in him are hid all treasures of wisedome and knowledge therfore be not wise without him seeke not wisdome without him There are false teachers entred in that make you thinke there is wisedome without him but I say vnto you if you would not be deceiued seeke no wisedome without him for in him is the treasure of all wisedome and knowledge There is the force of the argument briefly Now marke the order of the Apostle Before hee exhorted them that they should not be deceiued by the inticing of mens words and doctrine and hee laies out the reason taken from the treasure and riches of wisdome and knowledge that is in Christ So the Apostle to the Hebrues 13. 8. being about to exhort them that they should not be carried about with sundrie and strange doctrine hee laies downe this ground Christ is today and yesterday c. therfore be not carried away from him As if hee would say there was neuer saluation without him from the beginning of the world and there shall be no saluation without him to the end thereof therefore sticke to him This order teacheth vs this lesson that after wee haue let men see what is in Christ after we haue opened as it were and laid abroad before the eyes of the world all that store of wisedome and knowledge that is in him then it is time to exhort men to leaue all their doctrine and vanitie and inticing words of men and to sticke by this Christ in whom there is such wisedome and knowledge For brethren you must vnderstand men if they see not true wisedome they will drinke in vanitie the heart must be filled with The heart must be filled vvith something something if thou see not the truth thou must drinke in lyes And more when thou hast begun to receiue the truth as these Colossians did except that truth be opened and laid before thy eyes as it were to be seene what is in it and what is the meaning and true sense of the same except this Gospell I say be continually taught O vaine man thou wilt goe to the puddle of mens fancies thou wilt fall againe to mens doctrine The preaching of the Gospell must be cōtinued traditions and vanitie thou wilt be a Papist yea and an Atheist to And therefore there is nothing more needfull then this that these riches of Christ be laid out before our eyes and euer tolde to vs that in Christ is all wisdome and knowledge I aske what is the cause that this miserable world all men and all nations for the most part be so drunke in mens dreames what is the Popes doctrine but dreames and poyson drinke it in thou shalt be poysoned with it I tell thee because these false deceiuers close vp the Gospell and swaddle vp Christ in the swaddle bands this is the cause that these poore soules see no better and therefore they are led to damnation blindfolded O miserable bodies these foule spirits send out their poyson to dampne the world withall as alas the greatest part of Europe this day can tell But to sticke to the words The Apostle saith I speake this least any man should beguile you with inticing words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are set out in faire flattring talke Then ye see here he opposeth to all the treasures of Christ inticing words to wisedome he opposeth flattring words There is no wisedome without Christ all is plaine sophistrie as it is called in the Schooles Then in a word all wisdome being in Christ if thou y t wilt be wise without him seeke thy wisedome where thou wilt runne to Rome runne here and there to the Iesuites to get wisedome out of them thou shalt be filled with dreames thou shalt finde nothing but sophistrie thou shalt not meete with wisedome All that thou shalt see and finde shall be but inticing words And what wilt thou winne by this He saith that ye be not deceiued and tooke in a grin Thou shalt be taken in a grin as a beast if thou seeke ought without him Alas brethren when I remember Antichrist and his wofully deceiue soules this miserable world it is a pitie to see how it is abused by these traitors and deceiuers of mens soules O that damnation and iudgement that shall fall on that cursed kingdome of Antichrist For I assure you this world for the greatest part are taken in the grins by Antichrist and so reserued to iudgement And the more miserable are they that are in the grin of Antichrist that they thinke that they are in sweete bands for the end shall let ye see how bitter the bands were let them now be to thee as sweete as they will thou shalt finde in the end that of all bands in this world they are the worst To goe forward He hath vttered a great care to the Colossians whom hee neuer saw nor knew Therefore they might haue said what care is this thou hast of vs thou neuer sawst vs nor we thee He meetes with this in the next words O ye Colossians saith he though I be absent from you in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit Then ye see the Saints the true members of Christ they haue a sight and knowledge of others that the world knowes not of This world and naturall men that haue Iudgement and loue of the world concerning other men not the spirit of Iesus thinke that none can reach out to the worlds end and can haue knowledge of another nor any care ouer him if he see him not with his bodily eye but al is vaine For a spirituall man will send his soule to the end of the world and vpon this hee will vtter his care vnto him by his exhortation And this is a token of a greater thing euen of this ioyning of the godly together that one day they shal be together soule and bodie If thou haue a heart and care with the Church of God thou shalt raigne with her in heauen for euer And in deede if thou haue not this it is a venture if euer thou raigne with her Now when he hath set downe this spirituall presence with them he subioynes the effect of it reioycing saith he there is the effect of that spirituall presence his soule was with them Spirituall presence of the faithfull one with another and with ioy hee reioyced to see them So this presence spiritual whē the heart of the faithfull is with others it is no fantacie as a vaine head will thinke but I say thou hadst neuer such ioy as the faithfull will haue with others in a spirituall presence Thou neuer knewest this ioy that hast not this spiritual presence And brethren it is euen with the Church as it is with Christ 1. Pet. 1. 8. he saith you haue not seene Christ with your eyes yet beleeuing in him who is farre from vs in his bodily presence and louing him howbeit he be away ye reioyce with a ioy that is
doe promise thee if thou doe it thou shalt haue the bitternes of thy nature taken away otherwise thou shalt neuer possesse a contented heart What a death this was he expresseth when he saith which were dead in sinnes there is the first cause of this death sinnes and trespasses that is all the actuall sinnes of their life all the foule thoughts of their heart all the prophane words of their mouth all vnruly actions of their hands all these be vnderstood vnder this word sinnes in the plurall number Then brethren this word importeth first the kinde of this death Death in sinne that man lieth in before he be in Christ it is not the death of the bodie In the bodie thou wilt seeme to be quicke enough when as thou art but dead but this death it is the death of the spirit it is the death of the soule for when thou goest on in sinne thou doest nothing else but stick and goare thy soule and besides in the end thou wilt slay the bodie also so as if thou continue in it it shall neuer leaue thee till it slay both soule and bodie for euermore Thou maist be a wanton harlot and a cruell murtherer but yet take thy delights howsoeuer thou wilt promise thy selfe as great assurance of life comfort and ioyes as thou canst imagine yet thy perseuerance in sinne shall slay thee with death in this world and in that to come For the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 28. Then this cause of death importeth not onely that this death is spirituall but also it importeth that it is a death exceeding fore and withall the dissoluing of this very bodie into powder and ashes Death in generall is nothing els but the depriuing of life A mā is said to be dead when he wanteth life Now these sinnes which he speaketh of here doe depriue thee of the quickest and sweetest life that euer was and what a life is it that sinne depriueth thee of euen the life of God the best life that is or can be Woe is thee that euer thou gottest life in the bodie if thou want this life of God that thou maist liue with Iesus Christ for euer Yea woe is thee for euermore that thou sawest either Sunne or Moone if thou want the life of God in Iesus Christ and there is nothing but sinne that can depriue thee of it And further it not onely bereaueth thee of life but it maketh thee guiltie of eternall death both in soule and bodie Thou hast these two Tvvo aduantages sinners haue by sinne aduantages delight in sinne as thou wilt sinne ruling in any man so long as hee liueth without Iesus Christ remission of sinnes and sanctification it excludeth the life of God from him and more then this it holdeth him poore miserable wretch vnder the guiltines of euerlasting death for euer You will aske how can a man be dead in sinnes Is he not liuely in actions is hee not counted the gallantest fellow in all the Realme and the liueliest that is the greatest swaggerer that can commit most euill Is hee not counted the liueliest that is the greatest murtherer I answere thee the quicker hee is in murthering in adulterie and such like the more is hee dead because first he wants the life of God And further all these are but dead actions dead workes comming from a dead man and they are as it were a