometime goe in sheepes clothing make semblance as if they were meeke lowly harmelesse this we exemplified in the Pharisies who were gulses of pride and yet did gull the people with their fasting prayers as if they had been lowly Saints Nay they doe take up Christ and His Apostles as transgressing the ordinances of antiquity and the Commandements of GOD as when His Disciples did gather the eares of corne on the Sabbath day Thus the Papists doe with us they challenge us of pride in this very point of dishonour to the Saints because we will not make gods of them of Presumption we beleeve the promise of GOD made to all penitent ones and therefore to us being penitent Of all licentiousnesse in life because we will not allow that good workes shall in strict justice merit with GOD Of all intemperancie because we allow not their lawes of superstitious fasting Of incontinencie and irreligion because we like not their monstrous machorets their orders of religion falsly so called their imposed vowes of chastity which become a snare to consciences and an occasion of all filthy uncleannesse there is no end of repeating all of this kinde Yea naturall men amongst us doe they not condemne such as walke before them in ungodlinesse as proud and fingular Men that think none like themselves none holy to themselves enemies of Christian liberty and of peace and neighbourly agreement Let us not then be over credulous to Iudge all ungodly Vse who are challenged of it for who then can be innocent nor yet all good men who seeme to stand for it and to condemne others only for the want of it for even the Divell is an Angell of light but let us wisely marke on what ground the sentence is passed and whether the thing in which this or that is placed be vertuous in the kinde truly as is by some conceived of it as in this fact the Colossians are condemned as not humble why they gave no worship to Angels to become intercessours as if the not doing of this did prejudice humility Hee is a proud man saith one why he is not promiscuously sociable hee is still reproving some thing or other he will not be content to walke as his neighbours doe c. Alas as if humility lay in these things And in worship of Angels First in the coherence may be marked Doct. Vnder what pretence the adoration of Angels and so of Saints marketh even under the vizard of holinesse This was the old philosophicall reason taken our of politike observation Doe men goe forth-right to the King Doe they not get some Noble-men about him to breake their matters and procure their favourable accesse And shall men presume to goe upon the great GOD and not take the helpe of Angels and Saints to the intent they may speed the better and testifie their submisnesse To which Saint Augustine was wont to answer My thoughts saith GOD are not yours c. by the same pretence and under shew of glorifying GOD in His Saints the Papists perswade it at this day yea under this shew of humility they bring in their doctrine of doubting of our salvation Let us therefore be wise Vse and let us take heed that wee swallow not deadly doctrines basted with shew of humility Of which more in the last Verse Observe secondly Doctr. That all religious worship of angels or Saints is unchristian Passe not you who doth give sentence against you in the religious worship of Angels that is as not yeelding to the service of Angels To understand this we must know that the religious invocating of Angels was obtruded upon the Colossians from whence it is doubtfull Theodoret relating the Councell of Lacdicea on this place he saith That such as defended that Law did likewise put upon them the invocation of Angels as a matter full of humility the rather because the Law was given through Angels by their ministery Another guesse is that this came out of the Philosophy Schoole for the Platonists we know did worship Angels yea and soules departed of such as had beene Worthies amongst them they worshipped at the monuments of them To which as Eusebius testifieth the worship done to Martyrs at their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was correspondent Now this I take to be the truth because though the Nazarites and such after heretikes might joyne this point though it is not read of them and inforce this reason for adoration of Angels yet these in the Apostles time that stood for the Law did no such thing For beside that the second Commandement of worshipping GOD alone was held with them so that Moses himselfe was not invocated yea the being of them by some addicted to the Law as the Sadduces was called into question Besides these things it is like in other Epistles if they that contended for the Ceremonies had brought in this doctrine with them it is likely that the Apostle would have confuted it and encountred it as well as the other I doubt not therefore but it is to be reduced to the Philosophie above named Now this being in practice with them they condemned the Christians in it as not using it in their going to GOD. The Christians as is probable listened to it such was the learning of the Patrons it had more than was meet and were somewhat damped the Apostle therefore doth stirre up their Christian fortitude exhorting them not to care what any judge against them in that matter for they are in the right that yeeld not unto it the LORD only is to be worshipped religiously and wee have no mediatour to Him but IESUS CHRIST Epiphan Contr. Collyrid Her 79. doth condemne all adoration of creatures Which serveth to confute the Papists Vse they religiously worship Angels and Saints call upon them trust in them But they except they doe not worship them with the highest worship but with an inferiour though a religious service But alas did these hereticall spirits with the Colossians worship Angels with the highest worship No but with an inferiour using them onely as intercessours unto him whom they counted the
