Church of Laodicea acquainted therewithall The reason why he would haue this Epistle communicated with the whole Church both of Colosse and Laodicea was the great profit which it containeth in it by meanes wherof it might profit all the faithfull euen vnto eternall life From whence wee may gather that it is not enough that Pastors Teachers Elders and others know the holie Scriptures wherof this worthie Epistle of Pauls is an excellent part but that they must of necessitie acquaint common Christians and all faithfull people therewith And therefore are the Church-Rulers bound to reade them both publikely and priuately and must propound and interpret them in the assemblies of the congregation yea must turne them into vulgar tongues that so the common people may reade them and vnderstand them and in a word they must carefully prouide that that booke may not be to the common people as if it were a book closed and shut vp into which no man must looke but they alone But how farre are the Doctors of the Popish Church from this holie minde They forbid lay men as they call thē from reading the holie Scriptures yea they strictly enioyne that translations of the vulgar tongues should not bee vsed Wherein what greater furtherance can they giue to the kingdome of Satan who knowing how needfull the Scriptures are to saluation doth wholy by himselfe and his supporters striue vnto this and laboureth nothing more then to hinder the scriptures from comming into mens hands or once appearing in their sight Another thing worthie obseruation is this that though Pauls Epistles as almost all the rest of the bookes of the holie Scripture were written to some certaine Church or to some certaine person that yet notwithstanding they doe indifferently appertaine to all Christians because they containe in them a perpetuall doctrine and such as is common for all Christians and were no lesse committed to writing for our instruction and comfort then for theirs to whom they were namely written For looke what the Apostle said touching the bookes and writings of the Prophets Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoeuer things were written before hand were written for our learning that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might haue hope that same may wee affirme of all the holie Canonicall bookes of the Bible and the rather because the holie Ghost saith Euery Scripture giuen by diuine inspiration is profitable to teach to rebuke to correct and to instruct in righteousnes c. 2. Timoth 3. 16. And why should we doubt of it sith they come all from one God were penned and indited by one spirit and tend all to one end the glorie of God either in pledging vp saluation to them that are appointed to euerlasting life or damnation to them that are put apart against the day of wrath But it followeth in the text And that ye likewise reade c. This is the second speciall point wherein he commandeth the Colossians to reade that epistle which was written frō Laodicea What this epistle was it is very hard to determine we may with some probabilitie and without any impietie say that though it were not such a one as Paul himselfe wrote yet that it is likely yea more then that certaine that he approoued of it or else he would neuer haue had it read from whomsoeuer it came or was written to himselfe whether it were from the whole Church of Laodicea or from the pastor of the said Church yet he tooke the reading of it to be necessarie for the Colossians because the state of the neighbour Churches was not vnlike theirs From whence also wee may obserue that though the holy Scripture be abundantly sufficient for the establishing of the points of Christian religion and for framing and fashioning vs to holie life and that nothing be wanting therein that is necessarie to sound doctrine and to true sanctitie that yet it is profitable and that euen to edification to reade good mens holy writings though they be of farre different authoritie from the word of God For if we may be edified and builded vp by gracious and good speeches which do proceede from the faithfull members of Christ and also may be aduanced in goodnes by their holie life both which cases are plaine in the holie Scriptures and euen in the Apostles owne epistles why should not also their holie writings agreeing with the word of God tend also in some sort to our godly edification And therfore as men are and ought to be sharply reproued for that they neglect to reade the holy Scriptures or word of God so are they also much too blame for neglecting to reade good and holie books Wherein I marueile what men can alleage for themselues that can allow themselues so much time and leisure to pursue profits and pleasures yea to follow sinne and haue no spare houre to be occupied in reading of Gods holy word and other good workes Surely all that they can say for themselues is but figge leaues and neither will giue peace to our owne hearts nor stand vs in stead before God and good men He addeth in the 17. verse And say vnto Archippus c. This is the third speciall point that he chargeth the Church withal and it concerneth the admonishing of Archippus or putting of him in minde touching his dutie It should seeme that hee Archippus what he was was a minister or a preacher of the Gospell in the Church of Colosse and was a collegue as we may say with Epaphras who was then at Rome with Paul Whereupon also in Pauls epistle to Philemon vers 2. he is called Pauls fellow souldier that is to say his fellow labourer and helper in preaching of the Gospell of Christ But whatsoeuer he was it is very probable that he was somewhat slacke and negligent in doing his dutie and therefore he willeth yea he commaundeth the Church to admonish and put him in minde thereof From whence wee may obserue that it is a part of the Churches dutie when it seeth any of the ministers or officers thereof either not sufficiently The Churches dutie towards the negligent diligent or any whit slacke in accomplishing of their calling and charge to admonish them and call vpon them for greater care and more conscience in the faithfull performance thereof And good reason for if priuate men as members may yea ought to admonish one another and prouoke to good workes whilest it is called to day then the bodie of the Saints may as well doe it to the priuate members yea and publike ministers and officers thereof if you will vnlesse you will say either that they cannot faile in doing their dutie or auerre that mens places exempt and free them from other mens charitable ouer sight and carefull admonitions Yet in this there must be great respect had namely that it be done with such reuerence and modestie as becommeth the flock towards their pastor whom Cautions to be obserued in the Churches admonishing of