stinking sauour from a filthie carrion so these men trimme them vp as you wil they are but stinking carrions O thou murtherer thou defilest the heauens the earth and the ayre O thou harlot thou defilest all the house and the bed thou liest in Thou oppressour thou defilest all the world though thou werst an Earle a Duke or a King thou art a dead stinking carrion worse then a dead dogge To come to the next words he ascendeth to a higher ground of this death and he saith they were dead not onely in actuall sinnes but they were dead in a sort of sinne that did cleaue faster and neerer to their ribbes You were dead saith he in the vncircumcision of your flesh that is in your originall sinne Hee setteth downe this by an allusion of the foreskinne the Gentiles vncircumcision was a signe of their originall sinne which Originall sinne was inherent in them as circumcision was a signe of the taking away of the same Then the cause of thy death in bodie and soule is not onely these actions that passe away as when thou hast murthered the action goeth away although the guilt remaine for the action that passeth it leaueth vpon thy backe a guilt which shall bring downe damnation vpon thee The cause I say of thy death in bodie and soule is not only in these fleeting actions but the grounded cause of it is original sinne the sinne conceiued in thy mothers wombe Thou art borne in sinne and it sticketh fast to thee and therefore it must follow that seeing the cause is a sticking and biding cause the death must also be abiding death I called it before a sore death now I call it an abiding death that greatly encreaseth the miserie You know that a disease naturall that commeth of any vitiositie of nature as of the birth so many as haue that disease it doth still accompanie their bodie It may wel be that they get it mitigated but they cannot fully clense it They may procure a relenting of it but neuer be able to take it away And therefore this death hauing the ground in that foule feede that thou art conceiued in by the generation of all thy forebeers it will passe the power of the world to get it away No the Angels of heauen will not bee able to relieue thee of it nothing will free thee of it but grace which is contrarie to that corruption of nature You know the prouerbe That which is bred in the bone wil hardly be driuen out of the flesh It therefore thou wouldest be cured of this rooted euill thou must crie for grace and say Lord send thy spirit of grace into my heart to rid me of this corruption of nature It thou crie not for this night and day yea and finde it in some measure working in thee thou shalt neuer be relieued Crie therefore and say Lord I was conceiued dead I was borne dead I A good prayer am euery way dead send thy spirit of free grace and free me of this death that so sore setleth vpon me that I may once enioy that life of Iesus Crie this way night and day and all thy time and then I assure thee thou shalt finde deliuerance and shalt taste how sweet the life of Iesus is And this for their former estate which is miserable being out of Christ Iesus Now followeth the estate in Christ He hath quickened you that is the father hath put life in you It is a quickening when death is expelled and life commeth in his place but what a life is it
He that loues will straine himselfe if it were to the death for the weale of them he loues So if he be not painfull I doubt if euer he shall present himselfe let by other men Therefore the people should be carefull to haue a painfull man to watch ouer them For the Minister is ordained to present thee before the Lord and hee cannot do that if he be not painfull I will neuer giue the people counsell to hold a man that is not painfull to present and gaine them to God And cursed be that Pastor that takes his ease and rest and lets the sheepe of the Lords pasture goe here and there astray cursed be he and the Lord himselfe curseth him in Ierem. 48. 10. that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Alas it will not bee the studying nor the preaching of a Sermon that will make thee to be a painfull Minister but it must be the continuall teaching of thy flocke and euery one of them admonishing them that are out of the way and by thy trauels bringing them home and instructing them that are in Idlenes in the Ministerie dangerous the way of grace to goe on that they goe not to the left hand nor to the right hand but that they hold out the high way to Christ Iesus neuer resting till they get his presence and night and day to be watching and on his guard praying for the people this man is a painfull man that doth thus So a Minister should not be an idle bodie neither can he be idle if hee haue any whit of conscience in his calling And I count a sluggish Minister worse then a theefe he will goe and studie a peece of a Sermon and vp to the pulpit and preach that and then come his way hee thinkes hee hath done enough and neuer more thought nor care hath he of the people of God O vaine man thou art a sluggard worse then a theefe thou shalt present but few or none at that great day And therfore thy damnation shall be the greater for the bloud of all these soules that through thy default dye ignorant shall light about thy shoulders and presse thee downe like milstones in hell where thou and they shall be tormented euerlastingly Yet there is more here this presenting craues more then labour or paine He saith he stroue as a man fighting a combat or as a souldier vnder a banner And to speake the truth this mans life is but a battaile as is plaine in the 2. Tim. 4. 7. I haue saith he fought a good fight yea and the sorest fight that is fought is to fight for the soule to bring it out of the diuels hands and to put it in Christs hands to bring it from hell and to set it in heauen How hard a thing it is to winne a soule from death to life that is a sore fight The man therefore that will bring soules to God he must not be a painfull man onely but he must be a warriour and he must oppose himselfe standing and fighting with euery one who oppose themselues against Christ if they were Emperours or Monarchs and hee must fight the battaile to the end otherwise if he be not painfull and a fighter also I doubt if he shall present himselfe much lesse others in that day to Christ A coward that will take a backe side he will not be meete to present one he is not for the field away with him Of al this I marke it is a hard thing to winne a soule to God nay the soule of one cannot be won but with great paine and labour and fighting Why then labour ye not with striuing and wrestling for the safetie of your soule that you may present it to the Lord safe and sound The soule of euery bodie hath many enemies and mightie enemies O if thou wist how many enemies thy soule hath to stay The enemies of the soule thee from going to heauen thou wouldest not sit in such ease as thou doest neglecting thy selfe and the time both but thou wouldest euer bee labouring and painfully labouring and fighting to keep thy soule safe to the Lord. Againe we see that heauen is a faire thing For this is true Difficilia quae pulchra The more glorious the harder to get so heauen is too faire a iewell to lose through sluggishnes No these things in the world haue no ioy A heape of stones is no iewell and if thou wilt lose the iewell of heauen for that looke what aduantage thou wilt make Now let vs see what fruite reaped he of his paines according to his working the effectualnes of him saith he who worketh in me mightily the end of his labour was effectualnes he was effectuall in the hearts of them who heard him In despite of the diuell and his impes he drew great multitudes by the power of the word out of the kingdome of the diuell and darknes and wanne them vnto Christ Take paines on thee meete the diuell fight on to relieue soules and be assured thou shalt see the effect of thy labours for there was neuer none that stroue but he shall be presented at that day glorious Yet albeit men would labour and striue neuer so much some will perish All shall not perish in that great day therefore let vs fight with paine and labour To whom giues hee the glorie of his labours and effectualnes ascribes hee it to himselfe saies hee according to my effectualnes No how then According to his effectualnes that workes in me mightily that is God So that all power and al the effectualnes that is in his hand is not in himselfe but in God and of God and that power of God is craued and is needfull to the recouerie of a soule yea of the silliest soule of you all The silliest soule that is shall neuer be safe by any power or vertue of man of the Minister there is no power that can free a soule but the almightie power of God The power of God only must free a soule This his power comes downe from heauen while the Minister is speaking and it gaineth conquereth the soule that heares the word Therefore looke not to the man that teacheth but pray that the power of God would come downe and free thy soule from bondage And as thou shouldest depend vpō God so when thou hast trauelled all thy daies turne back thy praises vnto God and thank him for it The Apostle takes nothing to himselfe Marke and behold the words he saith according to his effectualnes that worketh by me that is in a word hee taketh the honour and reputation of an instructer of a Minister and seruant of God and God giues him that honour As the Lord will haue the honour of the principall worke to himselfe and good reason he haue it so when hee hath imployed thee hee vouchsafeth to impart honour vnto thee He will giue thee a honour that thou art his seruant and therefore 1. Cor.
