which faith layeth hold on onely CHRIST IESUS this is the only matter that Faith claspeth for righteousnesse before God and life everlasting So God loved the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish but have life everlasting He is lifted up as the brazen Serpent that eying Him crucified we might be healed Rom. 3.25 Him hath GOD set forth for a reconciliation through faith in his bloud True it is the same saving faith beleeveth all that is set downe of GOD in the Scripture all particular promises for the passing of this life for these distinct offices doe not make three distinct faiths in us as the reasonable sensitive and naturall functions doe not make three soules in man but one whose effects are three-fold Neverthelesse Faith though it lay hold of all truth as it is taught yet so farre forth as it justifieth it buildeth and leaneth it selfe on Christ onely like as the Israelites they with their eyes did see divers things and looke on sundry objects as occasion served but so farre as they got themselves healed of the stings of firy serpents they looked with their eyes at nothing but the serpent lifted up To rebuke the worldlings faith Vse 1 which is grounded not on CHRIST crucified but such a mercy in GOD as is generally so good that it will save all The Papists their faith is grounded on their good workes with CHRIST and on the treasury of merits and satisfaction but the Arke and Dagon wil not stand together CHRIST and this stubble will not agree Wee may trie the truth of our faith this way Vse 2 it layeth hold on CHRIST Eph. 3 17. Phil. 3.3.7 bringeth Him to dwell in the heart rejoyceth in Him counteth all things drosse in comparison of Him Toward whom our love especially must be shewed Obs 2 to Saints Gal. 6.10 Rom. 12.13 Doe good to all especially to the houshold of Faith Distribute to the necessities of the Saints My good reacheth to the Saints Psal 16. all my delight is in them All in their order are to have the fruits of our love but those most who are nearest us as in nature every one is next himselfe then next to such as are of his bloud in neerest degree or otherwise made one body with him as the wife with the husband Thus in grace after GOD and our owne soules the Saints are neerest us as who are by faith and love fellow-members knit to CHRIST the Head of us all Againe a wise man will sow his seed in the best ground which will returne it with most increase So a Christian will sow the fruits of his love chiefly on the Saints for GOD taketh that which is done to them as done to Himselfe Againe this love of the brethren the Saints is a token we are translated from death to life for as this is a token the world doth not know GOD and so have not life everlasting in them because they know not His children So it is an evidence when we acknowledge such as are begotten of GOD that God hath brought us to know him who is the begetter of them To stirre us up to our duties Vse 1 our eyes should be to them that are faithfull our affections with them Birds of a feather will fly together good fellowes love one another And shall not the fellowship of grace in those that are members of one body whereof CHRIST is the Head knit the Saints together in the strongest band of love This rebuketh the weaknesse of some Vse 2 they are afraid to give any countenance to a Saint though like Nicodemus they have some good affection and liking to the godly yet they dare not be seene to hold any neere communion and familiar converse with such lest they should be thought Puritanes and favourers of men in disgrace with the State Blessed is he that is not offended at CHRIST in His poore members This rebuketh the prophanenesse of othersome Vse 3 who as the Philistims brought out Sampson when they would be merry So out must some Saint come and beare their flouts and derision when they are more pleasantly disposed Ismaeliush mockers of Isaak Yea others worse than the former hate the Saints wish there were not one in a towne of them like Cain who hated his brother to death because his workes were better than his It is an evidence of a godly heart to cleave more affectionately to those who are more godly than other And it savours of a carnall heart in a great measure when any one doth equally impart his favour If any have points of service and can apply themselves to their humour though they have small acquaintance with GOD they shall be countenanced this maketh their religion linsey-woolsey this confirmeth the hands of such in their carnall course this maketh those that are good more remisse than they should be should they finde from Christians better incouragement Davids delight was in the Saints Psal 16.3 Ps 101.6 he did purge his family of such as were unprofitable and gracelesse he set his heart on such as did set their hearts to please GOD in all things not such as could get the length of his foot were precious in his eyes Can a loyall wife take pleasure in such men who are observant and officious about her but devoid of all respect to her husband Are your soules betrothed to GOD in CHRIST and can you abide their service about you who are carelesse in dutie toward your LORD with whom you are by faith contracted this shewes there is but a forme of godlinesse or that it is much decayed when wee can like of men not as wee see them sincerely serve GOD but as their behaviour is more or lesse pleasing and contentful to our selves VERSE 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven whereof ye heard before in the Word of truth the Gospell FOr the hope Hope is put for the quality of hope or the thing hoped for we are to take it here in the latter sense Observe hence Obs 1 What is a spurre quickning us to all duty the recompence which our GOD hath in store for us Heb. 11.25 26. Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of GOD then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of CHRIST greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt for he had respect unto the recompence of reward We faint not knowing that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. If the Lord kept nothing in store for us we might thinke as good play for nothing as worke for nothing but no office of love no not a Cup of cold water shall goe unrequited How doth this provoke to obedience but we must not hence thinke wee merit and grow mercenary minded serving for our Penny not of love to our Father for we looke not at these hopes this recompence of reward as
not looke upon them GOD will vouchsafe no such priviledge unto them because they are poore blind and naked But I say for that cause receive Him and take Him for that end He is offered therefore when the Lord convinceth the Church of Laodicea thou art wretched poore blind and naked then I counsell thee to buy of mee eye-salve that thou maist see and white rayment that thou mayst be clothed Say not Christ is not myne I dare not apply Him because I am a sinner indeede if thou hast a purpose to goe on in sinne thou must not venture to apply Christ But if thou be humbled in the sight of thy own unworthinesse and doest account it the greatest favour of GOD to be freed from sinne thou hast good warrant to receive Christ thus offered for so the LORD IESUS doth invite poore sinners Mat. 11.28 Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavy loaden and I will ease you It may serve to teach us Vse 3 by way of examination to try whether we have received Christ or not To receive Christ is a thing done with the whole heart It was a question which the Apostles were woont to put when they received any man to be baptized Acts 8. Doe you believe with your whole heart as Philip said to the Eunuch It must be a receiving of Christ with the whole soule 2 True faith apprehends Christ such a Saviour as the spirit of God in Scripture setteth Him out to be Hebr. 7.25 a perfect Saviour who is perfectly able to save all that come to Him through faith As He alone trod the wyne-presse of Gods wrath So He alone worketh our salvation This the Apostle presseth because of the false Apostles that were crept into the Church they would graunt that Iesus Christ the Sonne of Mary was the true Christ in whom the Iewes and Gentiles should trust yet they would have something else to be joyned with him they would have Moses joyned with Christ and the Law with the Gospell in the matter of salvation against which the Apostle much laboureth and to settle their hearts onely upon Christ excluding all other causes and things from having any hand or share in being meritorious causes of mans salvation 3 All is not done when the judgement is informed that Christ is the onely Saviour and a perfect Saviour without any act of ours concurring to merit salvation there is another thing to be added which must fasten upon the affections Christ must be received with the whole heart not onely with the understanding but the will and affections the whole soule must incline to it thus to rest onely upon Him to prize Him onely for Himselfe faith fixeth upon the person of Christ and takes all other things as consequents deduced from that which is in Christ So the joy of a Christian the delight of a Christian the love of a Christian should bee fixed onely upon Christ 4 There is yet another thing to be done to receive whole Christ into the whole heart is to receive Christ in all His offices Ioh. 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life He is our way He is our Peace-maker so He is our Priest He is the truth as He is our Prophet to leade us into all truth and He is our life as He is our King and mighty Lord to worke effectually in the hearts of all that shall be saved Take Him thus expect not onely peace by Him but truth also nor knowledge of the truth onely but life also and ability to walke in obedience to that truth thus you must receive whole Christ not only as a Saviour to free you from the wrath of God but also as a Lord and King to rule over you and to guide you Hereby you may know whether you have received CHRIST or not 2 Marke hence Doct. That true beliefe on Christ must have with it perseverance and a life obedient unto Him A true believer on Him must be a constant believer and a good liver in Him for to walke in Christ is every where to converse as those who must in all things acknowledge Him As Christ is the author and object of our faith so He must be the Soveraigne commander the chiefe worker the end of all those workes which I walke in and occupy my selfe about through my whole life But the phrase is worth the