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
principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse WE insist yet brethren on the description of God and of the effectualnes of his power Ye haue heard that he is described from his effects the workes that hee hath wrought The first effect and worke in which chiefly the effectualnes of his strong power vttred it selfe was the raising Coherence of Iesus Christ from the dead not by remitting him any sinne that he had done because he neuer sinned but simply he raised him by his power The second effect is the raising of the Colossians and generally of the Gentiles when they were dead in sinne and in that vncircumcision of the flesh But how by forgiuing them their sinnes for there is no life nor quickening of thee but by the remission of thy sinnes First that guiltines must be taken away before euer that spirit of life enter into thee The third effect that wee entred into the last day and now this day wee shall finish it by Gods grace and it is the quickening of the Iewes who had also as great neede to be quickened as the Gentiles had And Paul confesseth his owne miserie and wants naming himselfe among the rest But how by putting away the handwriting that was against them for besides the guiltines of sinne they had subscribed to their own guiltines for so oft as they vsed the ceremonies of the Law so often did they subscribe to their owne condemnation So that before they could be quickened it behooued that this handwriting should be scraped out It standing there was no forgiuenes to them so their life is by taking away of this handwriting But to proceede the last day we opened these words Hauing put away the handwriting of the ordinances that was against vs That is to say hauing put away the rites and ceremonies of the Law for Christ by his death abolished them all the which rites were as an obligation or handwriting subscribed by the Iewes against themselues sealing the guiltines of death and damnation for sinne Now to goe forward in the text as it followeth as God will giue grace Immediatly after these words marke euery word for they haue weight hee subioyneth which was contrary to vs he repeateth it againe but hee tooke it out of the way that is the handwriting of rites that was contrarie to vs and made not for vs the Lord Iesus took it out of the way It lay in our way and it was a sure stumbling blocke to vs and we were not able to remoue it nor to take it out of the way but yet the Lord Iesus hee taketh it out of the middest of the way So ye see there is nothing but a repeating of that that was spoken before howbeit in other tearmes he said before which was against vs now hee saith which was contrarie to vs al is one in effect Repetition of a thing is not without cause for the holy spirit neuer speaketh any word in vaine Thou and I may often spend words idly but the holy spirit cannot waste one iot or sillable The cause of this repetition is Paul cannot forget the thing that he and the rest had done against themselues and that that Christ did for them O if thou remembredst the benefits of God once telling thē ouer would Repetition not idle in Scripture not serue thy turne and it learneth thee neuer to forget that that thou hast done against thy selfe and that which Christ hath done for thee By that that thou hast done thou had dest beene vndone if this that Christ hath done had not beene done Besides this it serueth for the greater certaintie of that that was done He will force an assurance into thee both that thou hast subscribed to thy owne death and also that Christ hath taken away thy subscription that thou shouldest not doubt Woe to that vaine doctrine of doubting and woe to Doubting the doubting Doctors The dolts will bid thee doubt whether Christ hath taken away that subscription woe to such Doctors If wee will marke the words ye shall see an opposition that that thou hast done Iew or Gentile it is against thy selfe that that Christ hath done is for thee This lets thee see not only the Iew but the Gentile that thou art more beholding to Christ then to thy selfe thou subscribedst against thy selfe and if the Lord proceede vpon thy handwriting thou shalt certainly dye But Iesus Christ hath put that subscription of thine out of the way so that if thou be thankfull thou shouldest loue him better then thy selfe for the greatest enemie that man hath is his owne selfe And therefore shouldest thou not loue him better then thy selfe If thou doe it not thou shalt dye But not to leaue the force of the word for this word importeth a greater meaning then the other the word of blotting The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putting out The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take out of the way out was great indeede ducere transuersas lineas is a great word but to destroy the very tables paper and all and to rent it asunder is more then both Marke it for it lets vs see that his mercie is not halfed he shewes not a peece of mercie vpon vs. Men will halfen their mercie towards others but Iesus Christ halfens not his mercie towards vs but he perfecteth it If he once meant to shew mercie he wil not leaue that work till he end it and if he once meane to remit he will not leaue off till he haue freely forgiuen for that that he doth he doth it perfectly to his glorie and thy saluation The Pope will make him to halfen his mercie O vaine doctrine doest thou halfen the mercie of the Lord thou art a lyer the mercie of The guilt of sinne the punishment both remitted in Christ the Lord is perfect so that when hee remitteth hee remitteth both the sinne and the punishment thereof Now to come to the words that follow In the last words he sheweth how the handwriting is taken out of the way It was not after so light a manner as a man would take an obligation and rent it but before it could be rent it behooued the Lord to be crucified Well who would be hanged for another mans obligation and he being crucified he taketh that obligation and naileth it to the crosse and rents it asunder Now to make this plaine when Iesus Christ was crucified he was not crucified alone but many things were crucified with him and many things that same very houre were nailed to the crosse with him This handwriting of thine thy inditement that would haue condemned thee thy sinne originall thy actuall sinnes the death that followeth thereon and hell euen all these were nailed to the crosse with him finally that curse was crucified with him all died together hee died not alone all depended vpon his death he died first they