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
a thought or a looke otherwaies thou art not sanctified yea if in all thine affaires thou thinke not on Christ and haue not a presence of God the very horse thou ridest on is better then thou and the higher thou art mounted vp the more miserable if thou want a thought of God in Iesus Christ Againe yee see Iesus is called the bodie yee know that by humane reason a bodie is a solide thing with dimensions that thou maist apprehend solidlie In a word Christ hath this prerogatiue to be called a bodie Iesus Christ of all things is the solidest and firmest in comparison of him there is not a bodie in the world I say to thee when thou puttest out thy hand to lay hold on the most solid thing in the world thou shalt not find it so solid as the heart of the godly shall by when it by the hand of faith layeth hold on him for as soone as Iesus toucheth the heart then the heart that before was vaine and superficiall is made a solid bodie so there is not a solid heart but it that hath Iesus closed in it I tell thee thy heart is but as an emptie bagge if thou get not Iesus into it therefore crye euer Iesus fill my emptie heart Neuerthelesse fooles set not greatly by this but I say to thee if thou wert a King thou shalt neuer be solid thy heart shall neuer be solid but a blast of wind shall carrie thee away if thou haue not Iesus Christ in thy heart Lastly I see the religious heart that is occupied vpon Christ is occupied vpon the firmest thing in the world those that faine would bee godly and separate themselues from this world and lay hold on Christ the prophane may well say of him what is this bodie doing he is a sillie foolish bodie But if he were a King if he knew the estate of that bodie he would change his estate with his this you may see in the example of Paul speaking to Agrippa Acts chap. 26. vers 29. Well as I haue said before the end shall trie all and they that in this life followed Iesus and set their eye vpon this solid thing they shall abide because they haue laid hold on him who is eternall and abides for euer and blessed is the soule that apprehendeth this onely solid thing Iesus And thou that laiest holde on the things that are seene on the pleasures of this world O they shall vanish they shall be caried away as dust because the things that are seene are momentanie and passe away Therefore if thou wouldest liue for euer fasten thy heart vpon Christ it will not be honour meate and drinke that will establish thy heart when heauen and earth shall be shaken together nothing shall establish thee but that ankering of thee vpon Christ and therefore seeke to bee ankered vpon him To whom bee all honour and praise Amen THE TWENTITH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 18. 18 Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenes of mind and worshipping of Angels aduauncing himselfe in those things which he neuer saw rashly puft vp with his fleshly mind THe Apostle brethren throughout this whole chapter admonisheth the Colossians to beware of false teachers and of mens doctrine and traditions The traditions he admonisheth them to beware of are of two sorts the first sort is the olde ceremonies that the Lorde sometime gaue to bee obserued by the people of the Iewes which at Christs comming were wholy abolished and put away and therefore the receiuing of them againe into the Church of Christ it was nothing else but the doctrine of men and not Two sorts oferaditions of God The second sort of traditions are such as God neuer gaue to any people nor will giue to the end of the world to be obserued as this To bid men goe worship Angels to call vpon Saints they are such as the Lord neuer knew of nor gaue to man he neuer commaunded to worship an Angell nor call vpon a Saint Wee heard the last day of the first sort of mens traditions and the doctrine concerning the ceremonies that were abolished by Christs comming Let no man condemne you saith he in meate or drinke there is the first sort The ceremonies of the Iewes in the which the Apostle wils them that they suffer not themselues to be condemned for not keeping them because they are alreadie abolished Now brethren in this text presently read we are admonished concerning the second sort of traditions namely concerning the worshipping of Angels To come then to the purpose and words of the text Let no man saith he to the Colossians at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by submission of minde and worshipping of Angels These are the words Let no man beare rule ouer you The word is to bee considered in the originall it signifieth to play the part of a moderator and of a Iudge and not that onely but it signifieth to beare rule not for men and their will but against them and to their hurt and domage This is the force of the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he would say Let no man beare rule ouer you that is against you and to your hurt and domage The Apostle vseth sundrie words whereby hee expresseth the action of false teachers and deceiuers First in the eight verse of this chapter he said Let no man spoyle you carrie you away as a pray Then he saies Let no man condemne you sit vpon you to iudge and condemne you Thirdly Let no man beare rule ouer you What meanes this varietie of words and euery one worse then other All tends to this to let vs see False teachers described that there is no kinde of euill that one man can doe against another but a false teacher will doe it against man What thing can any man doe against another bodily but a false teacher will doe against him spiritually and it is worse an hundred times to be hurt spiritually then bodily One man wil come to another and take him and draw him away bodily but a false teacher will draw him away spiritually and that more cruelly then one man will draw away another bodily This man will giue him whom he draweth leaue to breathe and to rest a while but a false teacher if once hee take a man in his snare he will not giue him rest night nor day till he bring him to damnation Againe men will condemne thee bodily but false teachers wil condēne thy soule So in one word there was neuer a tyrant frō the beginning of the world that hath done so much euill to the world as the Pope and his Clergie haue done O the soules of them that he hath made to perish fie on this world that sees not this lowne plainly playing the tyrant daily Alas worldly tyrants destroy the bodies and goods of men only but he destroyeth the soules and
bodies of men for euer Fie on this world that will not once see it And yet to insist on the word Let no man beare rule ouer you that is against you The word that hee ascribeth to false teachers le ts vs see the nature and engine of a false teacher He is ambitious and seekes by all meanes to beare rule ouer all men not for their weale but for their woe woe is them ouer whom hee beares rule What matter is it if he sought to beare rule ouer the body and substance of man onely but the chiefest thing that hee seekes is to beare rule ouer the soule which importeth two things First an vsurping of the place of God for God onely is the Lord of the conscience and soule of man neuer Angell gate place to beare rule ouer the soule conscience of man Note these two things in false teachers which desire to dominiere ouer consciences Secondly it importeth an euerlasting wracke to the soule of the creature if he be kept vnder his gouernment If thou giue thy soule to be vnder his gouernment and tyrannie in such a cleere light thou shalt be sure to perish both in bodie soule This for the first word of this text The second word is At his pleasure Let him not beare rule ouer you and that at his pleasure not according to God and his word but according to his foule affections A deceitfull villaine lookes neuer to the word of God but to the foule affections of sinne I told you before hee was ambitious but now he is a tyrant which is the more perilous in that hee seeketh to beare rule ouer the conscience after the fancie of his foule affections and if hee continue with thee thou shalt dye euerlastingly The next words giue vs to vnderstand when he is set vp in his throne aboue a man what lawes he giues out A Prince or King when he is placed in his throne hee will giue out lawes the words tell you that first hee begins at the submission of minde lowlines there is his beginning A faire preface and true in generall that men should be humble and lowly minded There is no man no not the truest teacher that is that can haue a fairer beginning and entrie of doctrine then a deceiuer and can lay downe some grounds of doctrine more truly then he and specially he will begin at that which is most pleasing to the people he will begin with humilitie and in the meane time he will counterfeite such an humilitie in his eyes with his hands with tricking and ducking of his head and in all that he shall speake of he shall speake as an Angel of light This is faire but looke to the end when he hath begun with a faire preface where goeth he to next Worship Angels How gathereth he this Be humble therfore worship Angels How gathereth The argument which false teachers vse to moue men to worship Angels and Saints departed hee the conclusion He gathereth it this way It is a point of pride to passe to God immediatly and to come in before him at the first dash therefore sir worship Angels because they are in the gate betweene thee and God It is a foule assumption It is pride to goe to God immediatly Ha ha false deceiuer it is no pride to goe to God and to passe by all the Angels in heauen but it is a point of humilitie as it is most cleere through the whole Scriptures in the examples of the Prophets and Patriarchs So to be short ye see what followeth a faire preface when a deceiuer propoundeth a faire preface be sure of a foule end when the lowne hath commended good vertues hee will fall out in a filthie conclusion of one thing or other He will be speaking of things in generall and will gather a foule particular conclusion and therfore when he speakes fairest suspect him most When a Papist propoundeth a point of true doctrine he is most dangerous suspect him then most when he commends humilitie and that with many a bowing of the bodie beware of him for then hee will subioyne Call vpon Saints and worship Angels and doubt of thy saluation it is presumption to say that a man is sure of saluation humilitie bids thee doubt Now fie on thee and thy doubting doctrine both So if thou heare his preface hee will come in with this end close therefore thine eare at his generall for he is a Sophister to allure thee in the end and to draw thee into the net of destruction Therefore neuer account of his beginning for the end of it is deceit Well brethren was this point of doctrine concerning the worship of Angels in Paules daies