opening 1 It signifieth as much as to doe all we doe after the rule and command of Christ the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after CHRIST verse 8. He is our onely law giver we are in all things to heare Him and to attend His pleasure not stirring without His warrant 2 It signifieth continuing in Him in faith on Him to which Hee hath brought us not to recoyle or give in 3 To walke in Christ is to set before our eyes His glory as the white we shoote at in all our affaires great and small Whatsoever you doe doe all to the glory of GOD and so of Christ I count not my life deare that I may fulfill the ministery which the Lord Iesus hath given me whether in my wits or out c. I am to the Lord. And what is more equall when a woman hath married a man must she not live to Him alone Is she to be commanded by others Is shee not to seeke to please him to obey him honour him in all things with feare How much more meet is it that we being by the hand of faith contracted to our Lord should live to Him And as a woman new married must not start but for better or worse continue where her faith is plighted So must we having given our faith not goe backe from Christ our husband that hath bought us deare and given us in joynture heaven it selfe Wherefore this must both admonish us of our duties Vse and be applyed to convince such as say they believe in Christ but live not in Him looke not to His will deny not themselves seeking for His strength labour not to set forth His glory Nay they are at the command of men what such and such like of is their ten commandements yea walke in the flesh in obeying the lusts of their owne hearts following their owne corrupt mindes and affections and the examples of others like themselves O wretch hart thou not ashamed hast thou the face of an honest man and wouldst thou not blush to take a woman to thee and make no conscience of following every trull and leaving her so as she scarce from the beginning of the weeke to the end comes into thy thoughts thus thou servest thy husband Christ Observe lastly Doct. That our good beginnings must be a bond unto us to make good proceeding Have you begunne saith Saint Paul in the spirit and will you end in the flesh have you suffered so many things in vaine So he exhorteth Timothy even from this that hee had beene brought up in the Scriptures of a child and
rule over you The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is borrowed from those who sit as judges of sports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as when there is running of tilt before the King there is some that sit by with white wands or staves who marke how every one breaketh and hits according as the law of the sport requireth and therafter give sentence with or against the Champions So we must remember that Prayer is a spirituall wrastling with God for the due manner of it it is to be done in all humility through Him who is our Mediatour to God this is a law of this heavenly wrastling the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the recompence of this strife is that God beareth us and will give us what we aske in the Name of His CHRIST Now these false seducers take upon them as judges in this case and determine against the Colossians that they did not strive or serve GOD in humility neglecting to worship Angels and to use them as intercessors to GOD and in this regard did make all their wrastling in vayne judging from them their reward because this law was neglected by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Willing that is at His pleasure it is fitliest reduced to that former Now followeth the difficulty In humility and worship of Angels These words may have as I conceive a threefold accommodation 1 They may note instruments wherewith those false Apostles seduced and the matter whereupon they grew thus censorious Let none deprive you of your reward or take upon him to judge you through humblenesse of minde 2 The second sense they may be joyned with the words following thus Let none at his pleasure play the judge over you entering into things he neve saw through shew of submission and through worship of Angels The third sense These words may signifie the matter as I have noted in which they judged Christians defective and therefore seeking in vaine to GOD thus Passe not you nor yeeld not to the sentence of any who doe condemne you in humility that is as wanting humility and in worship of Angels that is judge against you as not using any mediation of Angels or intercession to them The first opinion I admit not for these Reasons 1 As hee said above Let none seduce you by Philosophie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so he would here have used the same particle rather than another 2 I see not how a fained humility is fitly made a ground or pretence of usurping judiciall authority 3 The Greekes put little difference betwixt this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the simple is here put for the compound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did note there the matter about which their censure was occupied The second interpretation I like not neither 1. Our common Prosodie dis-joyneth them making the former part of the sentence all one Complexum 