them instantly Paul was oft on his knees praying Men wot not what it is to haue to doe with God I bowe my knees to God for you Ephes 3. 14. So learne of him that it is not enough to thanke God for the prosperous estate of his Church that is but an halfe dutie to thanke him but with the thanking of God thou must ioyne prayer for the continuance of the blessing of God vpon that person Church and Common-wealth for whome thou thankest God There is no man so perfect in happinesse or in any blessed estate whether it be spirituall or temporall but yet so long as he liues in the world he hath want there is a lacke euen in the greatest Emperor and King yea euen in temporall things And he that hath begun well will fall backe againe a hundreth times in a day yea hee will runne faster backeward then euer he went forward if the Lord withhold him not Therefore pray for him that he goe not backeward Then when he is going forward in the good course begun he may not stand still but he must run euer looking to the end There is no man so long as he liues that putteth an end to his course his course ends with his life Hath any man a life He is in the race he is in the way and iourney towards the But or as the Apostle calles it the price of the high calling of God Phil. 3. 14. In the progresse he is not able to go one foote forward except the Lord take him by the hand and leade him Therfore seeing there is no progresse to heauen without God his especiall grace nor thou art not able to lift thy foote without him with euery foote that thou liftest thanke God for his owne benefit and pray to God for the continuance and increase thereof Pray feruently for thy selfe and for those that thou wouldest haue to continue Thus much for the proposition Now followeth the declaration of that wherfore he thankes God he thanketh God for them but not without cause he saw matter of thankes giuing in them and a vaine thing it is to thanke God for that that is The matter of the thankes giuing not in a man What saw he in them We heare saith he of your faith first and then of your loue to al the Saints without exception It is not possible but if thou loue one Saint thou must loue all And if thou hatest one Saint as a Saint it will Loue to the Saints passe thy power to beare affection of loue to any so loue one and loue all otherwise thou canst not loue one Then he seeth matter in them wherefore hee thanketh God and it is for no earthly thing but that these Colossians were conquered to that kingdome of Christ It is better for thee to bee conquered to Christ then to conquer the whole world Then the spirituall matter of reioycing if thou wouldest reioyce congratulate and praise God standeth in spirituall graces if thou wouldest reioyce for thy friend looke if he haue spirituall graces looke if he haue faith and loue if he hath not To reioyce for friends these neither hast thou matter to reioyce for nor he if he had all the world away with all thy gratulation all his prayses and congratulations are as many curses if he want faith and charitie for there is no blessing where they are not Wot ye what faith is It ioynes thee with the head woe is thee that art seuered from him and if thou hadst all the world woe is that soule that is not ioyned with Christ and being ioyned with him then art thou fast The earth shall be shaken and the heauen passe away before thou shalt loose thy gripe and holde of Christ or he twine and part Who shall separate vs from the Faith apprehends Christ loue of God saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 24 there is faith and the vertues thereof What doth loue againe As faith maketh the vnion with the head so loue is the band that makes the communion with the Saints which you rehearse in your beleefe and if thou be not ioyned here with his Church there is no saluation for thee nor life thou shalt neuer see the life of Christ Then when wee see a man standing first in this vnion with Christ and secondly in this communion with the Saints we may say blessed is that soule for cursed are they that are not ioyned this way Conioyne thy selfe with the head and the members there is not a member of the body with whom thou ioynest thy selfe by this communion but so fast as thy heart cleaues to it so fast will it cleaue to thee againe Wherefore reioyceth Paul with the Colossians because they loued the Saints so he being a Saint his heart ioynes with them Thou art a cursed body when a man loues thee if thou will not loue him againe Wherefore was it that they had first this faith in Iesus Christ next this loue towards the Saints what gained they by faith and loue the Apostle saith For that hopes sake that is laide vp in heauen it is not for nothing there is a rich reward of faith and loue Faith and loue will get thee a fairer thing and richer reward then all the things in this world Fye vpon them they are but durt and doung onely see that thou haue faith and loue Sticke by these two and thou shall get thee a richer and more glorious thing then al the things of this world can be to thee You may learne thē it is the respect that a man hath to a rich reward and hope that is of the riches of glorie Ephes 1. and not of this peltry in the earth that makes a man to sticke with Christ and to haue a communion with the Saints Otherwise if thou haue not this to looke vnto and this respect to that ioyfull end fye on thee it is kept to thee Heb. 11. 26 well enough as Peter saith thou hast no more to doe but to hold thine eye vpon it if thou haue it not it shall passe thy power to keepe thee with Christ and to be ioyned with the Church militant for there shall come such iawes and billowes of temptation iaw vpon iaw and billowe vpon billowe that thou shalt perish But contrariwise holding thine eie Phil. 3. 20. euer wayting for the comming of thy Sauiour the Lord Iesus I confesse there be a thousand things to drawe it downe but if thou striue to holde it vp certainely thou shalt sticke fast with Christ and stand with the Saints of God but if thou carry thine eye from heauen like a moule or muddewart grountling on this earth thou shalt tyne and lose Christ and the vnion with his Saints Thou shalt lose thy life and that faire heritage and then wo is thee for euer more To come forward how got they their sight and knowledge of this life Note It is a looking to this life that must keepe
grace He prayeth that they should be filled with knowledge with light euen with that that they haue most neede of O the darknesse that is in man naturally he is full of that blacke smoake of darkenesse he is choked full of it lying wallowing in it so that of all things he hath greatest misse of light If thou were lying in a pit thou wouldest thinke it a great benefit to get a glimse The naturall blindnes of man Ephes 6. 12. 13. of light O but if thou sawst thy owne darkenesse in thy soule thou wouldest neuer bee ioyfull whilst thou gatst this light which the Apostle prayeth for So thē the thing we need most is the spirituall light of God for God is light and dwelleth in light that hath no accesse 1. Tim. 6. 16. What is then thy blessednesse to be filled with this light to be partaker of it in some part as thou art able to be filled with it So the thing promised in the scripture is knowledge and light and the first thing the Apostle prayeth for is to get knowledge of this mysterie of Christ The second word is to be marked that you may be filled with all knowledge This speech letteth vs see that it will not be a part of knowledge that will fill a man but he must be filled with all knowledge how beit the heart of man be but of a small roome and capacitie yet if his heart be sanctified it is a wonderfull thing the length and the depth of the grace that it will receiue howbeit it be finit yet vnspeakable how infinite a thing it will receiue God shall dwell and be all in all in that heart that is once sanctified so infinite a thing it will be capable of Take it in the owne nature thereof ye finde it in A sanctified heart experience in common sciences it is not capable of things that are finit but get it once sanctified it will take apprehension of that infinit maiestie and riches in him That you may be filled with all knowledge whereof there are many things better not to be knowen then to bee knowen Adam would faine haue knowne the mysterie of the forbidden tree and it had been wel for him that he had neuer knowne it Whereof then must this knowledge be of his will what a will is that Euen that will that Iesus his sonne comming out of the bosome of the father hath reuealed to the world that was the best and ioyfullest reuelation that euer was So it must be the knowledge of the will of God reuealed Where was this will some will aske all the time preceding the comming of Christ looke 1. Cor. 2. 7. It was a wisedome in a mysterie hid and neuer fully reuealed while Christ came which was appointed reade the place vnto our glorie Then he comes to that that was contained in that mysterie The things saith he that the eye neuer saw the eare neuer heard neither entred into the heart of man loue him if thou wilt which God hath prepared and reuealed to vs by his spirit If thou haue his spirit thou wilt pierce into the gulfe of his loue towards thee in Iesus Christ and of his riches And in the epistle to the Ephesians 1. hee opens the mysterie more cleerely well it is no small matter to get the eye of thy minde opened Thou wilt thinke it a great matter to get the eye of thy body opened that thou mightest see the visible creatures of God But what is that sight and the opening of the bodily eye to the sight of the soule and opening of the eye of thy soule whereby thou shalt see God and the things of God for thy weale There is no match here Therefore the Apostle to the Ephesians explaines this mysterie more cleerely where he saith that You may see what is the hope of his calling yet he goeth further and what is the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and then he goeth further And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towards vs. And if thou hast faith thou shalt tast of such an excellent grace that thou shalt wonder that that same sory and sillie heart could gripe and attaine to such vnsearchable riches The effect of his will is this the way of redemption to the lost world is reuealed the way of remission of sinnes how to be made holy and the rest of the graces reuealed in Iesus Christ True wisedome This is the will of God Note then what call you true wisdome Men would be wise man inclines to nothing more then to haue knowledge Then what is true knowledge To know the way of thy redemption And if thou want this the greater knowledge thou hast the greater foole Be a foole man to come to this knowledge Come down thou art that scansing soring I wot not where come downe come downe I say if thou know not Iesus thou art a foole thou shalt neuer reach to the wisdome of Christ thou must come down and leaue thy foolery and proud conceite of knowledge if thou wilt be truly wise In the end of the verse when generally he hath spoken of this knowledge he laieth it out abroad and saith With all wisdome and vnderstanding By wisdome briefly he vnderstandeth all that knowledge that consists not so much in doing as in contemplation By vnderstanding he meanes such knowledge as stands in doing for religion and that true Philosophie and wisdome is not a bare meditation for a man to sit in his chamber all the day and like a Cloister Monke and in the meane time to doe nothing thereby to profit the Church of God it is nothing it auailes not But religion is a knowledge and a meditation and a doing Practise thy religion or else it is not worth a penny And if it shine not in thy life it is but durt so you haue the parts of this knowledge wisdome Wisedome in meditation vnderstanding in practise in meditation vnderstanding in practising to profit the world You see first this knowledge is spirituall in quality not earthly It is of things that neuer shall take end it is parted it stands in wisdome and stands in practising will you come to degrees It is perfect in degrees and then it is perfect in parts in the which there is nothing that wants or is superfluous This is that knowledge that we haue in Christ howbeit the Apostle would seeme that he prayeth that they should get this faith here yet is it sure that it is neuer gotten in this life if thou shouldest liue Methusalems daies It must be that thou grow in filling vp this faith euery day thou liuest more and more but so long as thou brookest this mortalitie this fulnes whereof the Apostle speakes shal neuer be for this mortalitie must be swallowed vp of life If thou wouldest haue this faith thou shalt neuer get it till the day of the resurrection at which time God shall be all in all 1.
