the true blessednes O would to God we could know what blessednes we are called vnto by the preaching of this Gospell To goe forward What is the end of all this preaching of this admonishing and teaching and that in all wisedome The fairest end that euer was What is that end That we saith he may present euery one perfect in Iesus Christ The meaning hereof is that wee may present euery man and woman to whom wee preach of what estate so euer they be a perfect scholler and that in Iesus Christ without whom there is no perfection So this end of this preaching instructing and admonishing is a presenting of euery man in perfectnes and holines especially in the great day of the Lord before that glorious tribunall and to set them vp before their Iudge For if you will reade Paul you shall gather thus much of him that Heb. 13. 17 there is neuer a faithfull preacher but in that day hee shall bring in his companie them whom hee hath conuerted and say Lord there is my companie that were conuerted by my ministery vnto the faith in thy bloud Paul appeares to meane this in these words Alwaies I marke of this presenting that all men and women were once absent from God if thou art to be presented then it must follow that thou wast absent Nay all flesh wandred away from his God The second thing I marke what is the end of all this feruent The end of the ministerie preaching admonition and instruction There is the end to bring men and women that wandred away home againe 2. Cor. 5. 18. 19. to their God in Iesus Christ to bring thee who wast absent from God present to him and to that sight of that countenance in the which is the sacietie of all ioy And in that day when euery Pastor shall present so many as he hath conuerted by the voyce of the Gospell then hee shall see the fruit of his labours for let him preach what he will yet hee shall not see what is the fruit of his trauels till that day Then it shall be said to him Thou didst winne these soules Then he shall get his reward He gets not his wages here modified as you would modifie them to one that serueth you Nay nay but at that day he shall get a Crowne of glorie Paul looked for a Crowne A Crowne of righteousnes saith he is laid vp for me which the Lord that righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all those who looke for his appearing 2. Tim. 4. 8. Who shall be presented Shall onely Kings be presented who haue heard the Gospell shall onely the rich be presented to that glorie shall onely the honorable the Grecian and not the Barbarian shall onely the wise and not the vnwise be presented No no euery man from the King to the very begger that hath heard the Gospell as they all are sinners without exception all hearers of the Gospell of grace all shall be presented without exception in that day Marke it So thou who hearest this Gospell hast no small consolation looke for a faire presenting of thee onely lend thy eare and thou shalt not be frustrate of that glorie howbeit thou be here ignominious and despised for this Gospels sake yet shall it make thee glorious I promise thee it shall glorifie thee if thou wilt honour it in this life So all the faithfull shall there be presented And in what state Perfit saith he Brethren a perfect wisdome makes a perfect man in all knowledge and glorie and be assured of it howbeit thou hearest the Gospell in imperfection yet if thou wilt continue in hearing thou canst not but come to perfection in the end thou shalt be filled with all wisedome and when thou shalt be presented thou shalt be presented in such a perfection as the learnedst in this world cannot attaine vnto Thou art an idiot now in their conceit but if thou wilt heare Christ in his Gospell thou shalt be more wise then euer Plato The wisedome of the world and of Christ how they differ or Aristotle or the wisest worldling that euer was and thou shalt get perfect wisedome in the end And this is that difference betwixt that wisedome of the Philosophers and that wisdome of Christ All their wisedome neuer perfected any man because it was imperfect in it selfe as they themselues who taught it were imperfect but this wisedome of the Gospell which is the wisedome of Christ and of God as he is perfect so is it perfect So shall it perfect the man that heares it if he continue but a short time in hearing In the end of the verse he shewes in whom this perfection is There is nothing without Christ Iesus there is no grace out of him no beginning of grace no progresse in grace no perfection without him Wouldest thou begin in grace Begin in him Wouldest thou proceede in grace goe on in him Wouldest thou be perfected be perfect in him and thou shalt be perfected For euen in this life by reason of that coniunctiō we haue with Christ through faith in his bloud wee haue perfection euen in this imperfection of ours If thou be ingrafted in Christ thou art alreadie perfect in him and maist stand vp and claime it and say O my God I am perfect in Christ But in that great day when wee shall be presented being in Iesus Christ for the hold we get of him here shall neuer let goe thou shalt neuer be seuered from him thou shalt haue a double perfection Thou shalt not onely haue his perfection and his glorie which shall shadow thee and couer thee as a garment but beside that thou shalt then be filled with perfect glorie thy selfe All thy bodie and soule shall be filled with exceeding great glorie So thou shalt haue no small vantage in him All comes to this exhortation sticke by Iesus and be not seuered from him for if thou seuer from him thou art seuered from thy grace and if thou cleaue to him all thy glorie and perfection shall neuer be hindred Let them rent thee and teare thee as they wil thou shalt be glorified and perfected in spite of their teeth Fie then on thee creature that suffers thy selfe to be seuered from Christ cleaue to him as euer thou wilt see glorie and perfection Now we come to the last verse When he hath spoken of the end of his ministerie now hee sheweth he laboured to attaine to it vnto the which saith he I laboured If there was euer any laborious man Paul was one he was a painfull man neuer resting night nor day and all to this end to present many to the Paines in the Ministerie Lord Iesus Then marke the lesson would a Minister attaine to the end of his calling let him be painfull A sluggish Minister will neuer doe good if he be not painfull he is no louing man for loue is euer painfull 1. Thess 1. 3.
aboue these heauens Brethren the presence of Iesus and the loue of that presence should make vs to loue heauen and make vs oftentimes to cast vp not onely the eye of the soule but also the bodily eye to these visible heauens if we loue the presence of Iesus who is aboue these heauens and to striue to pearce through them as to his owne presence For if hee were not there what reckoning is there of these heauens I would not reckon of them more then of the earth which wee tread on and I had rather dwell with Iesus in the earth then in heauen for all the glorie thereof without Iesus for all the pleasure that is either in heauen or earth is in Iesus and without him away with heauen and earth both I will giue nothing for them And therefore the loue of that presence should make vs to loue heauen Ye know if a man loue another entirely he will loue the place where he dwelleth and as we say hee will A note of loue loue the ground hee goeth on so if thou loue thy Lord thou wilt loue the place hee treads on nay thine eye would not be off these visible heauens at the least once in the day for hee is aboue them and shall abide there till his last comming So if thou loue him thine eye would follow him where he is But alas for the lacke of the loue of his presence this loue is not to be found in many mens hearts and of this it commeth to passe that men are so loth to die nay if the loue of thy soule were with him thy soule would say with Paul I groane to be with the Lord it will groane within thee to be out of the bodie And take this for a token where there is not an eye to heauen alas there is no loue of Iesus Christ in thy soule and alas what good thing can possesse thy soule if it be emptie of the loue of Iesus Christ Now followeth in the end of the verse the third argument taken from the estate of Christ in heauen but what is his estate He is sitting at the right hand of God As if hee would say he is in heauē but not there as a seruant or an Angel there are sundrie in heauen but in diuers rankes He is in heauen exalted to that height hee hath such glorie as thou neuer The glorie of Christ in heauen sawest All the Angels bow their knees hee is Lord ouer them all euen as he is man Then as the presence of Iesus and loue of him should draw our heart to heauen so the estate he standeth in presently that passing glorie and that kingdome he is in should draw our hearts vpward to heauen If his glorie were deare to thee thy heart would be where his glorie is and thou wouldest not be content vntill thy heart were lifted vp to him and the eye of thy soule set on him yea this bodily eye would euer pearce to get that presence of Iesus in the heauens glorified in our nature Ye know if a man vpon whom our life and comfort dependeth were in a strange land and promoted A sweete similitude to be a Lord thou wouldst neuer rest vntill thou were with him and thy thought would be euer vpon his glorie Now I would to God wee could haue that affection to Iesus the King of glorie It is true we cannot loue him as we should but I say blessed is that soule that hath any loue towards him pearcing through this bodie of clay Blessed is that heart that can giue once but a sigh either by night or day if it were after neuer so small a measure for the presence of Iesus for be assured that soule shall be glorified with the Lord of glorie Note This for the first exhortation with the three arguments the life whereunto we are risen the presence of Iesus and his glorious estate in heauen al which should make vs set our eye vpward to heauen and bee occupied in seeking of heauenly things meete for the spirituall life Now to goe to the next exhortation and it is to these same things that are aboue Before hee exhorted the Colossians to seeke them now he exhorteth them to be wise in them to fill themselues with them to * Or to desire that they may affect all their senses sent them with all their senses to see them with their eyes and to feele them sensibly as it were with their hands This exhortation is grounded vpon the first argument If ye be risen with Christ c. Then be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wise in the things that are aboue that is a common ground to both This is so ioyned with the first that there can be no seeking without wisedome How canst thou seeke that that thou knowest not If thou haue no knowledge of heauen heauenly things how canst thou seeke them what desire canst thou haue of them for the prouerbe is true Ignoti nulla cupido there is no desire of that wee know not Then as before he exhorteth to seeke so now hee exhorteth to know and knowledge goeth Knowledge before seeking And therefore thou that wouldest seeke heauen and for heauenly things know them first and when thou hast gotten a knowledge of them then let thy affection come after for if thou seeke without knowledge thou shalt neuer finde them Therefore euer seeke the knowledge of Iesus and of that fulnes of grace that is in him and thinke not that thou hast enough of knowledge alreadie No crie euer Lord open the eye of my soule to see thee and the things that are with thee that I may see the things I haue not seene and that I should see Heare the word of the Gospell for knowledge is gotten by the word of the Gospell Seeke that thy mind may be instructed but to the purpose Bewise As seeking is an action so wisedome is an action There is no action without some sense and knowledge The life of a beast is not without some sense take it away the beast perisheth The life of a man cannot be without some sense and knowledge therefore thou canst not haue the life of God except thou haue a sense and smelling of God and of heauenly things It is a thing impossible that thou that hast no taste of things aboue canst either seek or see them and if thou thinkest otherwise thou art deceiued Can the life of Iesus be in thee without a knowledge of heauenly things No no deceiue not thy soule it is vnpossible for Iesus liueth not in the soules of men altogether ignorant So that if thou get not a portion of this knowledge of this heauenly life and of things aboue thou shalt neuer seeke for them nor haue a desire of them no I say to thee if thou want knowledge thou shalt neuer get them Come forward Let vs see of what things must this knowledge be He answereth of things aboue that