2. Shewing the meanes and ground of their going into things they never saw he telleth us it was their being puffed up with fleshly wisedome Wherefore with best correspondence this noteth out the matter as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the former Verse the matter I say in regard of which the false teachers condemned them because herein they were not conformable to themselves Now to the Doctrines Marke first Doct. That false teachers are led with a spirit of arrogancie which maketh them usurpe judgement over others This was apparant in the Scribes and Pharisies who judged of CHRIST and His doctrine as a seditious noveltie who excommunicated all that would professe His Name Thus the wise Gentiles judged the Gospell to be nothing but folly This having alwayes been the practice of lewd hereticall spirits to speake evill of things they know not Iude v. 10. And herein the Papists excell who challenge to their Pope fulnesse of power to determine of truth impose lawes to accurse all that come against his determination in matter of religion to translate Crowns to open and shut Heaven and all at their pleasure But you will say Object Doth not the true Church take upon her to condemne doctrines which if shee doe how can this be made an hereticall guise She doth Answ but ministerially pronouncing that condemnation which shee heareth the Scripture passe of this or that as contrary to Gods truth before her but it is otherwise with these erroneous spirits who out of their owne hearts or selfe-willed pleasures doe passe sentence against that they receive not Let them not at pleasure beare rule over you This is the property of the naturall man hee will take upon him to judge and condemne whatsoever doth not agree with him much liarning makes thee madde said Festus to Paul and doe not carnall men account those that walke more conscionably than themselves proud hypocrites schismatickes seditious persons what not For looke as fooles and distracted persons will have a fling at every thing which doth not humour their crazed phantasies whence we say A fooles bolt is soone shot So here c. This may serve further to informe us touching the manner of carnall men Vse that it is their kinde to breake out in this manner and therefore we must not be dismayed when we suffer it at their hands A second thing may here be added that the Apostle giveth them such a caveat againe and againe Let none condemne you Let none take upon him as a judge over you for in repeating these He doth not only shew our duty above noted Doct. but bewrayeth our softnesse and pufillanimity which doth make us subject too much to take to heart such sinister judgements A quicke horse need not be spurred and if we were not prone to yeeld too much in this nature hee need not againe and againe to dehort us Even as children though they know and conceive things aright yet great words facing downe the contrary and calling them children and fooles to thinke thus doe so amate them that they cannot tell what to say So we through childish weaknesse the things which wee have truly learned and quietly alone have received them into perswasion when wee heare others cry them downe condemn them as heresie schisme call us reprochful termes for holding them we let it sinke so with us that wee cannot tell what wee may thinke of the matter Seeing then there is such infirmity in us Vse let us arme our selves against it Shall we let the sentence of carnall men shake us in things we have learned of GOD Why they know not these things that they condemne them of folly falshood wickednesse should confirme us in the contrary A little childe come to any understanding so farre as to know a foole by his habit as his motley coat his woodden dagger if twenty such should say any thing against that he thinketh he would not beleeve it but would say these are fooles I know them well enough So if you doe but know naturall men of corrupt mindes by their outward fruits never be
withdrawen from CHRIST So that as a Wife yeelding her love and conjugall benevolence to another cleaveth no longer to her husband is one flesh no more with him So a soule bestowing the religious adoration of it here or there doth joyne it selfe with the thing so worshipped and leaveth God This is to be marked against them that are reconcilers Vse 1 that thinke why may they not doe thus and thus and yet cleave to CHRIST well enough yea this doth detect the wicked judging of Papists that will perswade us that this leadeth us unto CHRIST to go to Saints and that honouring them in religious manner we honour Christ in them 2 We must keepe onely to God in Christ Thus much from this that these religiously worshipping Angells held not Christ For understanding the verse We must open some conclusions concerning the head and Naturall body 1 The head is the supreame part in a humane body from which commeth outward direction and inward influence of sense and motion into every member So Christ hath both the soveraignty of outward directing and by his powerfull influence he quickeneth and mooveth all that are his 2 No member hath any thing from the head which is not by joynts and sinewes coupled to the head and by the same bands and joynts furnished from the head So we have nothing from CHRIST