Yes Then I am enforced to graunt that there are some points of the Papists doctrine very ancient yea as ancient as the Apostles themselues Goe to the Papist hee will say it is presumption to goe the hie way to God therefore goe to Saints and Angels This is very old and so it may be that through Popish antiquitie antiquitie their doctrine is commended Looke to the ancients say they yet I say if antiquitie will commend an heresie away with thee and thy antiquitie both Well well then all their reason from antiquitie is to confirme heresies that haue been damned in hell I will not insist to shew what heresies they haue raised vp againe for their religion is clouted and patched vp with all heresies in the world of Gentilisme and Iudaisme there is little pleasure to speake of them or their doctrines either Now to bee short in the next words the Apostle fals to the confuting of so foule and false a head of doctrine to wit concerning the worshipping of Angels he condemneth it let them defend it as they will The first argument he vseth is from a shamelesse pertnes of the false teacher aduancing himselfe saith he in things which he neuer saw The words import a violent entring into another mans professiō as if he would say where saw the deceiuer any Angels How knew hee that the Angels make intercession in heauen the word of God told him neuer a word of it who made him so wise to know that the Angels are mediatours so it may be a shamelesse pertnes that he speakes of the worshipping of Angels Marke then brethren the Apostle notes a false teacher with this note shamelesse pertnes He rubbeth off all shame of his forehead Nay know ye not There is the first preparation A note of a false teacher in his chamber before he come out to the people he rubbes off shame from him and then he comes out with a vizard on his face shamelesse and then he will speake of things which he neuer knew heard nor sawe and that were neuer written yea that are impossible for men to know in this life he will speake A notable confutation of all popish sigments so frankly of them as if he had seene them all he will begin
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
will be as vitious as the soule No difference betweene the elect and reprobate before grace of the reporbate So look to the persous there is no difference vntill God make the difference he will runne to hell as fast as he Then wherein standeth the difference it standeth not in thee but in y t counsel and purpose of God it is in the breast of God there is nothing in the elect himselfe but all in God And in his owne time he maketh the difference So ascribe nothing to thy nature and birth but ascribe all to God to his counsell and to his election and giue him the glorie and say I thanke thee O God that hast elected me and for that thou hast called me to thee by thy spirit in time and hast made me to know thee and thy goodnes Who hath distinguished me from thee and thee from another but God Why then shouldest thou glorie in any thing but in God O vile creature and vaine fie on thy nature it shall turne to thy destruction so then only glorie in God and in nothing besides The third thing marked here is the time when they walked Sometime saith he Then he maketh it cleare when ye liued in these vices that is as outwardly ye walked in them so inwardly in your soules ye liued in them Walking is outward and liuing is inward in the soule so as the ground of these naturall actions as of going on the way outwardly is the life of the soule for take the life away thou canst not goe so the ground of all these sinfull actions these wofull actions woe to them all the ground of all thy fornication and vncleanenes is a wofull life that thou liuest Sinne is liuing within thee if sinne liued not within the actions would not appeare in thy bodie that appeareth Thou art dead and yet sinne is liuing in thee Thou and it shall not liue both together Rom. 7. saith he Sinne is reuined in me Thou art dead and sinne is quickened in thy breast And or euer one be a harlot in his bodie in his outward action it is first in the soule of him or euer one be a murtherer with the hand he is a murtherer in his soule it beginneth first there and then it raiseth and stirreth vp the hand to the outward action It is so of all sinfull actions they proceede first from the sinne liuing in the soule so thou that wilt mortifie sinne and the outward actions of sinne slay first the sinne that liueth within thee or else it will slay thee either thou or it must die and I pronounce this that if thou slay not the sinne that is within thou shalt be slaine by it for euer Begin then in order to the slaying of sinne for there is an order in mortification and God that biddeth thee slay sinne is the Lord of order He comming in bid deth thee first slay the sinne that is within thee he will not bid thee begin at the hand the eye or any of thy members outward but he will goe into thy heart and he beginneth and putteth out that life of sinne that liueth in theethere He first maketh thy heart cleane where sinne dwelleth and taketh roote and so he will haue thee to roote it out that it bud not in thee This way God beginneth in taking away sinne and slaying of it and this is the way that the elect child of God doth But hypocrites will make a well fauoured outward countenance and who are so holy as they Hypocrisie begins without and in the meane time will be fostering the filth of this foule life of sinne inwardly in his heart with pleasure But the holy spirit who beginneth to mortifie thee beginneth at the heart and slayeth the man of sinne in thy heart first and he will wound it so deepely when he shall strike vpon it that he shall mortifie it and then thou shalt begin to see thine owne filth and stinke in such sort that thou shalt abhor thy selfe but the hypocrite countes all these things but as words of office But O that dolefull waking when the conscience wakeneth thee It will cause thee say O foule harlot what hast thou been doing walking in harlotrie and deceiuing men with a shew of godlinesie Therefore happie is the soule that is this wise wakened in time and wounded with the sight of thy own filthines for it shall procure ioy comming vpon sorrow If thou wilt be content to restraine thy hand foote and eye for a time so that thou sinne not openly as others doe but that thy life that lurketh in thee must vtter it selfe at the last so as thou maist be a fornicator a murtherer and an auaritious bodie for there is no hypocrite but he must vtter himselfe at the last thou hast no true mortification in thee and therefore thou shalt finde no comfort in all thy outward shewes studie then to this 〈◊〉 mortification Suppose a man to be bound hand and foote and that the man be a harlot in the inward man so as he had no vse of the outward action in all his life time admit this that thou hadst not the outward action in all thy time yet I say if that life of harlotrie be in thee and not slaine within thee thou wilt to hell It will not be that outward abstinence that will saue thee but it must be the slaughter of the inward appetite and then the hand nor no other of thy members needeth to be fettered but all will be peaceable and stand still when once that life of sinne is quencht Therefore slay euer the sinne in thy soule and let it not raigne for if it raigne thou wilt to damnation We beseech him that is able to worke this worke to put to his hand and doe it for all the words of the world will not doe it onely he must doe it Now to him be praise and honor Amen THE XXVI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 8. 8 But now put ye away all these things wrath anger maliciousnes cursed speaking filthie speaking out of your mouth YE remember brethren the last time we occupied this place wee insisted in the exhortation that the Apostle hath to the mortifying of the sinfull members the foule affections and actions of the soule and the bodie Mortifie saith he your earthly members that is your cankred affections that hold the bodie occupied in euill To this purpose he vseth sundry arguments the first was taken from the life euerlasting that was hid vp with Christ in God laid vp in heauen as if he would say as euer thou wouldest see that life Coherence mortifie thy earthly members slay thy affections for it is impossible that they can stand with that life of heauen The second argument was taken from that death in hell if heauen will not moue thee to mortifie thy earthly members thy foule affections yet let hell terrifie thee and moue thee For
exhortation concerning all estates of men indifferently the last day as the Lord gaue grace wee entred into the speciall concerning Three states in a familie euery estate of men There are three estates in a familie The first is the husband and the wife The second estate is the parents and the children The third estate is the master and the seruants The last day we spake of the first estate concerning husbands and wiues now this day we haue to speake of the second estate to wit of parents and children The words are few yet as the Lord giues grace we shall weigh euery one and only shall set downe the doctrine properly as the words shall affoord The exhortation begins at the children the inferiour ranke as before it began at the wife I shewed you the last day the cause The estate of the inferiour is most hard to be borne withall therefore first hee directs his speech to the inferiour estate to instruct them that willingly they take vpon them that burthen which otherwise they must beare or els displease God To come to the words Children obey your parents The word childe in it owne language is common both to the manchild and to the womanchilde both are comprehended indifferently vnder the name of children and therefore this precept is directed indifferently to both The word if ye would marke the meaning of it signifieth him or her who are begotten What the word children meaneth and borne of those which are called parents yet in the second place it is directed to euery one which beares the name of sonnes and daughters whether they be daughters in law or sonnes in law Ruth as ye reade daughter in law to Naomi she tooke this precept to her she would not depart from her good mother and as you reade she promised obedience to her in all things Experience teacheth vs this day that there bee few like these two Then briefly this much for them to whom this precept is directed The next thing to be marked in the words is the dutie commaunded which is this Children obey this is the duty This duty of obediēce is a dutie y t pertaines to the whole man both soule and bodie it must come inwardly frō the hart and outwardly from the hand To let you see it better in the soule it is reuerence because thy parents be thy superiours they be not thine equals and therfore Obedience to parents