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
and vncleannes and mortalitie out of thy former parents Adam and Eue euen so beleeuing in Iesus thou shalt draw out of him the sappe of life and sanctification But the words following make the words plaine What is meant by this new man There are three things in the words following Three things in the new man There is first the making him new againe Secondly there is the nature what it is wherein he standeth And thirdly there is the paterne according to the which hee is made the Lord had made him according to a paterne First it is said He is renued That is he is created a new againe Then it must follow that he was once made before and that in the creation and if he be made againe hee was once lost and so it was Now after this losing the Lord renueth him againe and therefore ye see a wonderfull mercie of God and it is the will of the spirit that thou shouldest conceiue this in thy heart and say O that exceeding mercie of God! that the Lord of mercie hath shewed on thee this mercie Looke to Paul Ephes chap. 2. vers 4. But God who is rich in mercie according to his great loue wherewith he hath loued vs euen when we were dead in sinnes hath quickened vs together in Christ. There he looketh in through the grate of renouation and therein hee seeth a wonderfull mercie in God Ye shall finde the life of this in the Epistle to Titus Alas wee want this eye there is such a dulnes in vs that we cannot passe vp to see this mercy of God Thou shouldest not so soone heare of mercie but thou shouldest euer looke vnto God and his mercie and thanke him for it What Angell could euer haue thought that God would haue created that new man againe They all wondred when they saw it Alas it is long ere wee can wonder Now what is his nature Which is renued to knowledge What is he I answere he is knowledge the light of the minde thou hast a new minde would ye know what is knowledge Paul Ephes chap. 2. telleth you that the eyes of your minde are opened O if the eye of thy minde bee closed thou art yet in nature Whereto That ye may know that hope Yet he goeth higher and that riches of his grace And yet he groweth higher and that excellent greatnes In a word it is the sight of faith full of that glorie that shall be reuealed I remember the Apostle to the Eph. chap. 4. vers 24. addeth to these two things righteousnes and holines so that in all his members he is light to see God Iesus Christ and all the glorie of heauen there There is the renuing that is spoken of here he is then sincere in heart in his body and in hand he is righteous in dealing with his neighbour If thou haue this new man he will cloathe thee within and without if thou were cloathed with gold and thou haue not this cloathing on thee thou art but a lumpe of stinking dirt The last thing is the paterne hee is created to one paterne Now what looketh God to in making of him looketh he to an Angell and saith I will make this new man like an Angell or looketh hee to the Sunne and Moone to the beasts and elements or to any creature in heauen or earth No no but hee looketh to his owne glorie and maketh thee according to that forme he looketh to that light that is in himselfe and maketh thy light like to his owne light and thy holines like to himselfe Looke the first of Genesis when hee had created all things the heauen the earth and the rest ye shall not finde such a word that he created any to his owne image But when he commeth to man with a consultation saith elohim Let vs make man like to our selues Gen. chap. 1. vers 26. So then O man there is thy first glorie the Lord honored thee in thy creatiō but thou hast lost it And the renuing of this image it is passing excellent it is double more glorious then it was at the beginning O that mercie that renued it Thou deseruedst to be turned into a stone or into the vilest brute beast or vermin that is Therefore it must be a passing great mercie that in renuing thee hee renueth thee in an higher measure then hee created thee in No in the renuing of thee in Christ he doubleth his image in thee And if hee made thee like himselfe at the first now he doubleth it a thousand times more The glorie of Adam was great but now that is farre greater which wee haue in Christ If Adam had kept his glorie yet it would haue bin nothing but an earthly paradize y t he would haue bin in but al the earth is not capable of one glorified bodie in Christ So then striue to beleeue in him and certainly the fall of Adam shall be so farre from thy heart that thou shalt blesse the time that he fell if thou gettest this renued creature in thee through the Lord Iesus otherwise thou shalt curse the time that he fell So beleeue in Iesus Christ and all things shall worke to thy good felicitie and blessednes in Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be honour and praise for euer and euer Amen THE XXVIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 11. 11 Where is neither Grecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond free but Christ is all and in all things THis whole place is an exhortation to the mortifying of these earthly members these sinfull lusts and affections and to the putting off of them for we haue been ouer long cloathed with them so that they be not put on again Ye haue heard these daies past sundrie sorts of them and likewise sundrie arguments to moue vs to this mortification To come briefly to the purpose The last argument was from our regeneration begun in this life standing in two Coherence parts that is first in putting off the old man that is corruption of nature that we haue drawne not onely out of our mothers wombe but haue suckt out of the loynes of old Adam so that looke how hee is it is as old It sitteth on and pearceth through the skinne to the heart and there is none that is free from it The second part was the putting on of the new man For certainly as I shewed you no man is able to stand naked before God cloathed must thou be or els there is no appearance for thee being naked before that tribunall seate all must be cloathed with that righteousnes and sprinkled with the bloud of Christ and then next with this new man that is with that inherent holines that floweth out of the bloud of Christ For he that is iustified by his bloud must be sanctified by his spirit Ye heard a description of this new man he is new made againe In the
the 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
that loues vs although hee be absent yet he should striue to make his loue knowne to vs by a register and putting of it in writing as Paul did He writes vp and registers his loue to vs. It is no shame to Paul to tell vs that he loues vs if so be he haue the glorie of God and our consolation before his eyes So all comes to this in a word it is a comfortable thing for thee to know that the Saints of God loue thee and that thy pastor loues thee and it is an argument that God loues thee and that thou art deere to him This for Pauls answere in the first verse To come to the second verse and to goe forward word by word he sets downe the end of his care he had of them and his strife he sustayned for them the end is that their harts might be comforted that they might get consolation not in their head Consolation is felt in the heart but in their heart Consolation is in the heart It is not a fleeting thing in the head it is not an imagination or phantasie in the braine it is not superficiall but it occupies the whole heart it takes roote in the heart and it spreads all the roots of it through all the parts of the same and this is the true consolation Then brethren you may perceiue by these words that all men by nature are comfortles no man by nature hath Euery man comfortles by nature any consolation O comfortles miserable creatures are we if thou wert borne a king thou art borne a comfortles body and miserable by nature for by nature there is no consolation to mankinde after the fall of Adam but woe and miserie For as touching these earthly things and benefits what sound consolation is in them The light of the sun ministers no true consolation to man that hath no more but nature nay the more blessings which might minister of themselues consolation the more curses to thee if thou stand in nature the greater honor the greater misery if thou stand in nature onely And againe all these benefits shall serue to thy welfare if thou be in Christ through faith This preaching of the word it ministers consolatiō to thy silly soule For the end of it as this place lets you see is to minister true consolation to the comfortles And this is the end of all the care trauell and strife that the Apostle The end of the gospel and ministery therof is to bring consolation vnto men takes to minister comfort vnto thee And therefore Iohn saith in his 1 Epistle chap. 1. 4. These things write I vnto you that your ioy may be full So all that is spoken and written in the Scriptures serues this end that thou mayest haue sound ioy in thy heart And thou that wilt not take consolation at the hand of the minister I denounce against thee though thou werst a king thou shalt get no consolation in this world and thou shalt see no ioy nor consolation in the life to come To come to the next word By what meanes come they to this consolation by being ioyned and compacted in one altogether as the members of a man there is the meane to obtaine this consolation This lesson is easie the meane of true consolation and comfort of sound ioy tranquillity and peace of conscience is this a blessed coniunction with the members Communion with Christ and his members brings sound consolation of Iesus Christ This is it that we call the communion of Saints and to be ioyned in the societie of the Church here in earth And thou that wilt stand thy selfe alone if thou cut thy selfe off as a rotten member and disdaine the societie of the Saints and runne from them run thy way if it were to the end of the world the curse of God followes thee And therefore this being the meane of this consolation without the which no saluation nor ioy can be he that would haue that comfort let him be ioyned with the members and the minister that would comfort any let him labour to make them members of that body of Christ that the ioy of Iesus Christ may flow downe from Christ to them To come to the next word Hee sets downe the meane wherby this coniunctiō is brought to passe being conioyned together saith he through loue Albeit that faith goes before by nature yet I will follow the text as the words lie The meane whereby thou art ioyned with the body of Christ and standest The first meane of the communion of Saints Loue the band to binde vs with men but faith with God with that societie of the Church in the earth is loue Wouldst thou be coupled with the body loue thy neighbour One member of this naturall body will loue another So if thou be a member of the body of Christ thou must needes loue thy neighbour truely And he that cannot loue nor will not loue he shall neuer be ioyned with the body for wanting loue no band can binde thee to Christ nor his Church A malitious euill body that cannot loue call him as ye will a christian he is not in the body and so hath no consolation for without the coniunction with Christ there is no comfort Therefore he that will haue comfort let him be conioyned with the body and hee that would be conioyned with the bodie let him loue the members of the bodie Loue God first aboue all and then thy neighbour as thy selfe And therefore Iohn in his first chapter of his Epistle when he had spoken of this coniunction hee euer in the rest speakes of loue For without this loue there is no coniunction nor societie with his Church The second meane of this coniunction is in these words The second meane of our communion with the Church And in all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding by these words he meanes nothing els but this faith in Iesus which by nature in this coniunction is formost and loue followes For to speake it so faith is the master sinew that binds the members with the head and this loue is the band which bindes vp the members among themselues Then to come briefly to the matter here ye see the chiefe meane of this societie with the Church One faith in Iesus Christ not two or three or foure faiths sundrie faiths will not make thee a member of the bodie True faith of Iesus Christ If thou be of another faith then this true faith which hath this full assurance then the Church will not be conioyned with thee it will be like a brasen and firie wall to hold thee backe from that societie So that without one faith there cannot be one bodie Therefore Paul when he hath spoken of one bodie then he subioynes one faith meaning that there cannot be one bodie without one faith Marke the place Ephes 4. 5. All these bands of bloud of consanguinitie will not ioyne men together