dead in Christ from these why as if yee lived in the world No they cannot live in that which their head is dead to How can we that are dead to sinne live yet therein and therefore he saith as if you lived in the world for hee knew it was impossible for true believers to live unto the fashions of the world either in regard of civill duties or religious ordinances the children of God being set into Christ have presently wrought in them a death of their sinfull and sensuall life It is mortally wounded at the first though it liveth in us long after yea though the Lords children doe not often perceave it for many a man goeth awhile with his death and yet discerneth not till sometime after that he is deepely wounded Even as we our selves feele nothing lesse when we come into the world then that we are dead in our Father Adam and yet with our nativity entereth mortality which never resteth till we are utterly extinct by death The use is to reproove us who live in sinne after the fashion of the world Vse we have forgotten to what we dyed in Christ As if yee lived in the world Observe hence Doct. That Gods children live out of the world while they are in it this maketh CHRIST say they are not of the world for though they are in it for place yet their affection and conversation is in heaven and hence it is Phil 3 2â— that the Church is called by the name of heaven in some propheticall Scriptures and this is here taught while he saith as if yee lived in the world insinuating that it could not be that they lived in the world for they are called out of the world to a heavenly hope and to bee of another body even of that Corporation whereof CHRIST is the head So that as a Townsman in the Vniversity if he be taken to be a Scholars servant though he live in the towne he is no longer of it as who is gone from them and belongeth to another body So it is here Wherefore Conforme not your selves to the fashions of the world you are pilgrims forreyners Vse sojourners at the most here is not the place of your aboad And how farre they are from knowing CHRIST and the power of His death whose life is altogether carnall whose conversation doth not so much as smell of Heaven may hence be convinced to them VERSE 21. Touch not taste not handle not Now he commeth to lay downe more distinctly these rites enjoyned them from Pharisaicall seducers and he doth unfold it by a mimeticall expressing the charge that these false teachers gave Touch not taste not handle not O take heed you know all the old people were tyed from the eating and touching of many things as upon the touch whereof they were uncleane God out of His most wise pleasure annexing a legall uncleannesse unto them as the touching of a dead body of a garment spotted with leprosie of one troubled with a bloudy issue c. Now the Divell that soweth tares did by some pharisaicall spirits which so received Christ that they would still hold the Law he did set on foot by these amongst the Gentiles that unlesse they kept the Law they could not be saved this occasioned the first Councell about some eighteene yeares after CHRIST'S death and within some yeares after this occasioned the Apostle to write that Epistle to the Galathians the same kinde of men began to vent the same wares amongst the Colossians and gave them these caveats Touch not taste not handle not 1 Observe from this practice of theirs Doct. How exact and precise men are in their outward observancies who know not the power of godlinesse It is the Property of all pharisaicall spirits that care not for the great things of the Law and the true spirituall obedience of it they will tithe mint and cummine precisely wash hands and cups their hearts being all foule and full of lusts For looke as idle bodies which will not follow due labour they will go with their tales as a Pedler with his packe from one to another yea their fingers shall goe and their feet shall speake they will occupie themselves busily in that which is superfluous So here when men will not exercise themselves in the power of godlinesse it is strange how they will abound in c. This may be seene in the Church of Rome who not knowing the powerfull ordinances of God have turned all into such dumbe shewes as are the Masse their Precessions c. as full of superfluous observations as emptie of substance To teach us how to know these spirits Vse 1 he that stands precisely on every little trifle is at least halfe a Pharisie Wee must take occasion by them to be precise in the least points of spirituall obedience and not to stand so nicely on externall rites and empty shadowes those that doe diligently looke to themselves this way have no leasure and lesse affection to follow such bawbles Even as a man seriously occupied hath no fancie to dally and sport as others will who have little to doe So here Who more in heavenly labour than Saint Paul Hee laboured through the grace of GOD in Him more abundantly than they all who more despised those kinde of Iewish legall rites who cryeth them downe as beggarly things which profit nothing 2 Marke in this their enforcing these things Doctr. What a hard thing it is to forgoe such old rites to which we are accustomed these had beene brought up in them and had seene no other and loe they will not part with them no not when GOD will have them cease and CHRIST nailes them to the crosse Nay they are more fond on them than before for such is the malice of our wils that when GOD will not then commonly we will like those Israelites when they should have gone up to bid battell to the Canaanites discouraged with the Spies they murmured and refused when GOD would have them go backe into the wildernesse and not goe on against them then they would have no nay to battell they would to die for it Besides as in other things man taketh on like a god so in affecting a kinde of immutability which maketh him hee will not be beaten off that whereunto he hath beene accustomed thus it is in opinion likewise that one is bred up in is often maintained too too stiffely the first things make the deepest impressions Let a false tale get the start and come the first to us truth spoken in the second place is lesse beleeved Wherefore let us take heed Vse and not thinke therefore things must stand because they have beene so since our knowledge and long before but let us see how all customes agree with GOD's Word and will and so accordingly be affected to them If this had beene a good reason These Mosaicall rites have ever beene observed since we can remember any thing yea by all our ancestours these