the which ye are called in one bodie and be ye thankefull THe Apostle brethren after he had exhorted the Colossians to put off the cloathing of the olde man which was made vp of foule affections as peeces of his garment he begins to exhort to put on the cloathing of the new man which is made vp of sundrie graces of Christ vertues and holy affections The last day we reckoned vp certaine pieces of this cloathing Parts of the garment of the new man namely sixe to wit the bowels of pitie and compassion kindnes humblenes of minde meekenes long suffering and lastly the forgiuing of offences Now to come to the text wee haue in hand yet hee continues in this raiment and cloathing and reckons vp other parts of it The seuenth part of this garment he calles it Loue charitie that one beares to another neighbour to neighbour Among all the rest of the peeces he desires them to put on loue And whereon should they put this peece of the garment And aboue all these saith he put on loue as the vppermost garment they being vnder it it being aboue thē all as a cloake aboue all the rest of the cloathing Now brethren Loue must be the vppermost garment you know commonly the vppermost cloath is the fairest and the honestest the preciousest cloath because it is in the eyes of the world therefore seeing hee craues that they should put on charitie as vppermost it must follow that it is the fairest comliest and preciousest peece of cloathing that is I say more when thou hast put on all the rest as mercie Obserue kindnes humblenes meekenes long suffering forgiuenes if thou put not on loue aboue all all is nought worth It is but a garment of hypocrisie and there is no sinceritie in thy mercie thou shewest no sinceritie in thy humblenes nor in none other of thy vertues Looke what the Apostle speakes of thy vertues that can be giuen to a man 1. Cor. 13. without charitie the gift of tongues is nothing the gift of prophesie of wisedome of faith of doing miracles of almes deedes all is nothing and lastly of long suffering it is nothing without this charitie It may well be thou profit others but as for thy selfe without charitie thou shalt get no profit Therfore the Apostle saith speaking of these gifts and many more they be not profitable if I want charitie and what auailes it if it be not profitable to me So without charitie all is nothing of no value and if these vertues want charitie I say to thee they are but dead images of vertues Thy mercie is but a dead image of vertue if thou want loue and so foorth in the rest for the life of all vertues is loue if the heart be not with the hand that is the heart with the action it shall neuer doe thee good Then marke in euery good action there are two things to be considered The first is the good action it selfe The second is the manner of the doing of the action O there is no small respect to be had of the manner of doing which is the very habite and cloathing of it Now the action comes from the hand O but the forme the manner the habit which is the ornament of it comes from the heart now the heart of him doth the good deede if it be euill affected the action if it were neuer so good it hath an euill habit on it it is euill fauoured to the Lord how pleasant so euer it seeme in the eyes of man yet it is not acceptable to the Lord all is lost yea all good workes if they want this loue stinke in the sight of the Lord and thou shalt neuer get good of them But if the heart be disposed with loue that comes of faith in Iesus Christ then thy action appeares before the Lord in a faire beautie and hee makes that deede thou doest to returne backe to thee to thy A good worke returnes back with much comfort to him which doth it good as it is good to him to whom thou doest it Therefore let euery one seeke to be clad with al vertues and good offices but looke to this that euery one of them appeare before the Lord with loue and charitie that thy heart and hand may goe together Put not out thy hand alone put out heart and hand together otherwise thy action shall neuer be good to thee for thou art commaunded aboue all things to put on charitie Now to goe forward to the words following he desines this loue and by it he lets vs see that it is no small grace And first he calles it a Band. Loue is a band that binds things together All the rest of the graces are likewise bands mercie kindnes humblenes and the rest binde vp the members of Iesus Christ but without charitie all be but superficiall bands outward bands binding the bodies of men and not their hearts together But loue is an inward band and it comes from the heart and meetes with another heart and bindes vp heart with Loue is a band heart and so the knot of loue is knit all the rest giue outward things but loue giues inward things euen the heart of him which loueth I say he that loues thee giues thee his heart The word in the originall language imports not onely a band but a mutuall band as my loue to thee and thine to me so that thy loue meetes my loue for if loue be not met with loue againe it will not auaile for friendship cannot stand on one side Therefore looke that charitie be mutuall otherwise be not content with thy selfe This for the first word The next is the band of perfection This is the effect of this band It perfecteth the man in whom it is for it bindeth thee vp with the bodie it perfects thee so that thou shalt want nothing but al shall be supplied till thou beest perfected Now there is no member of the bodie that hath all perfection The Lord hath not disposed so neither was it meete it should so be but that euery member ioyned with another should bee supplied The eye cannot goe therefore the foote comes in and carries the eye the foote cannot see but in comes the eye and lets the foote see and directs it So in the bodie of man there is not a member euen the vilest and the foulest but all the rest be readie to couer that member and to supplie the want of it It is euen so with the spirituall bodie of Iesus howbeit man cannot see it yet it is as true for euery member hath not all grace no not the King nor the Apostles nor no man in any estate hath all graces yet being vnited in that bodie of Christ O thou lackest nothing for all is communicated to thee So that Paul had not a grace but it is mine All is yours saith the Apostle and you are Christs 1. Cor. 3. 21. 23. You may challenge
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
the Gentiles therefore in that that I suffer it is for your cause that the Gospell of Iesus Christ may haue place amongst you as among the other Gentiles The second argument In the middest of my afflictions I The second argument The vse of affliction reioyce to testifie my loue towards you for except I had loued you I would not haue suffered with ioy for you Brethren of those that suffer affliction first it is required that it be for a good cause for Gods cause for his truth and for his Church sake Suffer not like a theefe or a murtherer as an harlot or an euill doer in any wise Alas it is a paine yea of all paines in the world the greatest to suffer for euill doing Secondly it is required of him that suffers that he suffer for a good cause with ioy cheerefully and with patience otherwise thou losest thy trauell and praise suffer as thou wilt It is not the good cause onely that makes martyrdome but it is Martyrdome the ioy cheerfulnes and patience ioyned with the good cause that makes thee in suffering to be a Martyr It is hard to flesh to digest this how can there be ioy in the paines of most exquisite torments Brethren Paul at this time is lying in bands at Rome and yet ye see he vtters that in his bands he hath ioy and no question when he came to the very point of death for 2. Tim. 4. 6. 7. 8. he was martyred he had great ioy And certainly I am compelled to think that there is more shrinking and sadnes at the remembrance of the affliction to come then there is in the More grief in the remembrāce of afflictiō then in suffering it when it comes chiefe time of affliction The minde will be more troubled thinking on it then when the person is afflicted For out of question whē the Lord giues a man cōstancie to suffer he will giue him patience ioy which shall swallow vp all the paine and the experience of Martyrs hath proued this Stir not howbeit thou shrinke at hanging heading scalding burning and whatsoeuer paines most cruell exquisit deuised for thee yet stir not for if the Lord giue thee constancie all the paines shal be swallowed vp and thou shalt be armed to suffer with ioy To goe forward The third argument whereby he remoues the offence they might haue taken at his bands is this I saith he fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ Iesus as if hee would The third argument say mine afflictions are not so much mine as they are my Lords afflictions how can ye then be offended at them You cannot chuse if you bee offended at my afflictions but you must be offended at Christs afflictions because my affliction is nothing else but the afflictions of Christ and the fulfilling of them Then all these afflictions that are laid vpon the members of the bodie of Christ they are all Christs afflictions and when they are afflicted Christ is afflicted And the Lord counts it his owne persecutions when the members of his bodie Christ must suffer in his members which is his Church are persecuted Saul Saul saith hee Acts 9. 4. why persecutest thou me He speakes this to Paul when he was not persecuting him but his members This he calles his persecution for it was ordained from all eternitie that the Lord Iesus who is the head of the Church should not onely suffer in his owne flesh but also that hee should suffer in the members of his bodie which is his Church So that none of that bodie should be free from suffering no not from the greatest to the least yea euen to the little finger all should suffer and the measure hereof was measured and ordained in that counsell from all eternitie Sufferest thou much or little It was measured to thee ere euer the world was It was not appointed that euery particular person should suffer al and euery sort of affliction no no but as the head should suffer one kinde of affliction proper to himselfe so the rest in the bodie should suffer some in one sort and measure and some in another All shall suffer one thing or other prepare thee for it and it is a token that thou art in that bodie if thou suffer something for Christ But to sticke to the words he calles them not simply the sufferings of Christ but the fulfilling or accomplishment of the afflictions of Christ I saith he fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ Marke the word well Euen as the Church of Iesus Christ is the accomplishment and fulfilling of him to make him a perfect man so it is called Ephe. 1. the last verse Euen so the afflictions that the Church and her members suffer they accomplish and fulfill the sufferings of Christ And as the glorie of the head Christ is fulfilled and accomplished in suffering euen so the sufferings of his members they accomplish and fulfill the glorie of Christ Wherein wee haue to marke a loue that Christ beares to vs that cannot bee spoken of The Lord Iesus is perfect in himselfe and he needeth vs not no he hath no neede of me of thee nor of no flesh to make him perfiter The loue of Christ then he is alreadie in himselfe He is full and he fils all in all yet such is his loue to me and thee and to the whole body that he cannot thinke that he is perfect till he haue thee ioyned with him yea the least member of his Church hee will haue to be ioyned with him or els hee counts that his glorie and sufferings are not fulfilled So his afflictions are perfect and hee needes not thee to fulfill any part thereof yet such is his loue that hee will not haue his afflictions perfect without thee He will haue thee made like to himselfe in affliction howbeit his glorie be perfect now at the right hand of the father yet he cannot thinke that he gets the perfection thereof till he get all his members glorified with him in heauen This is his loue Rom. 8. Now let vs see how we account of this We count it a benefit and a grace to be ioyned with him to be the members of his bodie and to be glorified with him but when it comes to the What a great benefit it is to suffer afflictions sufferings there is the shrinking there is none that can accord or be content to be like him in sufferings but they will flye backe there we faile and we cannot thinke that it is a benefit to suffer but rather that it is a curse So ere thou count it a benefit to suffer thou must haue more then flesh and bloud thou must haue the spirit of Iesus It is not onely a benefit to beleeue but also to suffer Philip. 1. 29. And Philip. 3. 10. Paul counts it a blessing to suffer calling it the communion or fellowship of his affliction There he counts it