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
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
there is not such a property in substance and riches as this For the riches cannot say to the man thou art my propertie Indeede there are many niggard Couetousnes hearted bodies and to these men their goods may say thou art mine as well as I am thine O woe is thee thou forgettest thy dutie For what coniunction can there be betwixt thee and thy goods There is not a coniunction like this betwixt man and woman so that either is others property and euery one of them may say to others thou art my propertie There is no such coniunction except that coniunction which is betwixt the head and the bodie and that coniunction that is betweene Christ and his Church which is greater then both the other coniunctions This coniunction betweene Christ and his Church is the greatest coniunction that is for all other coniunctions will seuer but this betwixt Christ and his Church seuers neuer A man may be separated from his wife by adultery or death a man may haue his head chopt off him and a man may lose his goods but once conioyned with Christ thou shalt neuer be seuered from him nor he from thee What shall separate vs saith Paul from the loue of Christ Rom. 8. 35. The second coniunction is of the head with the body the third Our coniunction with Christ inseparable coniunction is of the man with the wife euery one of these may claime other as their proper goods so streight is the knot and bond that bindes them vp together Now we haue in the end of the verse the thing forbidden and it is that that is contrarie to loue to wit bitternes Loue and sweetnes is commended bitternes rigorousnes and crueltie is forbidden There are many husbands who are tyrants ouer their wiues that should not be they ought not to vse tyrannie though it were ouer a dog or cat Brethren we know all this that there is nothing more naturall to man then the desire and seeking of preferment and the poorest body would be a King And yet notwithstanding this sinfull body cannot beare it it cannot vse it the sinfull man cannot beare preferment though it were but ouer his owne wife the father ouer the child the master ouer the seruant if ye set him ouer beasts dogs and sheepe make him a sheepe keeper he shall vtter the bitternes of his heart for giue him ouer to his owne nature he shall degenerate into tyrannie This is the tyrannie of man Note well What is the cause of all this The higher he be lifted vp aboue others the higher is his foule affection lifted vp aboue himselfe so the honour of this world doth no good to men except the wicked affection be sanctified by the spirit of Christ Woe be to thee that art a King if thy affection be not sanctified Wo be to thee that art a husband if thy affection be not sanctified in thy preferment And therfore the spirit of God inioynes that they seeke not preferment who haue not gotten their affection sanctified Thou that hast not gotten a sanctified affection seeke not to be a King seeke not to be a husband seeke not to be a Parent seeke not to raigne ouer a country to be a Peere in a Land a Magistrate for thou shalt abuse it to thy damnation Why should men whom the Lord hath cast downe be raised vp and put in preferment shame shall betide them who seeke to set them vp againe if they repent not Wilt thou set vp a man with a heart like a Viper O sie on thee thou shalt feele the dint of this iniquitie Yet to come againe to the word Bitternes looke that your loue turne not into gall Bitternes There be many who haue bin louing in the beginning but incontinent they haue turned their loue to gall This bitternes must either be in the hart or els in the behauiour if it be in the hart then fare ye well he becomes a monster to his wife Is it lawful for a man to strike his own flesh wil not euery one that The husband not to smite his own wife heares or sees that say the man is mad and worse then a brute beast For this doing comes of the bitternes of the heart against the wife and thou shewest that thy heart is alienated from her when that thou sets not by what becomes of her and so thou art a monster to her without affection either to loue thy wife or care for her Bitternes in the behauiour is either in word or deede Indeede it is true this bitternes in the behauiour it wil oftentimes proceed of the infirmities that are in you women therefore you should take heed to your infirmities and stir not vp that gall But yet there is an euil ground in thee who art the man This bitternes of thine in behauiour proceedes of wanting of wit It would beseeme many a man better to be a wife then a man Who will count of them that cannot beare the infirmities of women but they are degenerate men Wisedome and discretion requires that they bee borne withall Beares not Christ with thy infirmities Hath he euer broken the brused reede Wilt thou not follow him and beare with the infirmities of them who are conioyned with thee Yet this is not so spoken that we should let you go away altogether but wee should so beare with them that wee should goe about to amend them in lenitie as Iesus Christ beares with his spouse the Church And this is that honour Peter speakes of in his first Epistle chap. 3. vers 7. giuing honour vnto your wiues as the weaker vessels I will not insist in this In al this dutie of the wife to the husband and the husband to the wife I see not a better way to discharge it then to haue thine eye vpon Christ and his Church Follow Iesus as he behaued himselfe to his Church so behaue thy selfe to thy wife Therefore as euer thou wouldest bee partaker with Iesus and his Church conforme thy selfe to Christ and his Church for if thou wilt not doe this thou knowest not Christ nor his Church Thou bitter husband thou knowest not Christ nor his Church Thou who art an euill wife knowes not Christ thou keepest not faith to Iesus Christ and not doing that how canst thou be safe So brethren and sisters be wise the Lord giue the man wisedome the Lord giue the woman wisedome for there is an account that abides euery one of them Therefore liue in feare and mutuall dutie euery one to another that yee may bee glorified with Christ your head and spouse To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise and honour Amen THE XXXIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 20. 21. 20 Children obey your parents in all things for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord. 21 Fathers prouoke not your children to anger least they be discouraged HAuing ended the generall
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
that the Gospell bringeth out in the heart of man in the circumstance of the time of the hastie working of the Gospell in the hearts of men euen in that same hower that man heareth it first he findes it so powerfull in him and the continuance of it working still in him that it is a sure argument to him and a note not onely of the truth of the Gospell but also that it is the very truth of God If any hath found this sincere working in his heart by the Gospell this is a sure argument that it is the truth of God which you heare though all the world and the Pope himselfe should crye against it Briefly as in these words he commends the Gospell so he commends the Colossians because they receiued it and continued in the same The spirit of God when he giues thee a grace he will fall out in commending of thee and this testifyeth a wonderfull loue and mercy in God and of his liking of them to whom he giues his grace he will giue them such a praise as if they God commends and crownes his own graces in vs. were something and yet they are nothing this should make vs to meete him with thankefulnesse to praise him for something when he praiseth thee for nothing When he hath done with the Gospell he comes to the person they might haue said what is this man that preacheth the Gospell hee is no Apostle Paul answereth in effect whatsoeuer the man be he hath taught you the truth and then he commends the man as for the man I will tell you hee is a fellow labourer with me howbeit I be an Apostle he is no seruant to me but with me he hath his owne roome and why he is a minister of Iesus Christ more he is beloued of me I tender the cause he is a minister and a faithfull minister he is sincere in his calling and as for you he is wholy for your behoofe and profit he is sent to you and for you a faithfull minister in Iesus Christ And he hath shewen indeede that he is for you for he hath testified True loue of you and of your heartie loue and he calleth it the loue of the spirit thereby highly commending their loue because if loue be true it must not onely proceede of thy affection but it must proceede of the spirit of Iesus Thus for the words marke then when we see a man faithfull in any calling whether in the Church or common-wealth this same recommendation Obserue that Paul makes of Epaphras teacheth vs to recommend that man that dischargeth a faithfull dutie according to the grace giuen him that they may haue the better lyking of him I say he is a minister of Sathan that seeing a man faithfull in any calling goeth about to seuer them and him to put a misliking in the hearts of the people to seuer them whom God hath ioyned together Now to goe to the next argument hitherto haue you heard of the first argument touching thanksgiuing the next followeth in prayer Therefore saith he from the first day that I haue heard of this grace vncessantly I pray to God for you Marke first that same very grace of spirituall loue and charitie wherefore he thanketh God moueth him to pray to God for them Then brethren in any grace whether it bee faith or loue or patience c. there is matter both of thanksgiuing and prayer to God as thou art bound to thanke God for the grace receiued so thou art bound to pray for the same and Prayer to God the more graces we see in a man the greater care ought we to haue to pray to God to keepe him in those graces But the time is to be considered euen as soone as hee heard of their faith and loue hee begunne to pray and from that day to this day his prayer abideth This teacheth first that after a man hath receiued a great grace from God hee should euer pray that that grace receiued may abide with him and he with it according to the example of Paul for such is the frailtie of mans nature that euery moment he is readie to fal from grace except the Lord holde him vp Againe marke this when he would haue the grace kept in the heart what meanes vseth he prayer immediatly hee prayeth to God for them Then in a word earnest and feruent prayer to God is the meanes to get grace from him to keepe it either in thy owne heart or in others If thou wouldest haue any grace of God and haue it abiding with thee fructifying in thy heart pray to God Prayer Prayer is the only meane to effect and obtaine of God whatsoeuer thou standest in neede of and when thou hast gotten any thing prayer is the meanes to procure a blessing to the same that it abide with thee What prayeth he for to them It is no grace that they had gotten alreadie Wherefore then that you may be filled Marke the words for there is exceeding great pith in them and would to God we could attaine to the force of them that ye may be filled saith he with grace as if he would say grace is begun with you alreadie now I pray that you may be filled with grace you are not full yet for so long as thou liuest thou mayest get grace but I say thou wilt neuer be filled with grace here in this world but there will euer be some emptinesse and wastnes in thee There is euer some want in the regenerate man Learne another lesson Wherein standeth thy felicitie and blessednes euen in this in a filling vp of that wastnes and emptines within thee alas if thou saw and felt thy own voydnesse and want of grace in thy heart thou wouldest neuer cease but euer bee seeking and crying for abundance of faith for an emptie heart will perish Surely if thy heart bee voyde of grace goe as gallantly as thou pleasest casting thy head in the winde if thou haue not grace and a fulnesse of grace in the end thou shalt perish looke to it as thou wilt Thinke ye not that our blessednesse is to be in likenesse with God and Iesus Christ our head God is full O what fulnes is in God! Iesus Christ is full wee sawe him saith Iohn 1. 