thou art bound to reuerence thy parents as thy superiours for reuerence is nothing els but an acknowledging of thy superiours Next in the hart soule it is loue because thou art boūd to thy parents by nature and the band wherewith God hath bound thee to thy parents is loue Thou takest substance and being of thy parents al that thou hast in this world vnder God thou hast it of thy parents therefore the bond of nature binds thee to thy parents to loue them Thirdly this obedience in the soule and heart is thankfulnes for the manifold benefits receiued first by thy parents thou art not the beginner of liberalitie but thy parents they begin to be beneficiall to thee and therefore thou art bound to be thankfull vnto them And this much for the duties in the soule To come to the obedience in the bodie which is nothing els but an outward testification of all those things that are in Externall obedience to parents thy soule it stands first in a reuerent speech Secondly in obeying the commaund of thy parents And thirdly in compensation of the benefits receiued of thy parents I reade in the first Epistle to Timothie chap. 5. vers 4. he makes mention especially of the last Let children saith he learne to shew godlinesse first toward their owne familie beginning at their father their mother If thou be not godly to them thou canst not be godly to another And againe vers 3. Thou that wilt not prouide for thy familie art worse then an Infidell Thou that wilt not prouide for thy father and mother thou hast no faith Well ye who are children learne of Ioseph what hee did to his father and brethren It is said he fed them he fed his old father and put meate in his mouth but thou wilt wring it out of their mouth if they haue but one mouthfull Yea if thou haue wealth and they be in pouertie thou wilt not know them nor help them but wilt begin to be ashamed af them Thou wilt not let them come within thy doores and if they come at any time to thine house to be eased thou accounts so lightly of them that thou canst not abide their presence at thy boord or in thy hall but away with them to the chimney corner O villaine thou art vnworthie to be called a sonne and as an vnthankfull bodie thou shalt finde thy reward to be worse then the reward of the worst Infidell in the world Know ye not this to be true yea some children when they come to yeares will wring all from their parents and send them to beg their meate O Scotland thou hast many such children within thee but woe yea double and treble woe be vpon them for euer Then the dutie commaunded is obedience and this commaundement lets vs see how naturally children are inclined to disobedience God Children naturally inclined to disobediēce bound thee in the creation to obedience and now the world is so degenerate that there is nothing to be found in children for the most part but contempt and disobedience euery way O the malicious lowne will not be so despitefull to any as to his parents So this commaundement lets thee see the stubborne nature of children against their parents O but if this commandement enforce thee not to doe thy dutie to thy parents thou shalt be reserued in bonds to thine eternall damnation But to goe forward to whom should this obedience bee shewed Obey saith he Whom not euery one but thy parents him and her that haue begotten thee and borne thee of whom thou hast thy being and all that thou hast vnder God that is the force of the word So in the word there lurkes a forcible argument from nature Vnnaturall bodie will not nature moue thee art thou vnnaturall thou art vngodly to God For thou who breakest the bond of nature thou breakest the bond of pietie So the argument is from nature It is wonderfull to see how Ethnicks children moued by the light of nature haue obeyed their parents There was a law made among the Athenians that the child should feede the old parent or els be bound in fetters so long as hee liued If this law were in Scotland I thinke there should bee many children bound in fetters yea so many as there could be fetters made for them Well wilt thou goe to the beasts they may shame thee thou maist reade of their gratitude to their parents as for thee they may cal thee very wel mother-curse and malison If nature hath
whom this health and welfare is wished are those that were at Colosse to wit the saints the faithfull brethren in Iesus Christ that is to say the Church of God that is made vp of faithfull men and saints all brethren in Iesus Christ at that time in Colosse The thing wished by Paul and Timothy is first grace euen that grace euen that mercy that is shewed vpon the world in Iesus Christ the Lord of grace and mercy without whom there is no grace to any nation tongue nor person vpon the earth Then the second thing is peace that followeth on grace for his grace once obtained in the remission of sinnes vpon it then followeth that inward peace of the soule and conscience especially towards God and all felicitie both spirituall and corporall And without that grace there is no true peace nor blessing of God all is but a curse to thee though thou hadst all the world Now to come to the preface vpon the which we minde by Gods grace to insist passing ouer the salutation and the rest before In the preface of the Epistle the Apostle procureth and conciliateth to himselfe the good will and affection of these Colossians to this end that they liking of the person of the writer should esteeme the more of the doctrine exhortations precepts and directions that after followe For the liking of the person of the teacher and writer serueth much to the imbracing of the doctrine that is taught and by the contrarie the misliking of the person that teacheth the word of God hindereth the faith of the hearer The Apostle knew this and begins with a preface to allure and conquer their fauour and good will The arguments whereby he laboureth to doe this are two The first is he lets them vnderstand that he thanketh God for them The second argument is he letteth them vnderstand that as he thanketh God for them so immediatly he prayeth for their happie and prosperous estate in Christ Iesus So there are the two arguments whereby hee will procure their good will and attention to this his doctrine We thanke God saith he euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ there is the first argument alwayes praying for you there is the next argument In the text following he expounds euery one of them in their owne roome Then to come to the proposition of the argument we thanke God saith he euen the Father In thanking God for them he congratulateth with them for that blessed state that they stoode in in Iesus Christ Obser ∣ uation 1 Ye see brethren his reioycing with them for that estate stands not in thankesgiuing to them or praising of them for that estate but in praising and glorifying of God to teach vs in all our congratulating together for the prosperous estate of any people or person in particular not to forget God but to make our congratulation a thankesgiuing to God and praising and glorifying of him and why should we not if we looke aright on the matter whatsoeuer thing ioyfull or prosperous falles out in this world either vpon our selues or vpon others temporall or spirituall all are his benefits and falles downe from heauen from him and therefore why should we not when we reioyce for any thing either giuen to our selues or vnto others remeber our God and giue thankes to him for the same Note Our reioycing should goe vp to heauen from whence that blessing descended and came downe This manner of congratulation is not in this place onely but through all his epistles and it is far different from the reioycing of the Ethnickes that neuer speaketh one word of God The flattering Lowne will say to the Emperor it is your wisedome you haue done this or that and neuer a word of God So that as many congratulations as you reade in these prophane men they are all as many blasphemies against God giuing the praise due to God to a creature that is but vile and stincking though he were an Emperor or a monarch ouer the whole earth And as this was the fashioning of the Ethnickes congratulation that knew not God it is euen so with men in praysing men now in our dayes forgetting God How many be there which flatter men as though all were done by them and not by the author of grace what is that but blasphemie against God Obser ∣ uation 2 Marke secondly for whom it is that he thanketh God and prayeth not for himselfe praying saith he ardently for you We are not bound to pray only for our selues but we are bound to pray for others also Selfe-loue draweth vs so neere our selues Selfe loue that it maketh vs forget others Thou art not bound onely to pray for thy selfe but if thou be a member of Christ thou art bound to pray for the body in generall and particular and all the benefits of God bestowed on any person on the earth temporall or spirituall should be to thee a matter of praysing God Brethren if we had that zeale to the glorie of God and that loue to our neighbours which we ought to haue there would not be a blessing of God that fell to our neighbour but we would glorifie God for it as if it had fallen to our selues These are the latter dayes and worst dayes wherein zeale to God and loue to man is cleane departed out of the hearts of men This is a cursed generation To whom giues hee the thankes We thanke God saith he euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ marke the wordes he saith not God onely but he telleth vs what a God this is God said he that is the Father of Iesus to let vs see that it is vnlawfull for thee to acknowledge another God but onely that God that manifesteth himselfe in the sonne The knowledge of God in Christ is the very key Seeke the face of God in Christ and Christ in the Gospell that opens the gate of heauen maketh thee to get entry into that light that hath no accesse Knowest thou God in Christ then hast thou an entry to him Otherwise thou knowest him not nor thou shalt neuer be able to enter into heauen The Turke for all his speaking of God got neuer accesse to God The Iewe for all his boast of the knowledge of God knoweth him not nor neuer shall knowe him nor see him without Iesus Christ God that sittes in heauen will not looke vpon thee without his sonne he is no father to thee neither will be neither will he shew any sparke of loue to thee but in his onely sonne the Lord Iesus Therefore say not that thou knowest God or that he is thy Father except first and aboue all thou knowe the Lord Iesus thou shalt neuer knowe him but to thy vtter ouerthrowe and wracke if thou knowest him not in Iesus Christ Now to come to the second part of the proposition contayning his prayer hee thinks it not enough to thanke God for them but hee will pray for
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.