3. 5. 6. he saith Paul is nothing and Apollo is nothing but God who giues the increase When he hath giuen God that glorie then in the fourth chapter vers 2. he saith let men so esteeme of vs as the disposers of the mysteries of God so let men euer giue God all glorie and praise and let them be assured the 1. Sam. 2. 33. God whom they honour in their calling shall honour them againe Now to this God be all honour and praise Amen THE THIRTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 1. 2. 3 1 For I would ye knew what great fighting I haue for your sakes and for them of Laodicea and for as many as haue not seene my person in the flesh 2 That their hearts might be comforted and they knit together in loue and in all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding to know the mysterie of God euen the father and of Christ 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and of knowledge YE haue heard brethren from the foure and twentith verse of the first chapter of this epistle how Paul hath insisted vpon his owne person purchasing authority to his doctrine y t he hath propounded and to the exhortation begun As yet he continues in speaking of himselfe from the beginning of this second chapter vnto the sixt verse thereof Then after he returnes to his exhortation exhorting the Colossians to perseuerance in that faith which they had receiued The sum of the former Lecture and exhorting them from vaine traditions obtruded or layd on them by the false teachers letting them vnderstand that there was nothing except Christ and his Gospell to be acknowledged or receiued by them and that all other things without him are but vanitie Then to come briefly to our purpose and this text now read in the last verse of the chapter preceding yee heard the Apostle vttered what paines he tooke and what strife he suffered and all for this end to present euery man without exception perfect before God especially in that great day Now the Colossians to whom he writes whom he neuer saw bodily nor they him might haue obiected against this his paine labor and strife which he sustained Well Paul thou pinest thy selfe but for whom what is that to vs It is not for vs thou neuer sawest vs nor we thee so all thy labour fighting and trauell Obiection is nothing profitable for vs. The Apostle in the first verse meets Answere with and answers it I would you knew saith he what great fighting I haue for your sakes and not for you onely but for your neighbours them of Laodicea this is a towne in Phrygia and not for them only but for as many of the Gentiles as haue not seene my person in the flesh There is his answere it is plaine onely hereout I shall gather some short notes for our instruction Then first I marke in the person of the Colossians that moues the question They thought he could haue no care of them except he had seene them so commonly men thinke that they who are absent from them and neuer see them neither know them by their face as we say whom they haue not seene face to face can haue no care of them nor loue to them This is the iudgement commonly of the world and it is so indeede for naturall men that haue no more than naturall loue will speake thus of them with whom they haue not been acquainted I knew him not what haue I to doe with them whom I neuer saw nor knew What good can such men doe to me or I to them This is the fashion of the worldly men But this is all wrong as you The difference betweene the regenerate and vnregenerate The loue of the Saints exceedes the loue of the world shall see and therefore marke in the answere of Paul what great difference is betwixt naturall men and renewed men the common sort of men and the seruants of God In his answere we learne that they that are of God which haue gotten that new birth aboue nature and contrarie to nature the seruants of Christ especially such as Paul was they loue them whom they neuer sawe haue a care ouer them whom they neuer knew yea they will striue and fight to the death for them For why brethren you must vnderstand concerning them that are conioyned in the bodie of Christ one hand will not know another better then they will know one another although they haue not seene one another bodily being far distant in person and place the one from the other because it is the spirit of Iesus who ioynes them together and giues euery one a sure knowledge of the other conioyned with Christ as a member of that body Hence commeth this liuely knowledge which one christian will haue of another whom otherwise he neuer sawe in properperson For they haue not onely this fleshly sight of naturall men and bodily eye to see a mans body and face before them but they haue a spirituall eye whereby they can see to the farthest nooke and corner of the world and will send as it were the very spirit and soule out of the body to the vtmost part of the world where they know there is any of Christs members Therefore Paul saith 1. Cor. 5. 4. When ye are gathered together and my spirit c. Thou that hast no care of the Saints of God where euer they be scattered thou hadst neuer this spirituall and heauenly eye of Paul Suspect thy selfe thou art but a naturall man and if thou haue not a loue to them to embrace and fixe them as it were in thy heart alas it is a token that thou art not in that body of Christ as yet Thirdly in this answere I see it is requisit that we loue them that are Saints howbeit we neuer saw them nor they vs in this world for when the conscience is touched with a feeling of that loue there ariseth The feeling of loue in our hearts a consolation to the soule When thou feelest in thy soule that the Saints loue thee thou maist be assured that God also loues thee and therefore it hath pleased the Lord to leaue in register the acts of the Apostles containing that loue and care they had for the Saints not onely for their owne time but also for all who should liue to the end of the world For Paul he had not onely a care of the Colossians but also of the whole gentils his loue and care extended so far that it reached out to the end of the world If thou be a member of Christ the care of Paul reacheth to thee as one of that body Then lastly I note it is so requisit that we vnderstand of this loue of the We must endeuour to make our loue knowne to the Saints Saints to vs whether we haue seene them or they vs or not that the man
ceaseth not to doe good to the liuing and to the dead but euen to all the Saints and Seruants of God in this world you manifesting it to these especiallie by sending abroad other fruitfull labours of his for the blessed building of them vp in sound knowledge stedfast faith and all vnfeined obedience of truth Assure your selfe good Sir that this labour of loue in you towards them shall not be left vnrequited neither of God himselfe nor of his deare people for besides that God who leaueth not a cuppe of colde water vnrecompensed giuen in his name to one of the little ones that beleeue in him will render it seuen folde into your bosome euen in this life as hee shall see good but speciallie in the resurrection of the righteous his Saints vpon earth will more and more pursue you with all holy loue and as a sure pledge thereof vouchsafe you their dailie prayers and performe all other fauours and furtherances that they can Nay I will say more the Saints in Heauen and particularlie our ROLLOK shall abound not onely in right and sound but in perfect affection to you and good reason because if when the Saints that dwell here amongst vs doe vnfeinedlie loue one another they cannot but in Heauen perfectlie loue all that are there and their fellow-seruants on earth as well because Heauen freeth vs from all corruption bodilie and spirituall as also because it is the place to and in which God hath appointed fulnes of all ioy and perfection of all graces But whither am I caried It is time to end speciallie sith I doubt not but the wisdome of the Word will teach you and the power of the blessed spirit will inable you to performe these and all other good things to the glorie of God the good of his people and the comfort of your owne conscience thorough Christ In whom I rest assuredlie yours now and for euer Iames Hamelton The Epistle to the Christian Readers THe Citie Colosse was a very auncient populous rich a Zenophon lib. 1. de expeditione Cyriminoris ad Colossas venit celebrem vrbē magnam opulentam Plin. lib. 5. c. 32 and flourishing Citie but much b Herodotus lib. 7. qui inscribitur Polymnia Xerxes praetergressus vrbem Anaua inuenit Colossas Phrigiae oppidum So Strabo li 12 decayed as some report long before the birth of Christ. And since this Church of Christ was founded among the Colossians these three Cities mentioned in this Epistle Laodicea Hierapolis and Colosse were much shaken if not vtterly ruinate with an Earthquake which happened in c Paulus Orosius lib. 4. c. 10. Ioh. Cal. ep ad Coloss Neros time a fearefull spectacle and iudgement sent of God for the d Exod. 5. 3. 1. Cor. 11. 30. Num. 14. 11. contempt of the Gospell as we may see the Citie of Corinth for the same cause euen then smitten with the Pestilence for the instruction no doubt of all succeeding ages to the worldes ende As touching the writing of this Epistle albeit this blessed Apostle had trauailed twise or e Acts. 15. 32. 16. 18. 23. thrise thorough Phrigia where these three Cities were yet came he not to Colosse for that Epaphras Onesimus Tychicus with others had first planted the Church of Christ in those parts The reason is rendred by himselfe when he saith I f Rom. 15. 20. 1. Cor. 3. 9. enforced my selfe to preach the Gospell not where Christ was least I should haue built on another mans foundation Being therefore afterwards occasioned as is most like by Epaphras and Tychicus with other seruants of Christ he wrote this worthy Epistle being prisoner in Rome to the Colossians for their further instruction and confirmation in the faith of Christ. The argument is this in effect Because the turbulent and superstitious Iewes disquieted the peace of the Colossians intending as else where often to make a mixture of the Lawe and the Gospell therefore the Apostle giues The argument of the Epistle to the Colossians in this Epistle a short abridgement of all the heauenly doctrine of our saluation describing vnto vs in a most liuely manner what Christ is in his natures and offices working most powerfully in all his liuing members vnited vnto him and not to be as the world imagineth a dead deformed idle painted Popish Christ. So that this Epistle will teach Christians soundly and truly to discerne betweene the shadow and substance of true Religion betweene the true Christ and fained and consequently betweene the true and false professors of the Gospell There are seuen parts of this Epistle I finde them so Seuen parts of the Epistle to the Colossians set downe in Maister Rollocks latine Commentarie very briefely and truly obserued as followeth The first part is the Salutation chapter 1. verse 1 2. The second is the Preface wherein he reioyceth for their faith in Christ and loue to the Saints from the 3. verse to the 12. The third part containes his doctrine of Christs benefits to the Saints namely their calling and redemption where the Apostle proceedeth vnto an high description of the Sonne of God into whose kingdome they were called and translated by the Gospell applying all things to the Colossians from the 12. verse of the first chapter to the 23. of the same In the fourth part he exhorteth to perseuerance in the faith and admonisheth that they take heede of false teachers from the 23. verse of the first chapter to the end of the second chapter In this part he intermingleth admonition with exhortation for verse 23. of the first chapter he exhorteth to perseuerance in the faith verse 4. of the second chapter he admonisheth them to take heede of false teachers and in the sixt verse of the same chapter he returnes againe to his exhortation but verse 8. he fals againe to his admonition and doth insist therein to the end of that chapter The fift part begins at the third chapter verse 1. and continueth to the seuenth verse of the fourth chapter This part containeth exhortations to holinesse of life And here yee haue againe admonitions partly generall concerning all Christians from the first verse of the third chapter to the 18. of the same partly speciall which concerne certaine particular states of men as of Husbands and Wiues Children and Parents Seruants and Maisters from the 18. verse of the third chapter to the second verse of the fourth chapter where he returnes againe to generall exhortations which be continued to the seuenth verse of the fourth chapter The sixt part is from the seuenth verse of the fourth chapter to the tenth of the same wherein he signifieth to the Colossians that as touching his priuat affaires he had committed them to Tychicus and Onesimus who should report of all things vnto them as they desired The seuenth and last part is the conclusion of the Epistie containing Salutations mixt with some Apostolicall iniunctions and this is from the