14. Full of glorie Then it must follow if we would be truly blessed we must bee full as our head is full and as the Apostle to the Colossians saith we must be filled with that fulnesse of God Blessed are they saith Christ Matth. 5. 6. that hunger for righteousnesse Col. 3. 19. for they shall be filled Then hunger euer for righteousnesse that thou mayest be filled for to be filled is the blessednesse of mans estate But what stuffe must this be wherewith we must bee filled it is not thy happinesse to bee filled with euery thing as with meate and drinke oft times when thou art fullest after that manner thou art emptiest of
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
but thou shalt neuer be ransomed but die euerlastingly Whose bloud must it be then By his bloud hee saith not by our bloud that is the bloud of the sonne of God And this bloud of Iesus Christ is that bloud onely that can be the ransome none in heauen or earth but his bloud onely is able to make thy ransome and this bloud standeth best both with the iustice of God and mercie of God because it is the only bloud of Christ that satisfies the iustice of God Why by reason of the worthines of the person he is a man a holy man without all spot of sinne It will not be thy stinking rotten bloud it must be that bloud of Christ that holy bloud that must satisfie the wrath of God It standeth with the mercie of God for when the wrath and iustice of God hath gotten that precious bloud then it is well satisfied then mercie reacheth from heauen to the sinner if thou canst present that bloud then the Lord will say I haue nothing to say against thee I haue nothing but mercie and grace to giue thee I forgiue thee all thy sinnes Many thinke this but words but you shall see one day what these words meane In the last words of the verse that that he hath spoken of redemption he sets out in a plaine terme and common word euen the remission of sinnes In the Epistle to the Ephesians 1. 7. when hee hath spoken as hee hath done here of the remission of sinnes he sheweth that it is through the riches of his grace What is all thy remission to thee but a free remission through the riches of his grace thou hast not paid a mite for it but Christ hath paid the price So these two stand in thy redemption In respect of him thou art redeemed by a price and in respect of thy selfe it is nothing but free pardoning So giue him the glorie and praise for I assure thee it is of an vnspeakable mercie and loue that he hath forgiuen thee and taken the bloud of his deere sonne for thy sinne Hast thou not great matter of praising and glorifying of him O would to God this cankerd generation could see and consider this worke of our redemption Now you haue heard of your calling and redemption two great workes and benefits of God bestowed on his elect in Iesus Christ his deere sonne There followes now a higher point of doctrine speeches of the highest things in the world are either of Kings or Queenes or els of some other great nouelties yet all are but dirt in respect of this speech of the Apostle vttered according to the spirit of God For he speaks of the highest things that is euen of the king of glorie so this speech must be a high speech and yet not so high but a man may attaine to the knowledge of it so farre as may serue to their saluation when he hath spoken of this great king and of his bloud by the which wee are redeemed to let vs see how great a king he is and how precious his bloud is he fals out into a digression and he brings out an high description of the Lord of glorie He may well blabber of him but more he cannot he is so high and excellent in all maiestie All the wits of men and Angels are not able to expresse the excellencie of the glorie of the sonne of God but I leaue that The first part of his description is from his Godhead Who is saith he the image of the inuisible God the first begotten of euery thing created Here wee haue to consider first how God is called inuisible And next how the sonne is called the image of the inuisible God vnderstanding these two we shall get the meaning of the Apostle Wee finde this oft in the Scripture especially in the new Testament that God is called inuisible No man saith Iohn in his first chapter vers 18 hath seene God at any time in another place he saith No man hath knowne him And Tim. 6. 16. He dwelleth in light that hath no accesse How is this then to be vnderstood Looke how he is inuisible This is to be vnderstood of the Father the first person of the Trinitie Note He is inuisible he cannot be seene neither by Angell nor all the Angels in heauen neither by man nor by the eye of the bodie of man no not by the eye of his minde No creature no manner of way can see him yet God forbid but wee see him But how is it that he cannot be seene He cannot be seene immediatly in his owne person no not all the Angels can get a sight of him immediatly It is only the sonne of God that hath that sight for he is in the bosome of the Father and therefore no man nor Angell gets a sight of God I say immediatly because that all the sight that man and Angell hath is by a mediate person the sonne of God This is the first Secondly how is it that the sonne is called the image of the inuisible God I will not insist here to bring in all the differences and sorts and images because it pertaines more to the Schooles then to this place But thus farre I tell you I cannot get here in the earth a better example to let you see how Iesus Christ is the image of the inuisible God in some measure for who can see it in a fulnes then the example of an earthly son You see an earthly sonne will represent the person of his father in the shape of his bodie and in the linaments thereof and that not onely in the outward accidents but in the very substance that he hath taken from him and out of him No image will come so neere as that image so that he will represent him in all these three in stature shape and substance Now to come to the sonne of God you must vnderstand there are no accidents in God All is substance and essence He will then represent him first in his personage euen in a kind of portraiture for how be it he be distinct in person yet nothing is so like the person of the father as the person of the sonne Therefore in the epistle to the Hebrewes 1. 3. He is called the character and the very stampe of the father and he will not onely represent him in person but in substance also So that secondly he representeth God the father in a substance taken from him for the sonne of God hath taken his substance from his father in that eternall generation And thirdly which is higher and this passeth all comparison he represents him not onely in a substance but in that same substance in number so that there is not two Gods but one God Nay the father and the sonne is but one substance and one God in number and therefore he saith the father and I am one in the gospell of Iohn 10. 30. No earthly sonne may say so I am in the
the Redeemer more highly then you doe Fie on these miscreants that know it not Mark it there was neuer thing done in time nor out of time but all was done for him and for the honour and glorie of the Lord Iesus thy Redeemer And not for him and his glorie as he is the sonne of God onely but I tell thee more all was done for the man Christ for thy flesh and bloud Thy predestination that is before all eternitie this election of men and women to life euerlasting as Paul Rom. 8 29. saith tels thee it was all for him and his glorie as man There is the end of it then that he might be the first borne among many brethren Will you come to that that was done in time the creation of all creatures All was done for the man Iesus Christ The fall of man was suffered for the glorie and honour of Christ the man that thou mightest bee redeemed with his precious bloud so that the redemption of man is for the glorie of y e man Christ I shal tell you the ground of it That incōprehensible God in his vnsearchable wisedome hath laid this plot that he would be glorified in his sonne man and therefore he would haue all to be done for the honour of that man Iesus Christ Our predestination our election our creation redemption and all hee would haue so done that they might serue for the honour of his sonne clad with our nature Therefore thinke thou that the end of all is his owne glorie Nay we know not the glorie of Christ wee know not how all things serues for his glorie and therefore we count so little of all things Then againe hee repeates that part of the description from the eternitie And he was before all things as he said All things were made by him so he saith he was before al things This cannot goe out of his minde few words cannot content him would to God wee could follow him and the men of God in this point They tire not to speake of him and of his glorie in his creatures so deepe is their apprehension which they haue of him O it is for fault of apprehension that we let the praises of our Redeemer Iesus Christ goe by vs so lightly Well well Loue to meditate of the excellencie of Iesus Christ and to speake of his praises I tell thee O man if thou findest Iesus Christ at thy heart and saw his glorie in the creatures thou wouldest not so lightly passe ouer his praises No certainly but men they neuer felt Iesus nor neuer apprehended him as the men of God of old did Therefore what is Christ to them but a word that pearces the eare and no more But woe is me for thee that in this wise esteemes of thy Redeemer I pray you all in his name as yee would be saued seeke to apprehend Christ neuer rest while you finde him in a manner sensible in your heart and then I assure thee thou shalt neuer rest to speake of his praise and to glorifie him in his creatures Now after this followes the other part of his description Before he hath described him from his essence eternitie creation and from the end of things created now in the fift roome he describes him from that that he sustaines the creatures The The fift part hand that made them holds them vp A man that builds a house as soone as he hath builded it he takes away his hand In like manner a man that builds a ship when he hath built her he holds her not vp but incontinently he takes away his hand from it It is not so with our Lord Iesus who hath made all things nay the Lords hand is still with the worke that he hath made and hee holds it vp continually For if hee take his hand from thee and hold thee not vp thou wouldest fall down in y e dust and turne to nothing Nay the hand of his maiestie is euen with thee when thou art dead his hand