not The rule is as it becommeth that Lord of light as it becommeth that glorious Gospell this reuelation of the God of glorie as it becommeth so glorious a calling Then he sheweth what it is to walke worthie of the Lord it is to please him in all things in all our actions and cogitations to studie to please him to make him a meeting as the Apostle speaketh seeing he hath set himselfe to please vs we should goe about euery way to please him Now brethren thus farre wee heard the last day briefly in this text first we haue foure points or heads in the which consisteth the pleasing of the Lord. Then we are to enter into the third part of the epistle concerning the doctrine to the Colossians The first part of the pleasing of the Lord is this fructifying saith he in euery good worke there 4. points wherein we ought to indeauour to please God is the first part The second is growing in knowledge The third is to be strengthened with all might through his glorious power The fourth and last is being strengthened with all might vnto patience vnder the crosse to thanke him cheerefully and ioyfully These are the foure points wherein the pleasuring of God standeth To come to the first it is to fructifie in euery good worke marke it the speech is borrowed from a tree that brings out good fruite We knowe the pleasure of the Husband-man is when he seeth a tree in his garden fruiteful and bringing out good fruite in due season Euen so the pleasure of the Lord is when he looketh downe to thee as vnto a tree planted in his garden and seeth thee fructifying in euery good worke that is his pleasure But here the difference betwixt the fruitfull tree and the godly man is this The tree that is most frutefull S. will bring out but a kinde of fruite onely an apple tree will bring forth apples a peare tree peares and another his kinde of fruite and so forth in the rest but thou that art a fruitfull tree in the garden of the Lord thou must not bee bound to one kinde of fruite but as the Apostle speaketh you must bring forth all good workes both of soule and body for the Lord will not haue the fruite of the one without the other But if thou be planted in the garden of the Lord thou must bring forth fruite to the pleasure of God both of soule and body Againe you knowe a tree hath the season but thou art not bound to one season to sommer winter or haruest but thou art bound to beare fruites continually So briefly brethren there is the first point of the pleasing of God wouldest thou please him looke that thou bee fruitefull bee not barren worke be not idle be occupied and well occupied doe no euill but good not one sort of goodnesse but all the good that is possible for thee to doe Now to come to the second point of the pleasing of God it stands in growing in knowledge and that is faith This point flowes from the first marke it A man that fructifieth in good workes he feedes vpon his owne workes by the very iuyce and sap of the workes Growth in knowledge knowledge or faith is nourished It is true in deede good workes must come of faith and there cannot be good workes where faith is not first they must rise of faith in the heart and faith as the Apostle saith worketh by charitie Galath 5. 6. Euen Good workes Note well as good workes come of faith so good workes nourish augment and intertaine the mother of it that is faith This is the difference betwixt the fruitfull man and the tree The tree bringeth not forth the fruite to it selfe nor feedes on it It is not so with the fruitfull man In deede it is true the good workes of a man which are the fruite of faith they serue first to the glorie of God and next to the good of his neighbour But there is further vse of them he getteth the best himselfe Doest thou a good turne to any man thou hast the best of it thy selfe and thou feedest more on thy good worke then the person doth vpon whom thou bestowdest thy good worke So this is sure good workes nourish faith euen as euill workes sowre and bitter fruites whereof this land is ful foule thoughts in thy heart foule and filthie speeches in thy mouth cruell and barbarous deedes in thy hand nourish vnbeleefe in the filthie and wicked person Trowest thou all is gone from thee when thou hast suffered a foule word to passe out of thy mouth and an euill deede to passe from thy hand that thou art quit of them No no it comes backe vpon thy selfe and leaueth a foule blacke spot behinde it and if thou bee an infidell thy infidelitie increaseth in thy heart and thou art nourished by it Alas the best of vs all is subiect at all times to one euill or other If thou be faithfull the very euill deede will come backe vpon thee and anger thy heart The very euill deedes if thou goe forward in them shall extinguish thy faith or feeling as the Apostle saith 1. Thes 5. 19. So thy fruits shall either augment thy faith or else extinguish thy faith if thou continue Therefore take heede to thy doings that they wound thee not to thy heart and if thou wouldest please God fructifie in good workes and secondly by them growe in faith The third point followes being strengthened with all might through his glorious power and this followeth from the second for euery one followeth from other Wee knowe that the tree that groweth as it fructifieth so it groweth strong a growing thing groweth euer to strength as a decreasing thing faileth more and more to weakenes and the more the fruitfull tree groweth it is the stronger so a man growing in faith and good workes he growes to strength For except the tree groweth to strength it may well fructifie for a time but it is not able to fructifie long the sommer will wither it and the winter will rot it euen so a man except he growe in faith and in the fruits of faith to a strength till he be strong and growe in strength of well doing he shall not be able to stand and abide all He shall not be able to abide the dint of persecutions the sword hunger imprisonment and such other afflictions I say he shall not be able to abide these things except he growe to a strength of God but the heate of persecution shall make him to perish and wither away He is not content with this simple word of strength but he addeth to all might A christian man must not be content with one sort of strength in this life In deede were there but one calamitie one affliction and one persecution one sort of strength might suffice but seeing there are manifold yea a thousand fold thy strength must bee a manifold strength thou must
From whence From vnder a power then the cause of thy drawing is this Thou art holden streight and thou art holden by a strong power There was neuer man holden in iron bands and prison so streight as thou art holden by sinne for as light as thou wilt skipt and leape and as nimble as thou seemest when thou art leaping lightest thou art fast holden and the more thou leapest in sin the faster and the faster thou art holden so ere thou get out there must be a power and a greater power then it that holds thee No man saith Christ will enter into a strong mans house before he haue first bound the strong man and then deuide the spoyle Mark 3. 27. No man will take thee out of sinne that strong man except he haue a power that is stronger then sinne What a power is this The next word tels thee It is the power of darknes Alas that darknes of Ignorance O that terrible clowd of darknes and ignorance that is in the soule of euery man naturally without the knowledge of God of Iesus Christ of life and saluation O miserable is that soule that lies in that darknes Then it is the power of darknes a strong power and the strongest power in this world that holdeth thee fast If thou be fettered with darknes then in deede thou maist say thou art fettered fast Brethren there is but two great powers only as for the power of a King out out it is nothing but draffe and dirt the power of the flesh is nothing There are but two kingdomes only The first is the kingdome of God the kingdome of light is a kingdome in deede The second is the kingdome of darknes the kingdome of hell to call it so yea and all the Kings of the world shall be vnder one of these two either a slaue of darknes or els a sonne and heire of the kingdome of heauen Now the kingdome of darknes next after the kingdome of light it is the strongest in this world and to speake plaine to you this kingdome of darknes is but the pit of God a dungeon and a prison house wherein the diuell first lies all chained of the which they are princes lying in bandes abiding their damnation and next them are the reprobate Caine Iudas and the rest and in the which the diuels and the reprobate shall be tormented euerlastingly So the kingdome of darknes serueth to this kingdome of light and they who are in it are but the executioners of God and rods of his fierce wrath Now then it is Iesus Christ that Prince of light that hath drawne vs out of that dungeon of darknes and ignorance He is that strong man whose strength is aboue all strength of the diuell sinne and hell It is he then that hath done this and what more hath he done He saith he hath translated vs taken vs from one place and remoued vs to another place nay it is not enough to bee pulled as it were out of hell except thou be taken away and translated as farre from it as thou maist looke to it Thou wilt goe backe againe if thou be not translated and kept farre from it Whereunto hath be translated vs he saith to a kingdome we shall heare more of this kingdome hereafter A kingdome must keepe thee It is impossible to be kept if thou be not kept in a kingdome The power of a King is required to keepe thee Whose kingdome is it not Caesars no Emperours in the earth nay the kingdome of Spaine Fraunce England and Scotland will not keepe thee flye as thou wilt flye Whose kingdome must it be then that must keepe thee The kingdome of his owne sonne and more of his owne deere sonne the sonne of his loue that is the kingdom of his sonne that he loueth so deerely Well and if that bee the kingdome that thou be translated vnto thou shalt be well kept it is the onely kingdome that is able to keepe thee For first behold the King Who is the King The King is the sonne of God a strong King Ioh. 10. 