the whole glorie of Iesus Christ vpon the vniuersall Church so now he turnes it ouer vpon this particular Church of Colosse For the glorie of Iesus Christ the sonne of God as it is the glorie of the whole Church so it is the glorie of euery particular Church and in so doing no question hee applies it to euery particular person in the Church so that the glorie of the sonne of God is mine and thine Beleeuest thou in him All this glorie is thine There is no point of it in him but thou shalt haue the vse of it so that no man or woman that is in the Church needs to enuie this glory in Iesus Christ It is naturall to men and women to enuie the glorie that others haue aboue them yea subiects will enuie the honour and glorie of Princes aboue them But thou who art a subiect in Christs Church thou needes not to enuie Christs glorie All his glorie is thine yea thou oughtest to haue no pleasure but when thou lookest vpon his glorie and exaltation But to come to the words We see then in these words there is a particular application of this benefit of reconciliation to the Church of the Colossians The text first offers vs to be considered who is the reconciler Now saith the Apostle he hath The Reconciler reconciled Who is this that hath reconciled the Colossians to God Before speaking of the reconciliation in generall with the whole Church he said It hath pleased the Father to reconcile all things to himselfe in him but now plainly in the text the Reconciler is changed It was the father before now the sonne of God the second person of that glorious Trinitie hee is the Reconciler Wherein the Apostle lets vs see that in this worke of reconciliation this sonne of God is not onely a patient not onely a Mediatour to suffer for our sinnes but he is an agent a doer a reconciler As he is the Mediatour of the reconciliation he is not onely a sacrifice in the which the reconciliation is made but he is a sacrificer offering himselfe in a sacrifice to God for our sinnes For looke how willingly the father offered him a sacrifice for vs as willingly gladly and ioyfully offered hee himselfe for vs for if hee had not died willingly and gladly in the nature of man but against his will as men will dye his death would neuer haue done men good nor ransomed their sinnes So this is a point of our beleefe that as wee beleeue hee died so wee beleeue hee died willingly and that Christ died willingly they who crucified him were not so willing to crucifie him as he was willing to offer himselfe to be crucified If thou hast not this faith thou hast no good of the death of Christ So the person reconciler is Christ Then to amplifie this benefit of reconciliation he cals them to remembrance of their miserable estate before they were reconciled What were they before Who were in times past saith he strangers and enemies meaning to God and where was this enmitie In the inward mind And why Because their mindes were set onely vpon euill workes Hee will not speake to them of this benefit of reconciliation before hee aduertiseth them of that estate they stood in before they were reconciled Marke it there is no sight of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ no presence of mercy and grace except The miserie of man without Christ in the mirrour to say it so of the past miserie wee were in so that except thou looke to that thou shalt neuer see as thou shouldest see the benefit of mercie and grace in Iesus Christ There is no sinfull creature that is able to ponder and weigh aright in the heart the greatnes of the blessing of God in Iesus Christ except hee take the blessing and mercie and put in a ballance with the miserie and see which of them weigheth downe otherwise thou shalt neuer know the weight of mercie and glorie if thou take it not from the miserie of that stinking nature and filthines of thine neither shalt thou euer be touched with that sound ioy except the sense of miserie goe before He that hath neuer found himselfe in hell hath neuer found himselfe in heauen for all the sense of heauen breakes out of hell Now to weigh the words The first word wherein hee sets down their miserable estate is this Sometime saith he ye were strangers farre off From whom From him who should haue bin their greatest friend whose domesticks they should haue bin from God and so from the Common-wealth of Israel from his Church If thou be a straunger from God and then from his Church there is no life in thee thou art but a dead rotten member in sinnes and offences Ephes 2. 1. Liue as thou wilt breathe as thou wilt haue thy senses as quicke as thou wilt fling here and there and leape as lightly as thou pleasest thou art but dead and more then dead and dye shalt thou euerlastingly Yet marke the words hee cals not them simplie strangers and aliants but he saith they were made strangers to let vs see that all this strangenes from God is not by our creation we were created friendly with him and his domesticks but by our owne defection we haue made our selues of domestickes and household children strangers And therefore it is said in Esai 59. 2. Your sinnes haue diuided betweene me and you So it is thy sinne it is not that naturall substance of thy soule and bodie but it is the corruption of the substance that makes thee a stranger from God Yet marke the words hee saith not that God was estranged from them but that they were estranged from him No no the Lord is not the beginner of this strangenes hee turnes neuer first vpon thee but thou turnest thy backe first vpon him he neuer drawes from thee that sweete countenance of his first but thou drawest thy countenance from him For brethren to speake the trueth when thou hast turned thy backe vpon him and estranged thy selfe from him yet if thou be one of his elect his loue toward thee shall neuer leaue thee nor turne from thee O that loue of God! he loues a sinner that is as it were spitting vpon Gods loue him for the loue of God is inalterable And when thou hast played thee with thy owne counsell serued thy lusts in thy owne time the Lord vtters that loue towards thee and calles thee home againe So there is the first degree of their miserie Yet it is not all said he comes on with another degree and higher then the first Sometime ye were strangers yet more enemies One man may be a straunger to another and yet not his enemie but saith he ye were not onely strangers but you were enemies also The words import not onely a secret hatred but a plaine and open hostilitie they fought against him there was neuer so hot a battell betwixt man and man
elected from all eternitie them in time he elects and chuseth out from the rest of mankinde by effectuall calling Then I make of this first ground a lesson This Christian calling it requires a faire rayment You know the cloathing of euery man and woman should be according to their calling when thou goest aboue thy calling thou sinnest so the earthly raiment and cloathing whatsoeuer it be should be according to thy vocation This calling of God is an high calling as Paul to the Philippians chap. 3. vers 14. speakes And as the calling of a King requires a faire apparell to set it foorth with so this calling to the kingdome of God craueth a higher apparell Therfore remember thou art called to put on that faire apparell The next argument is Ye are holie This holines is the effect of the other For wast thou blacke before yet being called from darknes to light the beames of the face of God shining vpon thee now thou art whiter then snow Ye see a man that walkes long in the Sunne will be altered so of necessitie this sonne of righteousnes must make a chaunge to wit to make thee holie And this is that which the Apostle 2. Cor. 3. 18. saith Looking into the glorie of God as it were in a mirrour we are transformed from glorie to glorie and therefore take pleasure to look into it night and day and thou shalt be changed from the dregges of the world and made to shine Marke then as I said of him that is called so I say of him that is a Saint A faire garment fits thee well for the Saints stand night and day before God in his household Who will come before the eye of an earthly Prince ragged and bare how much lesse before that great maiestie of God If thou be not clad with holines the very eye of God will strike thorough thee to thy consumption Now the third argument is the loue of God shewed to thē This is that loue of God that he bare to vs when we were enemies to him when thou wast wandring in thy vanitie he gaue himselfe for thee and hee loued thee ere thou wist and afterward he powres it into thee that thou feelest it Nay thou neuer tastedst of sweetnes if thou neuer tastedst of the loue of God and this is the loue of God that makes thee to loue him again The beloued one of God craues a faire apparell Who is he or she among you that will not trauell to be pleasant in the eye of your louer So the Lord loues thee and neuer one loued thee so well Therefore wilt thou not studie to come pleasantly clad before him Then ye see they in whom the Lord delights come before him gloriously in faire apparell that makes them to be pleasant in his eye Thus much for the arguments that he sets down which should haue moued the Colossians to put on the new man Now followes the vertues The first vertue he termes The bowels of mercies that is the word in the first language that is pitie mercie and compassion briefly it is a vertue and grace not growing of nature but wrought in the heart by the spirit of Iesus Now it hath this force and effect to pitie the miserie of men and women but there is little of it in these daies When thou seest the members of Christ sick or sore be sorie for them thou wilt be sorie for thy hand when it is sore euen so thou shouldest be sorie for the members of Christ Againe he calles it no mercie but mercies in the plural number to signifie that he that is mercifull must haue many of them for many miseries require many mercies He cals it not mercies but the bowels of mercies to signifie this intire loue it must be within thee and in thy bowels Then this mercie it hath two properties first thou must abound of it Next it must be in thy bowels and thy bowels must bee loosed with pitie Then brethren ye see this faire garment hee exhorts them to put on Where begins it It begins at thy bowels the depth of thy heart there is the first cloathing and the cloathing is pitie and mercie and wherefore mercie and so many mercies because in this world there are many miseries Where shall the godly man turne to but he shall see miserie Wilt thou looke vp to the King and his Court a spectacle of miserie Wilt thou looke to the beggar a spectacle of miserie And if euer there was any pitie to be had this land hath neede of it The next vertues Kindnes Bountifulnes The first was the vertue that pities thy neighbour this is the vertue that doth him a good deede Mercie is in the bowels Bountie is in the hand And if thou pitiest any bodie and hast it to giue put out thy hand and giue him otherwise it auailes not Then yee see this vertue of the elect of God is Bountie And wherefore is this bountie requisite because there is so much neede in all estates and a great scant of all things both earthly and heauenly and therefore it is requisite to haue bountifulnes that thou maist bestow vpon one bodie a benefit spirituall and vpon another a temporall Now to come to the next vertue which is the third in number Low lines of minde modestie It is a vertue when men and women counts nothing of themselues and are not puffed vp in pride So it hath these two properties it counts nothing of themselues but much of others Then this vertue is lowlines in the eye and in the heart If thou wouldest appeare in the sight of thy God put on modestie come not haughtie come not with raised vp neckes the Lord is aboue thee and he will giue thee such a stroke that hee will slay thee For there was neuer a proud man that raised vp his head against God but he made him stoope So the third peece of this garment is humilitie Wilt thou looke to thy selfe what hast thou to glorie in where thou hast one thing thou wantest tenne Wilt thou looke to others the grace thou seest in thy brother thou shouldest account of it Now the fourth peece of this garment is Meekenes that is excellently well matched with humilitie euer the humble man is meeke the proud euer churlish without meeknes and mildnes and so farre as in him lies renting the bodie of Iesus For where pride is there is no societie for a man that hath pride hee cannot associate himselfe with another Now this vertue is in thy mouth and makes thee to giue to thy neighbour sweete language Now this fourth part is so necessarie that there can bee no standing of the Church without it for such is the nature of man if it bee handled roughly it is lost and if thou handle a sinner thus thou doest ouerthrow him And therefore Paul euer recommends gentlenes if thy rebukes smell of bitternes and not of meeknes thou wilt destroy him Forthere is no sinner as