shall keepe the dust of his owne And if thou shouldest cast it in the ayre in the water and where thou wilt yet he shall gather it together and shall keepe the least picke of dust that thou shalt be resolued into Then there is the fift ground of thy redemption As it is builded vpon a Creator so it is built vpon a preseruer and keeper Thy Redeemer being such an high personage the bloud must be precious wherewith thou art redeemed and thy redemption must stand fast and sure Thou maist well shatter and shake but thou shalt neuer fall from it for if once thou haue griped it by a liuely faith thy redemption shall stand euer sure and immoueable You see here then a passing maiestie in our Redeemer He is a God an eternall God a Creator the end of all creatures and the preseruer of all creatures Whereunto should I tell this The maiestie of Iesus Christ passeth in glorie and excellencie The fulnes of God is in him yea euen in thy nature The eternall God is in him what is it that thou wouldest haue that thou shalt not finde in him Seeke nothing without him and thy redemptiō behooued to be wrought by such a person and the price of thy redemptiō behooued to be by the bloud of such a person otherwise thou wouldest neuer haue been redeemed Alas fie on their mouthes that speake so lightly of this bloud Seeing then it behooued to be such a maiestie and such a bloud that Swearers should redeeme thee it tels thee two things It speakes as the Apostle saith Heb. 12. the first thing that it speakes is of sinne O sinne is a great thing that procured such a bloud if it were no more then a foule motion in thine heart it is so great that Vse of the former doctrine it cannot be taken away without this bloud Must it not then be a great thing that cannot be forgiuen except thou get such a bloud so if there were no more this one thing is sufficient to tell thee of the heauines of thy sinne Then againe it speakes to thee of the greatnes of that infinite iustice that strikes vpon sinne Must not that be great that could not be ransomed but by that bloud of God in the nature of man the preseruer of all the creatures Nay and thou wouldest shed all the bloud of men or Angels all could not ransome one sinne So if there were no more to tell the greatnes of that iustice and wrath that abides sinne this bloud of Iesus Christ thy Redeemer that was shed for it tels thee sufficiently Well look to that bloud and let no man dallie with God after the sight of that bloud Now would to God wee could consider the thousand part of sin and of that wrath of God for sinne for then there would follow a feare of iudgement and a detestation of sinne And then no question we should get remission of sinne and should
the enmitie who was the cause of the variance where begun it Man himselfe he begun the variance But who begun the friendship began man it againe Ioh. 3. 16. began Adam the reconciliation thought he of it No he neuer thought of it to begin it againe God the father who called vpon him when he was runne away began the friendship Thou begans it not nay there was neuer such a thing as a thought of it The father he began it euen when thou wast running headlong to thy destruction turning thy backe vpon God Thou maist be at oddes with God when thou wilt but thou wilt not be the beginner of the friendship againe except The loue of the father the fountaine of reconciliation hee of mercie begin it with thee so it is the father that is the authour and fountaine of our reconciliation Yet brethren what is this that the father begins the friendship being the partie aduersarie and the greatest and the worthiest partie This is a rare thing that one of two parties aduersaries and the worthiest should seeke reconciliation of the other that is nothing in comparison of him So this lets vs see a passing loue and mercie in God that began first to seeke thee But yet what a partie aduersarie was he to wit he was that partie aduersarie that was offended by man he did no offence to man but man offended him Indeede there had been lesse matter of marueiling if hee had begun the feude and enmitie but hee brake not a iot to man of his part of the couenant made with him But man false man kept neuer a point of his part and therefore as man is called a lier after that breach of promise to God his maker so this is found that he who hath receiued the wrong and the more strong and worthie partie that that partie will begin the amitie againe This is that incomparable loue that in the Rom. 5. 18. is spoken of There is not such a loue to be found in heauen or earth that the partie that is offended and hath done no offence that he should beginne the peace yea more should giue his onely begotten sonne his deere sonne to be a ransome for the offence done to him There is that incomprehensible loue of God towards man What tongue is able to expresse y t thousand part of that loue Nay al the wit of men and Angels is not able once sufficiently thinke of it Let be to expresse it as it is in thy selfe Thus far for the second Now the third is what moued the father to enter into new friendship with man saw hee ought in me in thee or in any man to moue him to be reconciled with me or thee or any man It is said It hath pleased him then it was his owne pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beneplacitum eius this was it that moued him to be reconciled with vs. This pleasure it was not a thing in time What the loue of the father is but it was a decree that past in heauen from al eternitie A decree that proceeded of meere loue and grace and not of a foresight of any good that either he saw thē presently in man or that he foresaw should be in man hereafter but it was of a free grace without any merit of man And therfore in his own time for the fulfilling of this decree of reconciliation hee sent his onely begotten sonne into the world to preach this word of reconciliation to the world So this word It hath pleased him excludes all merit and worthines in man and it lets thee see that that friendship was without thy merit yea to speake Merit it so against thy merit I know not a merit that thou hast but the merit of hell and damnation Come to the fourth circumstance who were they that were reconciled It is said It hath pleased him to reconcile all things The fourth circumstance And then in the end of the verse he laies this vniuersalitie in the parts of it All things both in heauen and earth This vniuersall particle All things extends not to all creatures yea it extends not to all reasonable creatures it extends not to the diuels no reconciliation with the diuell nor with the Angels that made that foule defection I tell you more it extends not to all men and women no reconciliation with the reprobate for euer they are in ranke with the diuell himselfe This reconciliation it extends then to the blessed Angels who haue stood from the beginning It extends to men and women not to all but to the chosen and elect ones from all eternitie Now there is no question of sinfull man All will graunt that man who was chosen to life howbeit before hee was an enemie to God yet now in time he is reconciled to him But all the question is about the blessed Angels that fell not from God How can it be said that they are reconciled to God Well I will not be curious if you will consider these blessed Angels in themselues Whether the elect Angels be reconciled to God by Christ or what benefit they haue by him apart from the bodie which is the Church indeede it is true they cannot properly be said to be reconciled because they were neuer at feud or enmitie with God for reconciliation as yee haue heard imports a feud but if you consider them in the bodie in a manner they may be said to be reconciled in the bodie for howbeit they be bound vp without the bodie yet they must euer be considered to be in the bodie and so in the bodie they get a new coniunction with God through the Lord Iesus Christ The estate of the blessed Angels before the comming of Christ it was this They hung as it were by the head to speake it so by a stitch as certaine members seuered from the body when Christ comes in he couples them together he makes man and Angell all vp together faster then euer they were before So to leaue this you may see the very blessed Angels who fell not from God they got a benefit by the Mediatour as man doth I say the blessednes of the Angels was not perfected till Christ came They were indeed blessed but they had not a firme blessing while Christ came who established their blessednes And therefore as it is said y e Abraham long before the Lord Iesus came into the world saw him and reioyced so the Angels they saw the Lord Iesus long ere he came and when he came they reioyced at his comming And it is said in 1. Pet. 1. 12. that it is their pleasure to looke in through that vaile to see and behold the Lord Iesus Thus much concerning the Angels Then the thing I note for our selues is this Will you marke what care God hath had of man God he would not perfect the blessednes of the Angels without man he would not giue them that blessing till Iesus Christ the man
the Mediatour came and ioyned them with man So you may see the care of God towards mankinde to haue been very great and very louing The Apostle to the Hebrues 11. vers 39. 40. comparing the old Church with the new saith That the Saints that suffered before they got not the thing promised because God had a respect to vs Euen so he did with the Angels hee would not giue them their full blessing without vs vile stinking sinners What regard is this that thy God should haue of thee Lastly I will speake this to thee that esteemes so little of the communion with the bodie of the Church O miserable creature vaine lowne thou shalt neuer bee blessed till thou bee ioyned with the Saints of God in the Church Vaine soule if thou be not ioyned with the bodie of Christ which is his Church thou shalt perish for euer thou shalt goe to hell I giue thee this doome Now followes the fift circumstance of this reconciliation The fift circumstance To whom is it made It is said to himselfe not to another It hath pleased him to reconcile all things to himselfe Then all blessednes is in that coniunction with God ioyne thy selfe with Blessednes wherein it consisteth him and thou shalt be blessed if thou be not ioyned with God thou shalt neuer be blessed seeke blessednes here and there yet no blessednes but with God The Angels haue no blessing but in that they are conioyned with God through the Lord Iesus Christ yea I tell thee the earth and the heauen haue no blessing but in that amitie and friendship with the creator O what vanitie is it to thinke thou hast any blessing without the coniunction with the creator But to speake of man thy reconciliation must be with the father with whom thou art at enmitie to whom thou wast an enemie whom thou offendedst therefore thy reconciliation must be with God Marke it a sinner sinne against whom he will slay and it were all the world in so doing he sinnes not so much against man as against God No no it is against God himself as Dauid saith Against thee O Lord haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight Psal 51. For sinne is the transgression of the law 1. Ioh. 3. 