mouth and looke as demurely as a grave matrone with a face more sober than many an honester woman So falshood and vice will put on an appearance as if they were true and vertuous yea will seeme more true than truth it selfe take this example of Iewish rites was it not to have examined it by flesh and bloud more likely that they should stand still in force than be abrogated seeing God Himselfe had given them Moses the Man of GOD delivered them seeing God did so miraculously testifie to them by His answering by Vrim and Thummim seeing all ages had observed them So to carnall reason doth it not seeme more probable that to honour with sumptuous and stately Temples more glorious than Kings have in that kinde to beautifie the worship of God with pompous solemnities as all is in the Church of Rome is more pleasing to Nature than to performe all in naked simplicity without any thing to the eye glorious For even as men give poyson in wine that it drunke downe in such liquor may kill more forcibly So the Divell doth in shewes of vertue and probabilities of truth conveigh his errours that they may be taken more easily and affect us more deepely To admonish us that we be wary that no false vizards beguile us Vse wee would be loath to take a counterfeit peece of money for that which is right Let us be wise here and not judge after the eye and externall appearance all is not gold that glisters yea we must the rather arme our selves against this because we live in the last dayes wherein the outward figure and show of godlinesse is in many the power in few In will worship Observe hence Doctr. That will worship hath a plausible shew of wisdome In civill things to be able when a thing is begun to adde to it and perfect it more and more argueth a wise man So here in the matter of GOD to take up these Iewish solemnities which may further adorne and set it forth as glorious to the eye seemeth an invention of great understanding Thus the Pharisies washed pots hands would pray at corners of streets c. and who were thought wise learned holy in comparison of them But this seemeth so only for it is the hightest folly what greater folly than to charge GOD with folly But he will presume to adde to His ordinances doth say that God was not wise enough to frame the thing so perfectly as at the first it might and by his fact speaketh as much as if hee were able to mend GOD's institutions So though it seeme devotion yet it is nothing but toying superstition to put upon GOD worship he requireth not GOD infinite in wisdome is able to prescribe all things which are pleasing to Him and Hee loveth obedience better than sacrifice that whosoever goeth before Him doing things commanded that so hee may please Him doth hereby most heavily provoke Him Thus the Pharisies washing hands with a religious reference In vaine saith CHRIST you worship mee who hath required these things at your hands He that stayed the Arke ready to fall being a person not of that Tribe which was by God's institution to serve in such things how did God's anger breake out against him the bare and empty shew of wisedome and devotion are shrewd bates to beguile In humility of minde Obs Doct. That lowlinesse of minde argueth wisdome It is thus gathered these by a counterfeit humility made a shew of wisdome now the shadow of it could not make a shew of wisdome if the substance of it were not a token of wisdome yea wisdome it selfe This property Saint Iames ascribes to wisdome it hath lowlinesse accompanying her inseparably shee is gentle easie to be entreated For the wiser every man is the more he knoweth his wants and miseries which begetteth a lowly minde and when we will set a phraze on Pride wee say there goeth a proud foole noting thus much that Pride is a certaine proofe of folly by law of contraries then this is proved which we gather The Vse of it is to confute such as doe thinke it folly and basenesse of mind not to put themselves forth Vse and crow downe others As it must make us the more to love submission seeing seducers themselves are glad to counterfeit it that they may be reputed wise 2 Marke hence Doct. What is a thing false teachers will make a shew of even humility This is the sheeps fell in which they have wrapped themselves to the end they might seeme to the sheepe more lovely and so make them a prey more securely thus the Pharisies did in shew give such honour to their fore-fathers as if they had beene made of submission such praying fasting c. when they cared not for GOD's Commandements when they despised poore humble ones in comparison of themselves Thus the Papists charge us with Pride as if wee contemned Antiquity themselves professing I know not what dependencie upon their Consent as Arrius Eunomius and Dioscorus did before them Ego dogma ab electis secundum fidem Sanctis rectigradis Dei discipulis accepi Ego saith Eunomius non multorum incertas opiniones sed sanctorum in omnibus doctrinam tueor Ego Dioscorus habeo testimonia sanctorum Patrum Athanasii Gregorii Cyrilli in mult is locis The Pope he pretended himselfe Servus servorum But as Aven lib. 7. Serâ—us servorum est dominus dominorum So what is more humble to shew than a Monk and a Frier the embleme of holinesse to see to in their habit manner of life but they are sinkes of spirituall pride for they thinke none holy to them thinke they merit heaven it selfe by their fond hypocrisie To teach us that we doe not let our selves be ensnared with the hypocriticall shew of this vertue Vse Looke at the end they have in these things See if their course otherwise agree with the lowlinesse they pretend trie it well before you trust it And in not sparing the body Obs 1. That he saith there is a shew of wisdome in this Doct. That to keepe the body in subjection is a thing which argueth wisdome This counterfeit mortification of theirs could not make shew of wisdome if it were not a wise part to doe it in truth which indeed it is To escape the flattering of some enticing concubine or wife so as not to be much swayed with it is great wisdome So the body which is since sinne rather a concubine than a wife not to listen to it but keepe it downe is a point of great understanding this was heavenly wisedome in Saint Paul that he did make his body a servant and did buffet it downe to keep it in subjection Not to be overcome of foolish pity but to chasten a childe and keepe him under argueth a wise man how much more not to dote in love of our owne flesh but to use it with wholesome severity Which may confute such Epicures as doe even count it wisdome