the Apostle 2. Tim. chap. 2. vers 25. c. speakes but he must be allured by peece and peece out of the bands of the diuell Now followeth the fift part of this garment which is Long suffering The word following in the next verse expounds it when one beares iniuries done of another that is long suffering This long suffering is so requisite that the world cannot stand without it What part is there in this land wherin wrong exceedeth not and wrong would not be met with wrong nor iniurie with iniurie but wrong with long suffering and I say if men were not disposed to suffer the world long since had eaten vp one another It is the patient bodie that beares the iniuries otherwise euery one had deuoured another So this is a faire garment of the beloued and holy ones of God but the vertue that followes is greater Forgiuing one another Long suffering may be without forgiuing as a poore may y t sustaines wrong he must lie vnder the wrong because he is not able to reuenge it Others againe albeit they haue abilitie will not reuenge but will hold it in their heart till they get oportunitie Then remission is a greater vertue it will not onely suffer the wrong but it will put it away it will forgiue thee that hast done the wrong or else if it will not altogether forgiue the man it will call him before the Iudge Remission therefore when it thinkes not expedient to forgiue it will not put to the hand as our men will doe but it will call thee before a Iudge The King should reuenge all these wrongs The Lord should not slay the Esquire should not slay the Gentleman should not slay but in the meane time while he is pleading his cause before the Iudge his anger should be abolished and so God shall be glorified But if the iniurie be done to thee by any man and in the meane time thou haue anger in thy heart albeit he be before the Iudge yet thou art the slayer of him So then there is the sixt part of this garment free forgiuenes This vertue is so needfull that if men forgaue not wrongs the world had perished long agoe And let men thinke as they please that runnes in reuenging it is not they that hold vp the world but the blessed ones of God Now to moue them to this vertue he vseth an argument taken from the example of Christ As Christ hath forgiuen you so forgiue you one another There was not a reason put to the rest what meanes this He lets vs see it is a hard thing to flesh and bloud to forgiue if thou take counsell at flesh and bloud thou wilt neuer forgiue admit thou wert dying But flesh and bloud will euer crye a vengeance and so it is a hard thing to forgiue And it is so necessarie that except thou forgiue and striue against thy nature thou shalt neuer haue part with God in heauen and it shall debarre thee from that societie of Iesus Christ For he that inclines not in no measure to forgiue a wrong but is alwaies set to recompence the like for the like he is not a member of Christ and if thou bee not a member thou hast no life And Christ himselfe in Matth. 6. 14. 15. saith If thou forgiue not thy brother in earth thy heauenly father shall not forgiue thee Then brethren ye shall not finde any one more resembling Christ in any vertue then in mercie and compassion and by the contrarie there is none that more resembles the diuell then the merciles bodie and iudge ye how many in this land bee like the diuell and so few like Christ Hee cannot bee satisfied who hath put hand in man not once or twice but he wil triple and quadriple it and so this vice abounds in this land Now to adde this to that that is spoken I dare say a merciles heart neuer wist what the pitie of God was if thou finde crueltie in thy heart it is an argument thou art not his Thou that hast felt the mercy of God his pitie and compassion powred out vpon thee thou wilt powre it out vpon others I see next in this example of Christ Iesus Christ is to be imitated follow him in thy life Would you haue leaders in the way follow Iesus and put thy footsteps where his was but it is to be taken heede to in what things thou followest him Iesus wrought wonders in the world follow him not in these for if thou followest him so thou puttest thy selfe in Gods roume Iesus Christ wrought the worke of redemption follow him not in that because it is the worke proper to the Creator Will you reade the Scripture you shall not finde the example of Christ propounded to follow him in wonders or to follow him in forgiuing of sinnes But when euer we follow him we should follow him in meeknes in lenitie in gentlenes To what end should I speake of the vaine dreames of the Papists they will say imitate Christ Christ fasted fortie daies therefore you must fast al the Lent but I leaue them to their vanitie and they that are vncleane let them be vncleane still and the Lord keepe vs with his truth Now ye see in expresse termes Iesus Christ hath forgiuen vs our sinnes Ephes 4. 6. it is said that God in Christ hath forgiuen vs eur sins In the one place it is said God hath forgiuen vs in the other place that Iesus Christ hath forgiuen vs. Then Iesus Christ is God the redeemer of the world So it followes of this place Iesus Christ is God blessed for euer Amen For why it is proper to God to forgiue sinnes it is onely proper to the Creator the creature hath no power to forgiue Now in the other place Iesus Christ is the price of our redemption through the which remission of sinnes is purchased he is both the forgiuer of the sinne and the price if Iesus had not been the price there had been no redemption in the world Now followeth the third This benefit of our redemption was deerely bought by our Redeemer It was not a word to say forgiue but it behooued him to die and this benefit which he giues he bought it by his owne bloud Then marke a great difference betweene him and man Iesus he dies but where thou forgiuest thou giuest but a word Looke what a doe the Lord hath with the world and what trauell hee takes to get the offence done by thee taken away he dies for it And therefore the thing we haue to presse to is to feele his loue all ioy and welfare is in the sense of this loue And therefore to this Lord be all honour and glorie now and for euer Amen THE XXX LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 14. 15. 14 And aboue all these things put on loue which is the bond of perfection 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to
Lord Iesus I presse ye with experience foundest thou euer any true ioy in thy heart when thy hart eye was not on Christ No no there is no actiō if it were neuer so glorious that will minister ioy to thy heart except the eye heart be on Christ No if it were a Preacher if he haue not the eye of him on his Lord his speeches auailes not they will not comfort the soule of him Therefore haue euer thy eye vpon this Lord Iesus as euer thou wouldest haue pleasure and ioy in thy heart and benefit to thy selfe in the Lord Iesus To whom with the Father and blessed Spirit be all honour and praise for euer Amen THE XXXII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 18. 19. 18 Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands as is comely in the Lord. 19 Husbands loue your wiues and be not bitter vnto them IN the text preceding the exhortation hath been generall to wit to mortification pertaining to euery estate in the world Now in this text he descends in particular to certaine speciall estates of men and women directing his exhortation particularly to them and namely to three estates The first is to husbands and wiues The second is to parents and children The third is to masters and seruants To come then to the purpose It is to be vnderstood that from the beginning of this world there hath euer been these three principall estates and ranks of men and women in the world The first is the estate of husbands and wiues for ye know Adam ere euer he had children he had his wife The next after Inequality in all estates this was the estate of parents and children and then by processe of time there became some masters and some seruants so that this is the last in order and time In these three estates all be not equall but there is an inequalitie some are superiours and some are inferiours The superiours he hath made to be Husbands Parents and Masters The inferiours he hath made to bee Wiues Children and Seruants For if all were equall no policie could stand nor order on the earth but a confusion The Lord who is onely wise knew this and therefore it pleased him to dispose the world after this manner so that a policie might be kept in it These being the three estates the Scripture hath chiefe respect to them and giues exhortations to these three In all he begins first at the inferiours as in this place he begins at the wiues and then comes to the husbands The cause of this is because the estate of the inferiours is hardest and therefore the spirit of God first informes the inferiours that they should take that burthen the Lord hath laid on them and that they should doe that which they doe willingly for I will not giue a peny for thy seruice and subiection if it be compelled for the subiection that is voluntarie is blessed whether it be by wife child or seruant otherwise all is nothing worth thou hast lost thy thankes But to come to the words First he saith Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands Few words but pithie Note foure things In them ye shall marke foure things First that dutie that is required of maried wiues the dutie is subiection and obedience The second is to whom they owe this dutie not to euery one but to their owne husbands The third is the manner of subiection how it shall be done to wit in the Lord. The fourth is the argument to moue them and it is taken from that that is comely The dutie then is subiection let vs weigh it The first thing in it is obedience in deede and effect This is the first part of subiection as appeares in the first Epistle of Peter chap. 3. where the Apostle making mention of the ancient women brings in the example of Sara and there he defines that subiection Yet there is more in this subiection then simple obedience The obedience must haue ioyned with it honouring of thy husband in word As thou obeyest Subiection of wiues to the husbands and what required in it him indeede and effect so thou must honour him in word therefore in that same place it is said that Sara called her husband Lord. Yet there is more then all this there is feare and reuerence in the heart required that is the ground of all Paul Ephes 5. 33. speakes expresly of this Looke that the wife feare and reuerence her husband in heart So then there is this subiection in the whole parts thereof In deed it is obedience in word it is honouring of him in heart it is feare and reuerence Note So that wife which will be subiect to her husband must keepe these three points or else she faileth in subiection Come to the second to whom this subiection ought to be giuen not to euery one To your owne husbands This subiection is commaunded not to strange men but to your owne husbands The speciall kind of subiection wherein stands the dutie of the wife to the husband is not to be communicated with any other man It is true the male kind hath a preferment aboue the female it hath honour aboue the other Looke Paul 1. Tim. 2. 13. 14. where he giues two reasons of this preferment The first is from the creation Adam was first created and then Eue. The second is from the transgression the woman fell first and it is sure first in sinne last in honour Notwithstanding this wiues are not commaunded to doe this dutie to euery man but to their owne husbands If you will mark the words narrowly you shal perceiue there lurks an argument in them The argument is taken from their propertie they are your proper goods thou hast nothing so proper as thy husband and therefore seeing thy husband is thy proper good shouldest thou not doe a dutie to thy husband But I leaue this and I come to the manner The manner of this subiection is bounded In the Lord the Lord Iesus must be the rule of it But to consider the words Wiues be subiect to your husbands in the Lord The manner of the subiection in these two respects First when you are subiect to your husbands be first subiect to Iesus Christ obey him honour him there is the first dutie which is according to the law discharge thy dutie to God first otherwise thou art in a backward way Begin neuer then at a man though it were at a King to shew and giue thy subiection but begin first at God and subiect thy selfe first to him Secondly when thou hast done thy dutie to the Lord Iesus Christ then for the loue and pleasure and glorie of this Lord thou shouldest subiect thy selfe to thy husband I will giue thee my counsell let neuer wife be subiect to her husband but for the cause of Christ and not for thy husbands cause First if thou doe it so for the Lords