4. O foule butcher O oppressor and sacrilegious theefe Thou that dost any euill against a man thou dost it not so much against the In euery sin a man fighteth against God person of the man as against God himselfe that is in heauen and so man that sinnes must be reconciled with him because it is against God that the sinne is committed The creatures also that stood and fell not are at enmitie with thee for when thou wast enemie to God thou wast enemie also to the very creatures and God and the creatures were enemies to thee O well had it been for thee who art a Reprobate that thou hadst been made a stone when thou becamest an enemie to God through thy sinne for thou madest not onely God to be thy enemie but thou madest all the good creatures of God to be thy enemie the Sunne the Moone the Starres and firmament the Angels in heauen yea these very senceles things of the earth and the beast and the foule of the ayre the earth grones vnder thee and it would be quit of thee as of an enemie it will not binde vp friendship with thee if thou be an enemie to God So if thou be an enemie to God thou art an enemie to all the good creatures of God and they are enemies to thee but if thou be in band and coniunction with God the heauen and all the creatures will be friends to thee The enmitie and friendship that stands with any creature it depends vpon the feude and friendship with God so that if thou All the creatures in enmitie with all vnbeleeuers be at feude with God all the creatures will be at feude with thee and if thou be at friendship with him all the creatures will be thy friends Marke this well marueile not that the Sea should drowne thee and thy house smother thee that art at strife with God through thy villanous life wonder not it is a wonderfull thing that they that are at feude with God dares enter into a house or go out of it or venter on the sea But the consciences of men are so locked vp that they will not vnderstand nor feare this but the vaine sleeping lowne saies peace peace Oh but the iudgement comes with such a rattle about the eares of the lowne that hee cannot get once space to say God is mercifull Haue you not marked this in these bloudie murtherers and the rest Nay thou that criest peace to thy soule when thou art doing all the mischiefe and villanie thou canst and if thou goe on so the fierce wrath of God and terrible iudgement shall oppresse thee ere euer thou be aware of thy selfe Now followes the sixt poynt or circumstance to be considered in reconciliation By whom is it made There must be a mediator or else it cannot be made Indeed the first friendship was made without a mediator because man and woman they were created at the beginning holy without spot of sinne but at the making of the next friendship because of the offence there must needs be a mediator to passe betwixt thee and that fire that was readie to deuoure thee for thou thy selfe darest not appeare and sue for it immediatly for thou art not able to stand in the presence of that terrible God before whose face there goes a fearefull fire that would consume thee at an instance So there must be a Mediator It is true that the Father made this reconciliation of his free mercie and of a passing grace hee bare to mankinde Would to God wee had a sense of it but I tell thee this grace and mercie was deere bought it is not an easie thing to a sinner that hath violated so holy a maiestie to get accesse againe This mercie from whence this reconciliation comes it springs out of the Lord Iesus as a faire greene tree in a garden it springs out of the very bloud of the Mediatour the Lord Iesus For why the mercie could neuer haue been nor had place if the wrath and iustice of the Father had not bin satisfied with that bloud there could neuer haue been such a thing as mercie to the world if that bloud had neuer been shed and so say I this mercie and grace springs vp sweetly and gratiously out of the bloud of Christ So wouldest thou haue mercie lay hold on the bloud of Christ and as thou wouldest haue part in heauen rest neuer while thou finde that bloud sprinkled in thy conscience thy heart washed with it Now from whence comes this Mediatour how is he giuen to thee The father saith the Scripture loued the world Iohn 3. 16. So the Mediatour vpon whom this new band of mercie and grace riseth is giuē of
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
they had depriued themselues Ah woe to all false teachers and woe to them that doe depriue themselues of such an head and make the Pope their head But to come to the words he saith He holdeth not the head that is the false Apostle Then he subioynes whereof that is out of the which head the Lord Iesus through ioynts and bands the whole bodie is knit and compacted together and furnished Whereof it importeth not onely that Christ the head is the efficient and worker of all grace that comes to the bodie but more Christ the head of the Church that out of him as out of a storehouse and not elsewhere all grace and vertue doe flow vnto man So the word hath a great force for as out of the head of a man flow all the vertues mouing life and sense that is in the bodie take the head away no vertue is in the bodie euen so from this head the Lord Iesus to his mysticall bodie flow all power and mouing that the bodie that is his Church and euery member thereof hath Thou hast nothing but that that floweth from him Therefore the Apostle saith in him dwelleth all fulnes and againe in him are all treasures and againe in him dwelleth the Godhead bodily and againe in him wee are compleate To let you see that Iesus Christ is the storehouse of graces Goe thy way to heauen thou shalt not finde one iot out of thy head the Lord Iesus Thou shalt seeke all thy time and thou shalt not get a droppe without him Then he saith that by ioynts and bands the whole bodie is furnished not a part but the whole bodie and euery member neuer a one being excepted neither rich nor poore But to insist in the comparison euen as the whole bodie of a man and euery member of the bodie to the finger and toe sucketh vertue from the head and the head is powerfull to cause euery ioynt to liue it is euen so with this mysticall bodie There is neuer a member of this bodie but it receiueth some vertue from the head the Lord Iesus yea the silliest bodie of them all receiueth it owne grace and Iesus Christ is effectuall in euery one from the highest to the lowest If it be in the bodie it cannot want grace It is impossible that any that are in Christ Iesus can want grace but the Lord must be powerfull in them Runne then and ioyne thee with the bodie for if thou be not of this bodie I giue thee this doome thou Ioyne thy selfe with the Church if thou wilt be in Christ shalt neuer see grace nor get the spirit of Iesus which is the worker of this grace in Iesus 1. Cor. chap. 12. 7. he saith To euery one is giuen the manifestation of the spirit to profit withall And Ephes 4. 7. likewise he saith To euery one is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift This importeth that Iesus Christ is not onely full of grace but that there is such a varietie of grace in him that there is not onely one or two graces in him but he is full of varietie of graces There is not a member but he hath gotten a different grace I haue gotten mine thou hast gotten thine and euery one hath gotten his owne different grace So looke what varietie there is of the faces of men Varietie of graces in Christ. as great varietie there is of the graces of Christ and so there is no grace out of Christ seeke grace in him or els thou wilt neuer finde it To goe forward the first thing that euer commeth downe from the head to the bodie what thinke ye it to bee What is the first thing that commeth downe from the head of a man It is yee know the sinewes as the first thing for the head by them is bound to the bodie euen so the first thing that commeth from Christ he calleth it bands or ligaments that goe downe from him as from the head So that there is not a member of the bodie of Christ but there is a sinew a band comming from Iesus Christ the head to it Ye will aske what The bands which knit vs vnto Christ are these mysticall sinewes The first of them is the spirit of Iesus Christ God himselfe is the master sinew without that sinew thou shalt neuer bee conioyned with the head The second band is faith for when that spirit commeth he is not idle in the person in whom he is but hee worketh faith in him There is the other sinew whereby thou takest hold of him he taketh hold first of thee and then thou takest hold of him The third and last band is loue to thy neighbour a branch as it were striken out from faith where faith is loue will strike out from it as a branch striking out from the master sinew so these are the three bands The spirit entring into vs faith rising from vs and our loue rising from our faith whereby we mutually embrace one another I neede not to insist to proue by the Scriptures these points ye see in this Epistle chap. 3. 14. Loue is called the band of perfection Now brethren ye must know this moreouer euery one of these bands must extend to euery member There is not a member of Christs bodie but first he must haue the spirit of Iesus next faith and thirdly loue otherwise thou canst not be a member of Iesus Christ For if thou want but this loue which is the last thou canst not be one of Christs I say and affirme thou hast not the spirit nor faith and so art not conioyned with the head It is true that euery one hath his particular gift different from other but I assure you a man may not want one of these three Thou maist want the gift of tongues miracles and such others but thou must not want the spirit faith nor charitie Want what thou wilt and if thou haue not these three thou canst not stand in the bodie thou hast not to doe neither with Christ nor with his bodie therefore if thou hast the spirit faith and charitie and doest find thy selfe to haue them then thou maist be ioyfull Now to goe thorow after he hath set downe the bands he sets downe three effects that proceede from Christ by these Three effects proceed from Christ to euery member bands downe to the bodie The first effect is a furnishing of the bodie wherewith not with earthly furniture but with spirituall furniture otherwise it cannot stand For as when the bodie is knit with the head by sinewes and then downe through these sinewes as thorough certaine conduits doe flow vertue and power to the bodie cut off thy head thy bodie nor no member thereof hath any power to moue or stirre euen so this mysticall bodie being ioyned to Christ by these spirituall meanes the spirit faith and loue there commeth downe through these conduits to vs that water of life and that is
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
all the graces that are in the bodie that is a great benefit yea the graces that are not in thee thou maist challenge them being in thy brethren members with thee of one bodie Therefore enuie not any mans grace but challenge it as thy owne Euery one would haue al who is he or she that would not haue all graces and perfectiō But I shall teach thee how thou shalt be perfect Wilt thou stand vp thy self alone like an A per se A and say I wil not be in any mans Common and so seuer thy self frō the body I say thou shalt haue no perfection thou shalt be as a rottē branch cast into y e fire if thou were a King the Lord shall cause thee stinke and die in thine owne pollution Away with a proude headed lowne who cannot humble himselfe to creepe in to the bodie Then the way to be perfect is to seeke to the body for there euery member shall supplie thy want Thus for this faire peece of garment Loue or charitie Goe to the rest that followes The eight peece of this garment is set down in these words And let the peace of God beare rule in your hearts So the eight 8 The eight part of the garment of the nevv man peece of this garment is vnitie of minde concord followes vppon charitie for he that loues must be a peaceable man They will not be restles spirits full of enmitie and strife I will not insist much to speake of this peace onely this I call this peace nothing els but a sweete quietnes in the heart of man and woman together with amitie and concord with thy neighbour for when thy heart hath peace within thee then thy heart is in Peace vnitie with thy neighbour and therefore it is opposed to that restlesnesse of the affections of mens hearts Alas what pleasure canst thou haue when thy heart cannot rest within thee The peace of heart comes not of nature no no by nature thy heart is troubled and out of tune and all is vnruly reeling and rumbling within thee From whence comes it then Of grace that God giues in Iesus Christ If thou haue a pacified heart the Lord hath giuen it thee and therefore it is called the peace of God and it is not of one sort for there is a peace Note of the kinds of peace that is with God himselfe and that is the first peace there is another peace that is with thy neighbour The peace that thou hast with God is a pacified heart with God so that thy Peace with God heart is setled with him that it stirres thee not vp to enmitie against God When thou findest that thou art iustified by faith in Christ O the peace of heart that thou shalt haue with God! thou wilt appeare before his tribunall with boldnes Rom. 5. 