28. No man shall take you out of my hand O the strength of the son of God! He is God himselfe then he is more a sonne and a king that is so loued of the father and in him he loueth all within the bounds of this kingdome So see first the power and then the loue and no question thou maist say that thou shalt be well kept Blessed is the soule that comes to this kingdom And if thou be not yet translated to it striue to it as thou wilt be safe In a word will you haue wherein our effectuall calling standeth I say to you it standeth in this In taking vs out of one kingdome and putting vs into another in translating of thee from the kingdome of darknes and putting of thee into the kingdome of heauen in translating of vs from a kingdome wherein we liue as slaues fie on it thou liuest as a slaue here a bondslaue to Sathan and thy own foule affections to a kingdom wherein thou raignest like a king There is neuer a slaue there but all are kings in this kingdome neuer a slaue there all are sonnes and if they are sonnes they are heires as Paul reasons Rom. 8. 17. It is a translation from a kingdome of smaller power howbeit of a great power to a kingdome that is infinite No kingdome is infinite but Christs this is comfortable Findest thou thy selfe translated and called to be one of this kingdome See the infinite power of it that is able to keepe thee that thou shalt neuer fall backe againe to the kingdome of darknes And if a man be effectually called it is impossible that euer he shall fall backe againe no more then the diuell is able to take the sheepe out of Christs hands Therefore in the Epistle to the Romanes 11. 29. Paul saith The gift of God is without repentance so that the gift of thy calling is without repentance Blessed is that soule that findes it To come to the next verse In whom to wit in Iesus Christ the sonne of God What haue wee in him A faire grace we haue redemption Through what Through his bloud a deere price What is this Redemption Remission of sinnes Well well thinkest thou it a smal thing to haue thy sinnes forgiuen thee Now weigh the words for in the words he comes to another blessing a second blessing euen the remission of our sinnes that is the effect of the former but to begin at the first word In whom This second blessing is not without Iesus no no no grace no mercie no blessing without Christ this is plaine talke would to God wee could fasten to him so he saith In whom that is in the deere sonne of God Brethren being once translated that is effectually called and drawne to him wee liue not as other subiects vnder a king Subiects would be far Similie from their king and some there is that will
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 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
as was betwixt God and vs before the reconciler came there was neuer Before the calling of the Gentiles by the Gospell so much bloud shed as was from the time of the fall of Adam to the cōming of Iesus Christ So there is a higher degree of miserie not onely strangers but enemies fighting against heauen with an vplifted hand This degree must follow the former It is not betwixt God and man as it is betwixt man and man One man may be a stranger to another and yet not his enemie but if thou be a stranger to God thou art his enemie A stranger to God is an enemy to him For Christ saith He that is not with me is against me Beware then of the first Turne not so much as thy foote from him but striue to be at home with him and to creepe to his house and to creepe vnder his boord otherwise thou shalt take vp a banner against him Now to goe to the words where begunne this strangenes and enmitie where is the first seate of it which is the fountaine whereof it springs It is not the bodie first it is not in the eye howbeit it be an enemie to God if thou stand in nature thou wilt lift vp a proud eye testifying that thou art an enemie to God it is not in the mouth howbeit thou blaspheme God therewith it is not in thy hand suppose thou fight therewith against the heauens but it begins within thee and the chaire wherein it sits is thy soule If thy soule were not an enemie thy eye and the rest of thy members of thy bodie could not be enemies It comes out of the heart that defiles the man saith Christ Matth. 15. 18. Then againe it begins not at the inferiour powers of thy soule at the sensuall appetite it goes further it begins at the minde of man so saith the Apostle that is to say at the chiefest power of the soule the Ephes 2. 3 minde the eye and the light of thy soule The Mistrisse the Queene that should haue kept all cleane she hath set vp a vile whore and troubles the whole soule This reason which should haue made the soule to see and know God she is the first enemie Very reason in the naturall man an enemie to God of God The very reason whereby thou not onely excels the beast but euen thy selfe is become a whore and greatest foe that God hath in man and abuseth the whole soule of man with her foule cogitation and it defiles the whole parts of the bodie the eye the hand and all the rest with her motion What is the cause of this that the first seate of this enmitie is in the minde and reason of man because all her musing is vpon euill workes she is set vpon them Nay muse what thou wilt if thou bee but in nature all thy musing and thinking shall be but enmitie against God For thou shalt muse nothing but of euill workes Ye know brethren the first deuiser of any mischiefe is the first enemie and not the executor he that abuseth others is the first enemie and lowne and should first dye But so it is the first deuiser of all euill workes is this corrupt minde of man If it come not first in thy mind would thy hand cōmit the euill No no it is first in thy minde and then she puts it out into the inferiour parts of the bodie And therfore if thou gets not grace the first thing that the Lord shall torment shall be thy mind and he shall so torment it y t thou shalt crie would to God when I had had a reasonable minde that I had been a beast Let the Philosophers speake of it as they please as Plato that sets vp the minde as a Queene and the Pope with his philosophicall reason disputing so finely as he troweth extolling nature and free will to good Note That mind of his and his rabble shall one day be wrung and rent in peeces with such torments as the tongue of man and Angell can not expresse And therefore it is that Paul commaunds so earnestly the Ephesians to bee first renued in their minds Eph. 4. 23. The greater reason not sanctified an argument of greater damnatiō It is the mother of all mischiefe and Idolatrie thou hast not to glorie in thy reason if so be it be not sanctified yea the greater conceit thou hast in reasoning the greater damnatiō except it be sanctified in that spirit of Iesus Christ This is the estate they were in before they were reconciled which the Apostle remembers them of that it should neuer go out of their minde Let neuer the stinke of nature goe out of thy mind but Let neuer the soule sent of thy naturall corruption goe out of thy minde weigh it diligently that thou maist giue thankes and praises to God for his grace and deliuerie Next he sheweth the manner how he reconciled them to himselfe and his father for all is alike marke the manner It is two-fold First in that bodie with an emphasis of his flesh The meaning is this he reconciled you by assuming and taking to him a true fleshy bodie hee calles it The bodie of the flesh to let vs see that the bodie which Iesus Christ bare in the world and that hee beares now in glorie at the right hand of the father is not a phantasticall bodie or an appearance of a bodie without soliditie as the Heretikes called it a mathematicall bodie a maiestaticke bodie All is but vanitie but it is a reall bodie as reall as euer the bodie of man was or is of flesh bloud and bones otherwise The bodie of Christ a reall bodie hee could neuer haue been a Mediatour to vs and wee could neuer haue been the better for him either in his death or life Then the first manner of our reconciliation is the assuming of this flesh of this bodie of man hee is first the sonne of God Bodie and soule then he takes to him the bodie the flesh and the soule of man The next word is by death that is by becomming a sacrifice in that bodie which he tooke to him For otherwise if hee had not offred vp his bodie he could haue done vs no good for it is the pearced bodie the shed bloud the vexed soule the tormenting of the man that redeemes and saues thee And therefore Christ suffered in soule when thou hast recourse to Christ goe not to him as hee is in heauen or as he was going vp and downe in Iewrie but goe to him hanging on the Crosse that is to his bloud to sprinkle thy soule otherwise he shall neuer profit thee The Father was not appeased in his wrath vntill hee got his bloud nothing will pacifie the conscience but onely this bloud of Iesus Now marke the Father reconciles vs to himselfe the Sonne againe he reconciles vs to himselfe This is common but in this worke there is a great
she that is holy that gets the presence of God If thou be not sanctified if thou liue not in some measure in a holy life here I Heb. 12. 14 Mat. 5. 4. 5 giue thee this for doome thou shalt neuer see the face of God that is thou shalt neuer be blessed but shut in hell for euer But to sticke vpon the words the word in it owne language to present a man personally in such sort that he hath the eye of him vpon the Iudge and the Iudge vpon him then these words import that wee shall one day be personally with the same bodie and soule and no other presented before the Lord Iesus Christ No no there shall not be such a thing as one shall Euery man must personally present himselfe naked before God appeare for thee but thou shalt personally present thy selfe and stand naked before God there If thou stand vp in holines and see thy Lord thy Iudge with a holy eye hee looking on thee with a holy eye there shall be a mutuall pleasure for if thou be presented holy thou shalt finde such a ioy in thy heart as it is wonderfull to speake of and God shall reioyce of thee Luk. 15. So there shall be mutuall ioy on both parts we shall be presented before Iesus not as before a Iudge but as a The faithfull presented to Christ as a bride to the bridegroome bride before the bridegroome so speakes Paul 2. Cor. 11. not as folke to abide the triall nay there is no iudgemēt for thee that shalt be presented as a bride to thy bridegroome with whom thou shalt liue in ioy and pleasure for euer You see when a bride is presented to a bridegroome there is ioy O the ioy that thou shalt haue when thou shalt be presented to thy Sauiour Iesus Christ as a bride who can expresse and thinke of the greatnes and excellencie of that ioy Then as thou wouldest haue this infinite and vnspeakable ioy with thy husband Iesus striue to holines and seeke to be presented to him and then it shall be well with thee Now in this Iesus with the Father and the holy spirit be all praise Amen THE NINTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 23. 