cause thou shalt haue great aduantage The first aduantage is thou shalt not obey thy husband but in things lawfull honest agreeable to the will of the Lord though he should commaund thee neuer Note well two aduantages by obeying in the Lord first they shall obey but in that the Lord commands secondly the seruice Christ accepts as done to himselfe so much And if thou obey him in things vnlawfull thou shalt deerely buy it And indeede a faire aduantage to do nothing but that that is lawfull honest and agreeable to the Lords will The second aduantage is Obeying in the Lord all the seruice thou shalt doe to thy husband thou shalt doe it to Iesus Christ Ephes 6. 5. Where there is another doing in the Lord set downe what euer thou shalt do do it in singlenes of heart and not in doublenes As there be many false wiues who in obeying their husbands haue a double heart obeying them outwardly not for any good will or liking they haue to them but for some other cause and respect while as in the meane time she wil haue in her mind one euill or other against him Yea while she is shewing her selfe obedient to her husband outwardly her minde will be occupied on her harlotrie with another this is no single obedience and the cause is for as much as thine eye is not vpon the Lord and it is impossible that thou canst be sincere in thy doing except thine eye be vpon the Lord. Lastly doing all for his sake and in sinceritie Who shall reward thee what benefit shalt thou get shall it be a temporall thing that he can bestow vpon thee No no the Lord Iesus whom thou preferrest in the obeying of thy Great reward for seruing Christ husband and seruice doing to him he shall meete thee and reward thee with a crown of glorie Woe were it for me thee if in his seruice done in his name and for his sake wee looked for no more but for these earthly rewards though it were to be made a King or a Queene for wee and they both shall vanish away for nothing is permanent here vnder the Sunne Well doe nothing but for the Lord Iesus sake and that that is agreeable to his will say All that I do to my husband O Lord all is for thy sake otherwise all thy seruice stinkes thou shalt lose thy labour for thou shalt receiue no reward of him This for the manner of subiection and obedience vnto your husbands Now followes the fourth thing to be considered the argument to moue them to this dutie In a word It is comely It is reasonable it is iust Would you see this It leanes vpon good grounds neuer action had better First it is grounded vpon the ordinance of God first made before the fall and after the The argument of subiection fall renewed againe Secondly it is grounded vpon the law of nature the Lord hath written it in thy heart at the first creation Thou shalt be subiect to thy husband Besides this ye that are wiues you haue this conscience of your owne infirmitie you are the weaker vessels and therefore ye craue a head ye craue to be vnder a Superiour Thou who art disobedient who is it that thou hast to doe with Is it a man Looke what breach of law is here First thou breakest Gods law Secondly thou breakest the law of nature And thirdly thou doest against thy owne conscience Doubt yee that all these bands lies on you I tell you Eue fell not so soone but all these bands were laid on her In the third chapter of Genesis verse 16. Thy appetite shall be toward him c. And therefore marke it This rebellion and wantonnesse in many wiues it is not so small a sinne as you thinke It is a sinne against God and his law Secondly it is against nature Thirdly it is against thy conscience This is not well knowne by many therefore learne to know it in time Ye haue now heard the wiues part Now I come to the men Husbands loue your wiues that is the thing he charges them to doe then he saies Be not bitter vnto them that he forbids The thing then he bids them doe is Loue. So subiection in the wife should be met with loue and care in things spirituall and temporall this is generall subiection in the inferiour should be met with loue and care of the superiour in things earthly and temporall and in things spirituall Superiours bound to duties as well as inferiours For it is not the Lords will that the inferiour should be bound to a dutie and the superiour should goe free but he is as fast fastened to doe a dutie to his inferiour and more the greater preferment the greater burthen all the honours men get are the greater burthens to them Vnder the tearme of loue is vnderstood all kind of dutie belonging to the wife prouiding it begin at the heart and not at the mouth nor hand And therefore the word loue comprehends the most intire affection wey it well it is not a slender loue Loue. For first it imports a great affection in the heart and not a superficiall affection Secondly it imports such an affection as onely rests vpon the wife not a wandring lust for many esteeme any woman alike to them in filthy lust Thirdly this word imports an affection of loue that is holy and chast not a harlots loue If thou haue a harlots heart thou defilest thy selfe and thy wife both These are the three properties of this loue first it is a deepe loue in the heart Secondly it must rest only on thy wife And thirdly it must be chast Ephes 5. 25. Paul saith Husbands loue your wiues How shall ye loue them He saith As Christ loued his Church Albeit he cannot attaine to the greatnesse and quantitie of this loue yet keepe the qualitie of it How loues Christ the Church Vnspeakably O the chastnes of the loue of Christ that he keepes to his Church He loues his owne Church and he loues not an harlot Idolater She is set vp before him as a chast virgin Then take thy example of thy spouse Christ Looke how he loues thee after the same manner loue thou thy wife Whom should they loue Their owne proper wiues no strange woman cast not your fansie vpon them Ye know we are set to loue that that properly pertaines to vs but I say to you who are Husbands ye haue not such a property to any thing as to your wiues yea your heritage though you had a kingdome is not so properly yours as they are And therefore seeing it is naturall to euery man to loue his owne though it were so abiect why shouldest thou not loue that that is most proper to thee I see a kind of meeting here before he made men proper to their wiues now he makes the wiues proper to the husbands so that the man may say thou art my proper portion
are minded either in good will or euil will so they adde too and diminish as they either loue or hate And therefore for the auoyding of these inconueniences and the more full vnderstanding of the truth in these causes he sendeth Tychicus and some other with him in presence faithfully to relate all things on both sides that is both to cause the Colossians to conceiue in what case Paul and his affaires were and to certifie the Apostle how things went with the Church there and more particularly that by these faithfull and honest messengers hee might comfort and confirme the Colossians hearts The first of these is called Tychicus who being borne in Asia willingly accompanied Paul going thither to preach the Gospell there as you may reade Acts 20. 4. Neither followed he him in that labour of the Ministerie alone as a thing very profitable for himselfe but euen then when Paul was prisoner at Rome for the Gospel he was with him there and ministred vnto him and was sent from thence by Paul as with this Epistle to the Colossians so with that which hee wrote to the Ephesians as appeareth chap. 6. 21. 22. and also 2. Tim. 4. 10. where he saith that he sent Tychicus to Ephesus Another of thē is named Onesimus who is the very same that Paul cōmendeth to Philemon in the epistle he wrote vnto him where we shall finde that he was Philemons vnthriftie seruant and did runne away from his master for some great offence but yet being touched with conscience for that sinne and vnfainedly turned vnto God euen by Paul himselfe whilest hee was prisoner at Rome Paul thought it meete vpon his vnfained amendment to commend him to his master againe And he ioyneth them both together as it were in commission in this cause that in the mouth of two or three witnesses al truth concerning causes on both sides might bee established For further credit whereof also hee doth adorne them with good and gracious titles And first for Tychicus to the end that the dignitie of the person might procure more authoritie and credit to his testimonie among the Colossians and from them to the Apostle himselfe he describeth him by three titles or adiuncts but they may be reduced vnder two sorts or kinds The one such as is common to all Christians when hee termeth him beloued brother the other peculiar to them that trauaile in the Church causes as Ministers and such like And these are two in number the first is faithfull minister the second is fellow seruant in the Lord. From all which there are many good instructions affoorded vnto vs as in the first that if any man be a true Christian and therefore our brother wee are bound euen in that respect so much the more tenderly to imbrace and loue him For though euery one yea that is not a Christian must be loued in his measure and manner because he is the creature of God and the excellent workmanship of his owne hands and the rather because he is indued in some sort and sense with the image of God yet there is a speciall loue due to such a sound hearted Christian as is a member with vs of the selfesame holie bodie Neither indeed specially in spirituall consideration is he so much another man differing from vs as one and the selfesame with vs. For all true Christians are members of one and the selfesame bodie growing vp together with vs to the constituting of that blessed bodie of our Sauiour Christ and to the framing and fashioning yea making vp of that very man the head whereof is Christ and the bodie are all faithfull Christians Concerning which see what the Spirit saith Eph. 2. 15. Hitherto for his generall or common title Now he describeth him by his specially calling in which if we respect Christ he was his minister and seruant in the work ministerie and preaching of the Gospell and seruing him therin not in outward shew onely or for filthie luere sake but in all fidelitie and syncere vprightnes and therefore he is called in this place not onely a minister but a faithfull minister And if we consider or respect the Apostle he was his fellow-seruant in the Lord because both the one and the other of them Paul I meane and Tychicus did serue the selfesame God euen the father and the selfesame Lord Iesus Christ in the holie ministerie walking in it with all fidelitie as became them that had receiued grace from God not onely to beleeue his trueth but to walke in the obedience of it that way especially And this doth teach vs that by example which the Apostle prescribeth in an other place by precept and rule Let him that hath an office attend vpon his office Rom. 12. And againe What is required of stewards which al Gods ministers are but that they should be found faithfull And Christ saith Who is a faithfull and wise seruant euen such a one as his master setteth ouer his household to giue them their iust proportion of meate in due season Matth. 