1. For being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. The peace with man is a pacified heart with man when the affection is ioyned in loue with man This peace comes of the other for being at peace with God thou art at peace with all the world get once a setled heart towards God of necessitie Peace with man thou must be at vnitie and peace with all men O then begin at God! What is the cause of all these variances debates and al these slaughters It is the want of the peace with God O murtherer thou hast no peace with God thou hast nothing to do with God and therefore that wrath of God shall consume thee O murtherer when thou fightest with man thou hast to doe with the great God O restles spirit that canst not rest till thou haue bathed thy selfe in thy neighbours bloud thou art at warres both with thy selfe and with the great God who shall at one time or other meete with thee and plucke off all thy harnesse and then thou shalt neuer get peace nor rest Now to come to this peace that is with man that is spoken of here This peace it must beare rule in thee it must be a commaunder of thee She must sit ouer thee and hold downe thy foule affections when they are fighting within thee Where must she sit In thy heart and not in thy hand for oftentimes when thy hand will be hindred to murther thy heart will be persecuting thy neighbour to death therefore it must be in thy heart Now marke the order When hee hath required all good vertues at last hee requires peace Whereunto To be commaunder of thine affections This teacheth thee that except they be commaunded and put in order looke not that thou Affections must be cōmanded can doe any good turne in the world Canst thou who art disordred in thine affection doe any good to thy neighbour No therefore minde not to doe any good without this peace Then beseech the Lord that hee will put this peace in thy heart to put these affections into an order For when enmitie possesseth the heart what good canst thou doe Well is that bodie that can lie downe in peace with God and man Therefore aske the peace of God that thou maist rest in peace with thy selfe and liue in peace with thy neighbour O villaine thou that liest downe with anger and a restles affection and risest vp and goest out and stabst thy neighbour what disorder is in thee and what peace hast thou with God No thou art in rage with God himselfe when thine affections be not ruled with loue to thy neighbour and peace thou canst not haue with thy neighbour if thou haue not the first peace which is with God And so thou in bearing hatred against thy neighbour tellest plainly thou hast no peace with God and wanting this thou tellest plainly that thou art yet in thy sinnes and therefore vnder the wrath of God Now when hee hath exhorted them to this peace hee subioynes the argument To the which saith he ye are called in one bodie They who are in one bodie should liue in peace together An argument to moue vs to peace The first argument then is from our Christian calling It is a shame to a man not to be answerable to his calling if thou be called to such a thing why shouldest thou not doe it But aboue all a Christian man is called to this peace and therefore woe is to him in that great day if he bee one who hath wanted it Now take the lesson As ye see a man is called to be a member in any citie not to liue at variance or debate with his neighbours no no he is called to peace and to be a quiet man an vnquiet man is an euill neighbour a restlesse spirit a seditious and an vnpeaceable spirit is an euill neighbour euen so a man called to be a member in the citie of God in the kingdome of Christ for that is our calling he is called to be a quiet and peaceable body For saith the Apostle what is
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
to seduce and carrie men away from Christ could not so much preuaile as they doe Which I doe not meane onely of Iesuites and Seminarie Priests though I take them to be the most daungerous enemies of the Church but others both of corrupt life and corrupt doctrine also who hauing spued themselues by their euil dealing labour by running vp and downe in propounding poysonfull doctrine and bad example of life to leaue a miserable yea infectiue stinch behind them wheresoeuer they come These shuld the Church and Magistrates haue great regard to represse as on the other side to exalt the godly and faithfull But sith they are cold and carelesse both in the one and the other and wee know that God regardeth his owne vineyard let vs intreate him that is the Lord of the vineyard not onely to thrust foorth workmen into his haruest Matth. 9. but also to represse rouers and wanderers which seeke nothing but their owne bellies and the supplanting of the truth of doctrine and honestie of life which he vouchsafe to bring to passe euen for Christ Iesus his sake to whom be praise in the Church for euer Amen THE XL. LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 12 13 14. 12 Epaphras the seruant of Christ who also is one of you saluteth you striuing alwaies for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God 13 For this I testifie of him that he burneth in a great desire of you and of them of Laodicea and of them of Hierapolis 14 Luke the beloued Physition greeteth you and so doth Demas THe Apostle hauing begun to name some who saluted the Church of Colosse as you haue heard in some of the former verses holdeth on in these verses to doe the like and nameth particularly two or three as Epaphras Luke and Demas all which it is very probable if not certaine that they were Gentiles And two of them that is Epaphras and Luke he diuersly describeth contenting himselfe with the bare naming of Demas Touching euery one of them as they lie in the text Epaphras is the first he describeth him by diuers adiuncts as first that he was one of thē by which what he meaneth hath bin expounded alreadie when we treated of Epaphras commended the 9. verse of this chapter where Onesimus hath the same title giuen vnto him But the Apostle alleageth it here to tell them that euen in that respect hee should be the more deare vnto them and the better accepted of them notwithstanding that our Sauiour saith and we finde it euery where true in the world that a Prophet is not without honour but in his owne countrey and his fathers house Secondly hee is said here to be the seruant of Christ whom also he had mentioned before chap. 1. vers 7. where he is called a faithfull minister of Christ for the Colossians By which we may see that he hath this title of the seruant of Christ by reason of the speciall calling that God had committed vnto him in which he serued Christ by the preaching of his glorious Gospell Thirdly he is described by the earnest and continuall prayers that he powred foorth vnto God as on the Colossians behalfe as also from the hartie and vnfained affection that he bare to the Colossians and to diuers other faithfull people beside His continuall prayers are mentioned in the latter end of the 12. verse and his syncere heart is described in the 13. verse The second that the Apostle mentioneth here that greeteth Luke commended the Church is Luke whom the Apostle describeth here first by the vocation that he had and exercised before he was called to the office and function of the Ministerie in preaching or writing the Gospell of Christ that is he was a Physition Secondly that he was beloued vnder which terme hee is commended from that loue the Apostle caried towards him as a very Christian man and very familiar and inward with the Apostle So that hee signifieth that if they loued him himselfe they could not chuse but affect Luke because that the loue of Christs Apostle and the familiaritie that hee had with Luke could not but much commend him to the Church The third man mentioned is Demas who hath no title of commendation giuen vnto him here or elsewhere for ought I Demas know which to me may serue to argue that hee caried not himselfe so well as others did and that the Apostle had some suspition of him or else hee would not haue been so sparing And of all these the Apostle speaketh vers 14. But wee will treate of them seuerally as they lie in the text Concerning many of the termes or titles attributed to Epaphras we shall not neede to say much because they haue been sundrie times expounded alreadie Such as haue not been declared let vs somewhat deale with And first for his prayers three things are expressely marked therein by the Apostle First the manner that hee vsed therein contained in these Things obserued in the Apostles praiers words striuing alwaies meaning thereby earnestnes and feruencie in powring them foorth Secondly the persons for whom he prayed so heartily namely the Colossians who no doubt had great neede of that dutie comprehended vnder these termes for you Thirdly the very matter or grace hee prayed for as on their behalfe which was not light but graue and gracious expressed in these words that ye may stand perfect and complete c. When he expresseth the manner of his prayers by the word striuing we must not thinke that he meaneth any carnall combat or bodily conflict but such a one as was spirituall and had indeed hand to hand with the ghostly enemies of our saluation the world the flesh and the diuell Which as they are alwaies readie to hinder all the good motions of the spirit in our Hinderers of the praiers of the Saints minds so specially doe they exercise their force and their fraud in opposing against our prayers sometimes casting stumbling blockes in our waies to hinder vs from the doing of that duty as disturbing our passions and affections of loue hatred feare anger and such like and sometimes when they see that these will not preuaile to let or hinder our prayers they assay by all meanes to make them cold faint few and least by continuing our prayers wee should conceiue hope to be heard they set before vs one while our owne another while other mens sinnes for whom sometimes wee pray as for our selues All which things are not obscurely signified and set out in the third chapter of the prophecie of Zechariah vnder the person and practise of Iehashua the high Priest mentioned there and matters contained therein But what shall we doe content our selues with the knowledge of these things No that is discomfortable But wee must resist and striue against Weapons to withstand our spirituall enemies by being fenced