till by faith and love we are knit with Him and His body and by the same 〈◊〉 furnished from Him with spirituall grace and heavenly nutriment 3 We must know that the soule from the head doth 〈◊〉 forth a nutritive faculty a vitall faculty which nourisheth and augmenteth every member as the nature of it requireth The first continueth as long as life augmentation till wee come to that perfection of growth which nature affordeth Being come to this augmentation ceaseth about thirty sixe yeares So the quickning spirit from Christ our head doth by all holy meanes nourish every believer and make him grow as his condition requireth and that till he come to be a perfect member of one perfect man in Iesus Christ 4 The last thing to be marked is that a Naturall body groweth up in every part proportionably the hand for a hand the legge with the growth of a legge the toe with the growth of a toe So here all the body thus coupled furnished and wrought upon with the quickning spirit groweth to that perfection in every member which Christ hath appointed The summe is They keepe not to Christ who is an all sufficient head by whose efficacy all that believe on Him being coupled to Him receive all grace needfull and take encrease growing up till they come to perfection with such a growth which God Himselfe causeth in them That wee have not many but one head Doct. not holding the head not Christ and Saint Peter the Scripture knoweth but one head neither was any of His Apostles a head of the Churches for all had alike and the chiefe authority Now if any were a head above others He must have the chiefe alone no other having it with Him thus the Pastor that succeeded Peter at Rome should have beene head over Saint Iohn the Evangelist who lived long after Peter But we neede no better argument then this in the Text. If CHRIST be one head and it is monstrous for a body to have two then the Church hath no other But CHRIST is the head and for one body to have two is monstrous therefore the Church hath no other then Christ The Papists say that a ministeriall and secondary head may be with a principall and it is not monstrous As there may bee a Viceroy under a King yea they say it maketh with the union of the Church to have a visible head and doth no more derogate from Christs glory in being our head then when men are called lights GODS Apostles foundations from Christ who is called the light GOD the foundation the Apostle of our profession For answer First this distinction of a secondary ministeriall head it is contradictory for it is such an essentiall property of a head to be principall and have rule that what is not thus is not a head 2 Who ever heard of any secondary head in a naturall body without deformity now it is a naturall body with which CHRIST doth compare Himselfe in this respect 3 That which is a ministeriall head must doe the worke of a head but that none can doe The worke is double internall or externall influence regiment or direction Of the first it is granted for the other of regiment the Scripture denyeth it to any but CHRIST the Prince of Pastors leaving to all other a power ministeriall onely to serve the Churches as superior unto them Againe the truth is no direction which is dependent is the direction of a head as the hand leading and drawing up the foote directeth it but is not a head to it because the direction of the hand commeth from the principality of the head reported unto it As for those instances First a Viceroy is in a body politique but CHRIST in calling Himselfe a head of his body doth draw the comparison from a body Naturall Againe the proportion is not kept for to have a Viceroy under a King in some Province is one thing but to have a head under a head is another For a head is to the body as a King to the kingdome Now to have another King in a kingdome under the Chiefe is a thing unheard of The union of the Church the Scripture teacheth to depend on CHRIST and His spirit not on a visible head Yea the Grecians continew to this day their rent from the Church and all for the pride of this head Men have many names properly attributed to them and these above repeated but improperly but the names of head and husband the Scripture and all sound antiquity appropriate unto Christ Kings may suffer men to be called Noble Wise Rich but to be called Kings within His Kingdome is not permitted for there is nothing more derogatory from the glory of his Crowne so here c. Let us then cleave to this head CHRIST IESUS Vse and renounce such most lewd usurpation as is detected in the Pope Woe to that body which hath a third thing thrust in betwixt the head and it so that they meete not to close each to the other So it is with the Papists for betwixt Christ and them the Pope hath thrust in so that their immediate conjunction with Christ is hindered and his beneficiall influence intercepted Oh how absurd is it that any but Christ should bee thought head of the Church It is as if the King should put his Queene under the power of a Subject or a mans wife should be made an underling to a servant which never was the Apostles themselves though in their message from Christ they might command the Church in His Name yet in regard of their persons they were under the Churches as a servant who