24. What carelesnes yea what vnfaithfulnes is there in all callings yea Ecclesiasticall as well as ciuill Who thinketh that the place he hath is from God or that he must render an account vnto him If Magistrates considered this they would not be so furious and cruell as many of them are If Preachers did weigh it they would not be so cold and carelesse so negligent and idle in the execution of their duties and in gaining men to God as commonly they are I will tell you my mind there are few found in this function to whom we may rightly attribute the adiuncts and titles that the Apostle giueth here to Tychicus that they are faithful ministers and fellow seruants in the Lords worke for feare many times and flatterie bleareth out if it doe not vtterly kill their fidelitie and integritie and corrupt respects of priuate profit honour and such like maketh them goe a way by themselues and to withdraw from the rest of their brethren Wee haue too much experience of this in the Courtlike preachers of our kingdome here and other reformed Churches abroad taste and smacke too much of it this being one bitter fruite that the Hierarchie hath left behinde it amongst vs. And thus farre for Tychicus and his titles Now concerning Onesimus Paul setteth him out and commendeth him to the Colossians first by his common calling by which being through faith grafted into Christ he became a faithfull and beloued brother vnto him in Christ The selfesame man that is here termed a faithfull beloued brother is named in the Epistle to Philemon vers 10. his son whom he begot in his bonds How can this be can one man haue two titles Yea wel enough if we consider diuers respects and states wherein they are through Gods grace and goodnes Such as the Ministers beget by the Gospell and bring vnto Christ and his Church they are as in regard of that worke of begetting them
in the faith and may be iustly called sonnes and this is that which the Apostle saith in the Corinthians that though they had many teachers yet they had but one father which was himselfe who also had begotten them vnto God through the Gospell 1. Cor. 4. 14. But when that worke hath increased in them and that they are become strong men in Christ then hee doth euery where and so may wee acknowledge all sound beleeuers to be our brethren as who are indeede the sonnes of one and the selfesame father to wit God in and by Christ the first begotten brother of vs all and in whom the whole familie is named both in heauen and earth Secondly he commendeth Onesimus vnto them by these termes that he was one of them that is as wee would say their countriman and had the fellowship of the same countrey or nation with them and that not onely generally as Grecians neither yet more particularly as people of Phrygia wherein Colosse stood but it may be of the selfesame towne and citie Whatsoeuer it be we may learne here many good lessons and doctrines And first that no mans sinne which hee hath truly repented of before God and the Church should be any disparagement to him in subsequent times no more then Onesimus fraud and flying from his master was to him nor wee thinke neuer a whit the worse of him nor haue him in lesse esteeme then Paul had Onesimus for seeing God hath forgiuen it as repentance is a true pledge thereof and the Church hath receiued him as it ought vpon vnfained amendment what reason that priuate and particular persons should refuse them or thinke euill of them vnlesse they will be more wise and iust then God or more seuere then the Church and I think neither the one nor the other is fit for priuate men And yet we see amongst vs men so peeuishly pettish and wayward towards I will not say offending parties howsoeuer they offended but repenting persons that after a sinne is once discouered they will neuer be satisfied but alwaies suspicious hauing for a ground of their surmises a maxime of the Ciuil law He that is once found to be euill is alwaies supposed to be euill but forgetting the rule of the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. that charitie is not suspicious and that they proceede by another rule towards offending yea repenting persons then Iwis they would haue practised towards them if they were in the like case But let vs cast away from vs this and all other corruptions that so wee may walke more religiously towards God and more charitably towards his seruants Secondly obserue that Paul not thinking it enough to haue commended Onesimus for his brotherly loue and coniunction that he had with him in Christ but adding also that hee was of the same nation countrey yea it may be citie with them in which respect also he speaketh afterwards of Epaphras vers 12. of this chapter and of this very Onesimus in his Epistle to Philemon vers 16. he declareth that hee should be so much the more deare to Philemon because he had been his seruant Obserue I say and gather from hence that these naturall and ciuill familiarities and friendships in which men partake one of them with another as for example consanguinitie affinitie nation countrey citie c. should be vnto them which through faith are ingrafted into Christ more strict causes and occasions of mutuall loue one of them towards another in the Lord. We denie not but that that spirituall fellowship and communion which we haue in Christ is indeed very necessarie because by it wee are all in him made brethren one with another yea that without it there can be no true or sound loue although men otherwise may be very strictly ioyned together The reason is that whatsoeuer is in men without him is but naturall and humane And indeede to say truth there cannot be any synceritie of the heart without Christ and yet notwithstanding if vnto that spirituall coniunction there be added some naturall or politicall coniunction there will also be a greater degree and further step of loue in so much that the faithful people may more tenderly loue and regard them which both in faith and flesh are linked to them then those that are knit to them onely in the fellowship of the same religion Which as the Apostle himselfe meaneth 1. Timoth. 5. 8. saying If any man prouide not for his owne and specially for them that are of his household he hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidell so it is not obscurely signified in that rule Galat. 6. Do good vnto all specially to those that are of the household of faith And if nature must giue place to religion then religion and it being ioyned together men are and must be more strictly tyed And yet we see that vnder the colour of kinred religion is destitute and some vnder pretext of relieuing the religious destitute their owne flesh The truth is that both must be performed if God himselfe giue abilitie and when we lack power to doe to all alike then to preferre them that concerne vs in flesh and faith And let this suffice for the persons as they are distinctly commended to the Colossians Now a little of them coniunctly He saith that he sent Tychicus to them and with him Onesimus There are two causes as it should seeme for which hee sent them For though vers 8. hee seemeth to speake of Tychicus onely yet he expressely mentioneth Onesimus vers 9 and laieth almost the same burthen vpon him specially as in regard of priuate affaires that he doth vpon Tychicus I say therefore as I said there are two causes of this mission or legation One that hee might by them vnderstand in what termes the affaires of the Colossians stood specially for their Church causes for otherwise though hee wished them well in the world yet he medled not much with their worldly busines The other that knowing how weake and faint good mens hearts be he might by the comming and presence of these two comfort and incourage the Colossians Which though most properly it were the worke of Tychicus as of the minister of the word yet no doubt Onesimus as a particular member of the Church might in his measure performe it yea and did in his measure To these two causes he addeth a third and the same of no lesse moment then the former namely to cause the Colossians to vnderstand in what state he and his matters were Because as the good condition of the Colossians would make the Apostles heart glad so the Apostle being well who had been their gracious and good teacher they could not but reioyce From all which wee may obserue that though Paul were in his enemies hands and were fast bound in chaines as we say yet he thought it not enough by writing this present Epistle to the Colossians to confirme and strengthen them in the faith but also sendeth
and godly zeale that hee bare towards them but also towards their neighbours the Laodiceans and them of Hierapolis for whom certes euen as for the Colossians hee did in prayer euen as it were striue with the Lord. For wee cannot earnestly powre forth prayers vnto God for any vnlesse that our hearts be seized before hand with an earnest affection towards them And it would bee marked that to the end this great care and loue of Epaphras towards them might be the more assuredly manifest and they the better perswaded of it he confirmeth it by his owne testimonie which considering what great authoritie and credit specially as an Apostle hee ought to haue amongst them should at no hand be counted either light or deceitfull and that causeth him to say and deliuer it in this forme This I testifie of him It followeth in our text namely vers 14. of this chapter Luke the beloued Physition saluteth you c. These are still salutations and greetings sent them and indeed comefrom sundrie of the Gentiles as diuers of those before did This Luke that is mentioned here was Pauls continuall companion in all his troubles and trauailes as appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles which hee himselfe wrote and hee remained with Paul euen then when other being sent away from him Demas forsooke him also which also the Apostle sheweth saying Onely Luke is with me 2. Timoth. 4. 11. And in Pauls Epistle to Philemon vers 24. he is called Pauls helper that is a labourer or worker with him in the Ministerie Now Paul deseribeth him here first by the calling which he had before God put him a part to preach the Gospell hee was a Physition from whence wee may learne that no politike or ciuill calling or occupation can hinder Gods calling vnto the ministerie of Nothing can hinder Gods calling of men to the holie ministerie Christ but hee will call whom hee will and of what sort of people please him He calleth Matthew from the receipt of custome to be an Apostle He calleth Peter Andrew Iohn and Iames who were busied about catching of fishes and he maketh them fishers of men He chose Amos from being a heardman to be a Prophet and the like may we reade in many other And so he maketh Luke the Physition to become an Euangelist For as God is most free in himselfe so is he not tyed to any condition or calling of men whatsoeuer but chuseth whom he will as he will to do his worke alwaies notwithstanding induing them with gifts fit for the execution of their duties according to his good pleasure Secondly hee setteth him out by this adiunct beloued in which terme the Apostle commendeth him for that great loue which he bore towards him as a Christian man and one that was very inward with him and familiar vnto him For the loue that Christs Apostle and the friendship that was betweene them did not a little commend the man By which wee may see that it is no small To be beloued of them that loue God matter but indeed of good worth both to our selues and to others to be beloued of them that either loue God or are loued of him To our selues as a testimonie of good comfort and to others as an argument of good credit To him he adioyneth Demas This was he of whom the Apostle complaineth that he was forsaken saying 1. Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath for saken me and imbraced this present world In the Epistle to Philemon he is called Pauls helper from whence we may with good probabilitie gather that at that time he was a minister of the Gospell but afterwards forsaking his calling he fell away and gaped after gaine From whence wee may see that the loue of this present world cannot stand with the The loue of the world and the ministerie of the Gospell cannot stand together ministerie of the Gospell For no man saith Christ can serue two masters for either he shall hate the one and loue the other or cleaue to the one and forsake the other Ye cannot serue God and Mammon Matth. 6. 