the father to the world and that in loue There is nothing in this new band but mercie vpon mercie mercie in the beginning mercie in the progresse and mercie in the end Indeede it is not without iustice and wrath but thou art spared and the iustice and wrath it strikes on the Mediatour so that that is iustice and wrath in the Mediatour it is mercie and grace to thee Nay he hath not spared his owne sonne yet he hath spared the stinking sinner Wilt not thou be thankfull for this benefit Well if there be not a sense of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ looke not for heauen I warne thee that art a King an Earle a Lord a Baron a subiect man wife lasse and lad if ye haue not a sense of this mercie of God in Iesus Christ ye shall neuer see heauen Now to come to the last circumstance after what manner is this reconciliation made with sinfull man The manner is set downe in these words making peace by his bloud shed on the crosse The father reconciles vs to himselfe after this manner by making peace with vs in the bloud of Christ Brethren when two men are at variance the third man will step in and intreate the person that is at variance with the other to be friends with him and he will obtaine it especially if he be an intire man But O that sonne of God! that deere and that welbeloued when he comes in it is not faire words it is not supplications that will doe the turne but him it behooued to go to suffer death and that dead stroke of hell that should haue lighted on me and thee and should haue brused vs euerlastingly he casts in his head and that stroke lights on him It cannot be holdē off thee by no other buckler but by his head and bloud shedding without bloud no remission Heb. 9. nay nay either shall thy bloud passe for it or els the bloud of the Mediatour O it is a terrible thing to haue to doe with the wrath of an infinite God! there is nothing can satisfie him but the precious bloud of his own deere sonne and no other death can satisfie him but a cursed death the death of the crosse a painfull death to be nailed quicke to a crosse It was the figure of the death of hell He was pained vpon the crosse with the paines of hell If he could not escape such a death who was an innocent how wilt thou who art a sinner escape that terrible death O what death shall abide thee if thou be not in him These words then teach vs two things first the greatnes of the enmitie that could not be remoued but by the bloud and execrable death of the Mediatour For if this enmitie had bin but a sillie and small feude what needed all this that the sonne of God should dye such a death Wherefore should all this adoe haue been wherefore should he haue suffered such extremitie So if there were no more to tell thee the greatnes of sin the death and the bloud of Iesus Christ shed on the crosse tels thee O sinne is great and yet the world will not heare it but the soule stinking sinner will wallow in it more and more O sinner sinne is foule and fearefull An euill thought is a great and terrible mountaine The first world had experience of this greatnes of sinne being without Christ Our Gentles in Scotland with the rest felt it I tell thee before this bloud came and the full time came there was nothing to hold off the dint of the wrath and stroke of God that that world found before the comming of Christ What was it a small matter to be an enemie to God was it a light thing to sinne No no for all that time before Christs comming for the greatest part God was doing no other thing but striking and hashing on sinners slaying her and slaying him Sinne raigned all the time to death saith Paul Rom. 5. in the end all perished and went to hell for the most part except some very few And I tell you this world thinkes there is no hell and very few get this grace for so long as that olde Tabernacle stoode few got entrie to grace So they miserable soules that lie now in torment they testifie and crie the horriblenes of sinne and O the preciousnes of the bloud that hath freed now the soules of men from sinne Now when he came into the world I put it out of question The calling of the Gentiles increased the number whereas one was saued before hundreds were saued after For Christ saith for once the bloud was shed men and women thronged into heauen Matth. 11. So all tels thee the blessednes of thy estate that hath fallen in this time If thou hadst any sense if thou wert sent out naked to begge thy meate thou art happie considering this time wherein thou art borne O the happines of this time when the bloud of Christ runnes abroad as a riuer to saue sinners but wee are blinded and as I said before that number is drawne in and beginning to be abridged and the force of the bloud is drawne in and begun to bee lessened and the force of faith is nothing now in respect of the former time of the Primitiue Church and daies of the Apostles and therefore as it began with a handfull so it shall end with a very handfull and blessed is that man that can striue to throng into heauen through this bloud of Iesus Now the Lord worke this in our hearts that as wee seeke for the kingdome of heauen so we may throng in at it through this bloud of Iesus To whom be praise and honour Amen THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 21 22. 21 And you which were in times past strangers and enemies because your mindes were set in euill workes hath he now also reconciled 22 In that bodie of his flesh through death to make you holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight THese daies past beloued in Iesus Christ wee haue heard a high description of the Sonne of God the Lord Iesus in the which he is painted out in a marueilous glorie In the last part of this description ye heard it was said that by him as the Mediatour it pleased the Father to reconcile to himselfe all things both in heauen and earth making the peace by the bloud of his crosse In the which words the Apostle turnes ouer vpon the whole Church that hee hath spoken of the sonne of God For all his glorie tends to the weale of his Church all to the reconciling of the Church with God the head in him as the Mediatour Now brethren in this text that we haue read vers 21. he applies this blessing of reconciliation to the Church of the Colossians in speciall And you also saith he hath he reconciled In the which words as before he turneth ouer
vnto thy soule when thou art ioyned to him by faith He must haue vertue and power to giue thee whereby thou maist be able to die or to liue Now brethren if there were no more but these effects to flow from Iesus into vs it telleth vs plainly that there was neuer giuen such a power to any in heauen or earth as there was giuen to Iesus Christ man our Regeneration head It telleth that as hee is man so is he God Looke if thou haue regeneration in thee and thou shalt feele this to be true if wee haue it it will tell vs that Iesus Christ is the neerest to me and thee of all others There is none that will make thee to die with them but Christ only no thy father and mother will not be able to doe that none will draw thee after him in death and life saue onely Christ So if thou be ioyned with Christ it is impossible to separate thee from him as thou maist be from thy wise and children and the deerest things thou hast no no if thou be once ioyned to him as thy head there is no separation for thee he shall be all things to thee Now this much for the first argument the exhortation followeth If ye be risen with Christ saith he seeke those things which are aboue There is an action required and life and euery kind of life must haue an action otherwise it cannot be a life The naturall life must haue an action the earthly life must haue an action Then this heauenly life that we are risen to with Iesus it must haue an action otherwise it cannot be a life Note Thou that art quickened with him must be a doer otherwise thou hast not his life for as his life is the quickest thing that is or euer was for it is the life of God so it must haue the quickest action that is This action is first a seeking with the whole hart and all the affections and members of the bodie There is the first action seeking Euery life ye know seeketh for the things VVhat the spirituall life of Christ workes in his members that serue for the sustaining of it This naturall life that perisheth so long as it abideth it is occupied in seeking for the maintenance of it by night and by day by al meanes possible Should not then this heauenly life haue a seeking Shouldest thou sit when thou seest this man catching here and there seeking for the maintenance of this naturall life Wilt thou not take an example of these earthly things and earthly creatures to seeke for heauenly things to the confirmation and preseruation of thy spirituall life O if thou hadst a sparke of heauenly life thou wouldest seeke more earnestly for the entertainment of it then euer any creature did for the maintenance of this naturall life Well then by the example of these earthly things that are occupied in seeking for the meanes of this present life learne thou to seeke spirituall graces and say to the Lord O Lord grant that I may seeke heauen and heauenly things for the preseruation of this my spiritual life as al these earthly bodies seeke for these perishing things Now come to the things that they should seeke Seeke saith he what nothing beneath meate drink and the rest of these things No what should they seeke Things aboue in heauen that are in Iesus Christ O the fulnes that is in him Brethren all grace first is in heauen yea aboue these visible heauens where that glorious bodie is then it commeth downe to the earth Therefore he sendeth thee vpward to heauen for to seeke Ye know euery kind of life seeketh things proper and meete for such a life The life of a beast will seeke for that that is proper for the life of a beast the life of a tree for that that is meete for such a life and the life of a man for such things as are meete for the life of a man Euery life will seeke for things which serue for the preseruation of it euen so if thou hadst this life of God thou wilt seeke things proper for this life Thou wilt seek things from heauen because heauenly things are proper for such a life For heauenly things are proper for an heauenly life Iesus Christ after his death and buriall or euer his bodie was in heauen the heart of him was in heauen So if thou haue the life of Iesus of necessitie thy heart must goe to heauen for looke whither his heart went if thou bee risen with him of necessitie thy heart must goe thither and by thine action measure thy life in Iesus for if thou haue not a heart to heauen and heauenly things alas thou hast not the life of Iesus but if thou haue it thou wilt euer be seeking for heauenly things and then in some measure thou art in heauen Then to conclude this first exhortation and first argument thereof in a word and so to come to the second argument If there were nothing more to moue thee to seeke after heauen and heauenly things but this spirit of regeneration the life of the spirit in Iesus Christ it should lift thee vp to heauen as heauie as thou art For it is true thou art a lumpe but if thou haue the spirit if thou werst neuer so heauie he will raise thee and giue thee strength to flie vpward though the body be neuer so clogged If thou haue a sparke of that life it will cause thee to mount aloft Indeede this bodie will draw thee downe and must doe so yet bee assured if thou haue one sparke of that spirituall life it will raise thee vp when the other is pulling thee downe and in the end when mortalitie is so shaken off of thee then in a wonderfull manner the bodie shall be lifted vp and that soule and bodie of thine shall be glorified Therefore marke euer this life by the effect if thou findest thy heart in heauen and heauenly things say thou hast the life of Iesus but on the contrarie if thou finde not thy heart set A true note of the life of God in vs. on heauen and seeking for heauenly things thou hast not to doe with the life of Iesus and woe be to thee for euermore When thou risest in the morning if thou findest thy heart vpward O thou risest with ioy therfore neuer rest till thou hast Eph. 4. 18. gotten the life of God Lord make vs carefull to haue a sense of this life without the which there is no glorie nor ioy for the soule of any person liuing Now to come to the next argument which is taken from Christ himselfe and the place where hee is Seeke saith he those things that are aboue where Christ is As if he would say Christ is aboue that glorified bodie with all the spirituall graces and that fulnes is aboue yea aboue these visible heauens Therefore let thy heart goe where he is let it be lifted vp