24. If the mind once be caried away with the carefulnes of worldly things it cannot be wholy occupied in seeking Christ and his glorie but will easily preferre the world before Christ himselfe And thus farre concerning these verses and the true and naturall meaning of them with other necessarie matter in sort and manner as you haue heard Now to some obseruations out of them And first in that Epaphras did alwaies striue for them in his prayers wee may gather that it is not so easie a matter to make prayers vnto God No easie matter to pray well as commonly men account it but rather indeede very hard and of great labour Which may appeare by this that if a man doth but once settle himselfe to it specially if hee doe it earnestly hee shall finde a thousand lets and hindrances set before him if not vtterly to pull him away from prayer yet to stay him much therein or to make his prayers more cold and faint Sometimes Satans malice sometimes his own corruptiō will stand vp against him sometimes other mens examples of neglect or of cold performance of prayer And though Hindrances to pray these were not but that men thought still they prayed yet shall men if they would sift and sound their hearts well perceiue y t this is one cause why in prayer or to prayer men find no hindrance because they are content with a certaine forme of words which flow from the mouth but haue no seate in the heart and so praying without true faith indeede or any serious affection of the minde or any vnfained reuerence of God or any sound feeling of their owne miseries or any heartie desire to bee reconciled to the Lord c. their prayers are Things necessarie to him that would pray well lip-labour yea lost labour Neither will Satan much set himselfe against such praiers if we may call them praiers because he knoweth they will not much hurt him and his kingdome But hee will mightily oppose against the heartie praiers of Gods people and resist them by obiecting and casting in their way all the temptations that possibly he can because he well knoweth that by meanes thereof his kingdome shall if not be ouerthrowne yet greatly diminished Secondly in the person and practise of Epaphras learne that it is the Pastors dutie not onely to teach and to instruct his The Pastors dutie in presence and absence flocke in the doctrine of the Gospell whilest he is present with them but euen as it were to carrie them about with him in his heart and to take himselfe continually bound and tyed to zeale and care for them and with earnest requests and supplications to wish for and procure their saluation and continually to pray for them to almightie God And great reason they are their fathers they are their teachers Fathers are vnnaturall if
Epistle chap. 2. 15. presently in the beginning of the fourth chapter with a graue obtestation vrgeth Timothie that in all these things hee would be earnest and vigilant saying I beseech thee therefore before the Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge the quicke and the dead in that his glorious appearance and in his kingdome preach the word be earnest in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine And afterwards vers 15. But watch thou in all things But what shall we thinke of these carelesse men that will not labour in any part much lesse in euery part carefully to discharge their dutie or those that thinke labouring now and then in some peece of their calling the same to bee more then a sufficient discharge of it before God or of othersome who as though their generall and particular vocation in the Ministerie and parts thereof were not troublesome and burthensome enough doe take and lay burthens vpon them in Magistracie in policie and I cannot tell what But wee leaue them to God to whom they must one day answere for al these corruptions and will goe forward in that which followeth which is the last verse both of this chapter and of the whole Epistle The salutation by the hand of me Paul After he had put down other mens salutations to the Church he doth in the last place mention his owne adding thereto that as he desireth them to be mindfull of his bands so he cannot but wish them all grace and goodnes from God Concerning this and such like salutations the Apostle vseth them for two speciall respects first to testifie vnto them his great care loue and good will that he caried to them being alwaies mindfull of them for good then to expresse the prayers and the wishes he made for them by which hee desired grace and all good things to bee vouchsafed vnto them for whom he prayed And concerning the salutation hee protesteth that hee wrote it with his owne Pauls care to preuent counterfeit writings hand and that to this end and purpose that it might be as a signe and seale with which he shut vp after his vsuall manner all his Epistles as he professeth 2. Thessal 3. 17. for it seemeth that Paul in writing of all his Epistles at the least in most of them did vse the helpe of a Scribe or Secretarie till such time as he came towards the end or shutting of them vp or as wee may say the greetings in the end but that hee wrote with his owne hand and that to this end that all might know by that his handwriting that it was Pauls owne Epistle and not one that was adulterous or foysted in in steed thereof For there were euen in the Apostles time some as appeareth 2. Thess 2. 2 who dissembling Pauls name spread many errors abroad and all for the corrupting of that sound and holesome doctrine which he had deliuered And should wee marueile at this seeing wee know that this is an old sleight of Satan to obtrude vnto the Church forged and bastardly writings in steede of true and all that he might corrupt the Church But as Satans malice was great herein so did Gods care and loue to his Church appeare in prouiding so for his Church that he hath by certaine infallible notes distinguished the writings of the Prophets and Apostles from all other writings of men whatsoeuer And though it be certaine that Pauls naturall and true Epistles be to be discerned from all bastardly and counterfeite ones by setting thereto his owne hand yet the authenticall Scriptures of God haue certaine other notes and marks more sure in my minde and the same also perpetuall As for example the diuine maiestie that shineth therein though otherwise the speech vsed in it be very simple and plaine Againe the heauenly puritie and sanctimonie that euery where is manifested in it the spiritual grace that appeareth therein as well in the words as in the matters thereof the certaintie of the things being before foretold and accomplished in their times the inward reuerence that is in mans heart towards them aboue all writings whatsoeuer with sundrie such like of Should be strong in vs to detest popish perswasiōs and Atheisticall opinions which we may not speake at this present Onely this wee are to know that if we feele this in truth and peace it will effectually arme vs against Papists Atheists and other corrupters some not onely deprauing the credit of the word and bringing in many bastardly writings besides to the end they might equall with or aduaunce their traditions before Gods word which is the sinne of the Romish Catholikes and othersome disgracing and discrediting the same that they might perswade men there is no heauen or hell God diuell word c. and prouoke them to liue as bruit beasts and these are Atheists but both lie vnder iudgement the first for their grosse superstition and idolatrie and the latter for their horrible blasphemie But to go from this point to some other following The Apostle addeth Remember my bands Before he come to put downe his wish or prayer for them he commendeth vnto them the memorie of his bands or imprisonment which he suffered for the defence of the Gospell And of this one precept Three respected in one precept there are many vses and that both as in regard of Paul himselfe the Colossians and others For it behoueth them in respect of Paul to thinke vpon them and him in them that so they might in earnest prayer commend him and the cause for which he suffered into Gods hand and that not onely for his owne sake that he might stand fast notwithstanding all his troubles but that the Gospell also might flourish more and more thereby And as in regard of themselues it was meete they should doe it not onely that by his example of patience they might bee the more incouraged valiantly and comfortably to beare all persecution for the truth of the Gospell but also for this that they commed him earnestly in their praiers to God and that not only for his owne cause but for the Gospels for which he was bound as appeareth both in the third verse of this present chapter and also Ephes 6. 19. And if we respect others we shal see there was good cause to moue them to doe this dutie and namely their testification of their care and loue for their brethren and their earnest desire for the glorie of God both which were much to be aduaunced in the Apostles patient carying of himselfe in his imprisonment and in his constant vndergoing and ouercomming of the same There remaineth the last words Grace be with you Wherein the good thing that he wisheth to the Colossians is grace Which word first signifieth the free fauour of God towards them in Christ next all spirituall blessings especially which What things are specially signified by the word grace from that free fauour proceede and flow to them that he loueth of which sort are forgiuenes of sinnes iustification sanctification and many others in this life and eternall glorification in that which is to come When hee saluted them in the beginning of this Epistle he wished this grace vnto them from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. And now in the latter end yea in the last words thereof he wisheth them not any other good thing then the very same grace neither indeede needeth he to pray for any other thing for them because he that hath this grace hath all goodnes Whence wee may see also that it is an vsuall and ordinarie thing with the Apostle almost in all his Epistles to begin with grace and to end with it as wee say From whence also wee may safely gather that nothing in this life more excellent and more to bee Nothing more excellent or more to be wished for thē grace desired can be giuen to any man then this great goodnes of Grace which as the Apostle signifieth in so praying for it as on the behalfe of the Church So Dauid doth not obscurely declare it when hee prayeth Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs Psal 4. shewing that that should be farre better then the increase of Corne Wine Oyle or all other worldly things whatsoeuer whereof also me thinketh we may render this reason For what can a man imagine that may be either profitable or necessarie to this life present or to that which is to come which wee haue not and enioy when once this grace is committed vnto vs in Christ The Apostle telleth vs 1. Timoth. 4. 8. that godlines is profitable to all things as which hath the promises of this life present and of that which is to come But from whence proceedeth godlines but from this grace Nay I will say more what good thing is there any Grace and opinion of mans merit cannot stand together where that in any case may steed vs that can come from any other cause or ground then frō this great grace Whereupon wee may conclude that the conceit of mans merit hath no place in procuring any good for vs from or before God The Apostle himselfe in this very Epistle and namely chap. 1. commendeth the Colostians for their faith and charitie towards all Saints But doth he for all that wish or pray that God would vouchsafe them a recompence or reward as due from God in the name of debt as wee would say for those fruites and workes of their charitie None at all neither is there any thing though neuer so small that he insinuateth that way either there or elsewhere in his writings Nay rather the thing that hee wisheth vnto them and prayeth for as on their behalfe is wholy and altogether grace that so wee might learne stedfastly and in euery respect wholy to depend of Gods grace and to ascribe all thereto that so in all the good things which are communicated to the Church and bestowed therevpon God might haue the praise and glorie of his owne grace through Christ Iesus Which to performe the Lord of his owne goodnes vouchsafe vs the grace for his deare Sonnes sake Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be ascribed and giuen all glorie and praise with strength and maiestie of all people and in all places but specially of and in the Church both now and for euer So be it FINIS