23 If ye continue grounded and stablished in the faith and be not moued away from the hope of the Gospell whereof ye haue heard and which hath been preached to euery creature which is vnder heauen whereof I Paul am a minister WE haue heard brethren from the beginning of this Epistle first the salutation the Apostle vseth to the Church of Colosse Secondly his preface before the doctrine Thirdly we came to the doctrine it selfe wherein ye heard propounded briefly the benefit we haue in Iesus Christ our calling to this estate of grace our redemption in the bloud of the sonne of God Then after to let vs see the pretiousnes of this bloud and the necessitie of this redemption by this bloud hee fell out into a faire and high description of the sonne of God setting him out in many points of his glory partly as hee is God the sonne of God onely partly as he is both God and man the Mediatour the Lord Iesus Christ Of the which whole points of his glorie we concluded the bloud of such a glorious personage must be exceeding precious and so it behooued that this bloud should ransome vs and ransome the world Yea if we looke to the preciousnes of it it is not only sufficient to ransome a world but to ransome ten thousand worlds Now brethren wee ended the doctrine the last day it followes in this text that we haue now read in your hearing that Vers 23. wee speake of the exhortation that the Apostle vseth and subioynes to the doctrine The exhortation is in a word Abide in the faith perseuere stand and keepe it fast for it is a precious thing The first argument hee vseth to perswade them to this Perseuerance in the faith and constancie in religion an infallible argument of our reconciliatiō with God perseuerance abiding in the faith is from that benefit of reconciliation wherof he spake before And he reasons after this manner If you abide in y e faith you are reconciled you stand in amitie with God you are friends to him and he to you and therefore if you count of such a benefit stand fast in the faith Now to come to the faith and to marke such things as God will giue the grace and time will suffer If so be saith he you abide in the faith As if hee would say you are reconciled and stand in friendship with God vnder this condition and restriction If you stand in the faith if you stand in the faith you shall perseuere in the friendship with God Then ye see it is the perseuering in the faith of the Mediatour the sticking fast by the Lord Iesus Christ who is the Mediatour of our reconciliation that makes a man to stand in the reconciliation and friendship with God Sticke to him by whose bloud thou art reconciled to God and thou shalt stand fast in that friendship with God As by the contrary so soone as a man lets the hold goe of the Mediatour hee shall fall from the friendship of the father and falling his last estate is worse then the first If he were miserable before the reconciliation he becomes tenne times more miserable then euer hee was And it had been better for him that he had neuer beleeued nor bin reconciled to God but as he was an enemie so he had continued an enemy So you see what it is to sticke to Iesus Christ by faith in him vnto the end Againe he saith not if you perseuere in well-doing in holines 2 Perseuerance in the faith Sundrie kindes of perseuerance but in the faith The perseuerance he craues is in the faith of Iesus Christ There be sundrie sorts of perseuering wee are said to perseuere in faith in hope in holines in weldoing in a godly life and finally there is not a grace but wee are said to perseuere in it and exhorted to perseuere in it But the first ground of all perseuerance is In the faith of Iesus Christ Marke it well And if this ground be laid downe the abiding in Iesus by a true faith all the rest followes willingly Keepe me faith and stand in faith thou shalt keepe hope of necessitie keepe Faith the eye and light of the soule faith that eye and light of thy soule thou shalt keepe holines thou shalt walke in the light and bring out the works of light On the contrary let goe or forsake faith thou shalt let goe hope of life let Christ goe out of thy eye once he shall go out of thy hand and looke neuer to doe any good turne A faithlesse bodie cannot doe a good turne to pleasure God yea though it should seeme the best thing in the world yet wanting faith
blessednes to suffer with Christ Looke not to raigne with him except in some measure thou be a companion with him in suffring Yet to sticke vpon the words The word in the owne language is not simply to fulfill but to fulfill course about as he would say my head hath gotten his course now comes in my course in suffring So the word affoordeth a good lesson true all these afflictions go by courses al men and women are not afflicted at once but Afflictions in the Saints goe by course euery man hath his turne euery man his course about Christ begun and hee is afflicted first The Apostles are looking to him their course was not come but soone after came their course Others stood looking to them but soone after their owne course came also Brethren we are but lookers on now we look to France and to men suffring for this Gospell we are looking to Italy and Spaine for our time is not come yet The Lord hath seene that we are not yet ripe as soone as thou art ripe hee will plucke thee like a ripe apple Prepare thee prepare thee O Scotland for thou shalt finde one day thy part of the suffrings of Christ thy course is approching He saith not simply he fulfilled the afflictions of Christ his course about but that in his course he fulfilled the rest of the afflictions of Christ The words import the reliques and hinder part or the residue of the afflictions of Christ So all the suffrings of Paul and the rest of the elect were but as small reliques and remnants of Christs suffrings What we suffer yea if it were but in the little finger we thinke it great but if thou wert pained in all thy bodie and soule that is but a remnant of the afflictions of Christ And where this remnant is there the bodie is but the greater part the heape and multitude went before Who suffered the former part who was he that suffered the multitude if Paul suffered the hinder part who but the head Iesus Christ The heape of afflictions was heaped on him The dint lighted vpon him The waue or billow of Gods wrath tumbling down from heauen lighted vpon the head Iesus Christ All that wee suffer are but flashes breaking off from that waue and billow that lighted vpon Christ So that if you will compare the afflictions of the Church to the end of the world all is nothing in comparison of that that Christ suffered Therefore compare thy selfe neuer with him in affliction but when thou seest thy selfe afflicted then consider what Christ hath suffered When thou seest a little thing so bitter then consider what bitternes was in the whole suffrings of Christ He drank out the full cup of bitternes of Gods wrath but thou onely tasts it to teach thee to count what he hath suffered for thy redemption Now in the rest of this verse he sets downe the cause wherefore he suffered No man suffers for nothing as the head Iesus Christ did not suffer for nothing so neuer a member of his suffers in vaine For whose cause then suffered Paul or Christ in him for the bodie What a bodie The bodie which is his Church All these afflictions saith he that Iesus Christ suffers in me are all for the bodie of Christ Well there haue been many suffrings for this bodie The Lord Iesus suffered the extremitie for this bodie Paul and al the Martyrs suffred for this bodie but there is a great difference betweene the suffrings of the head and of the members The head suffered for the redemption The difference betweene the suffrings of Christ and of his mēbers of the bodie which was in hell vnto the time that heredeemed it out of hell Paul Peter this Martyr that Martyr they suffered not for the redemption their bloud could not be the price of redemption all the bloud in Paul and Peters bodie cannot furnish out a farthing of redemption but onely the bloud of that immaculate lambe is the price and only the price of our redemption in despight of all the Papists in the world onely the bloud of God makes out that redemption These base bodies they haue dreamed a dreame of Indulgences and pardons and say that the people will be safe with Popish pardons the Pope that lownes pardons he shall not get pardon himselfe What are these Pardons and Indulgences which these vaine heads haue found out to deceiue the sillie people with The Pope hee calles it the remission of sinnes by the bloud of the Martyrs this Saint and that Saint O vaine lowne is a pardon a remission of sinnes by the bloud of Peter and Paul this Martyr or y t Martyr What a vanitie is this that they think that a man should not be content with the bloud of Iesus onely and esteeme it sufficient but they must seeke to their workes and where they faile in this they must seeke to the merits of the Martyrs setting this with the rest of their works And this merit of the Martyrs he calles the Treasurie he will send out this his vanitie and this his doctrine through the world Woe to thee Scotland if euer this come among thee And againe I see here plainly that there can come nothing to the church without suffering As for her redemption which is the remission of sinnes it is not without the bloud of the Lambe the bloud of God that is a great matter except this bloud of God had bin shed thou shouldest neuer haue been redeemed out of hell But this is a strange matter when thou art redeemed by this bloud when thy righteousnes is bought yet thou canst not get it without suffring and it cannot be ministred to thee except the minister of it die Paul it behooued to die it Peter behooued to dye and all for the saluation of the bodie The diuell hath such an enuie to the saluation of man would to God thou knew it that there is none that would preach to thee of this saluation but he wil stand vp and seek the slaughter of that man So that this that wee call the Church which now is come in contempt the name of the Saints is scorned at this Church is a precious iewell the spouse of Iesus Christ be what she will be in her selfe yet the bridegroome counts much of her otherwise there would neuer haue been so much bloud shed for her Christ had notsuffered Peter Paul had not suffred if thou hadst not bin precious in the eye of Christ Darest thou then offer to destroy that that Christ hath dyed for How darest thou thou dog offer it He is called an Earle and a Lord and a King and an Emperour and what will hee doe He will oppresse the professors of the Gospell of Iesus he will burne and scald the members of the bodie but if thou knew what Christ is and what a member of his Church meanes thou wouldest hold vp thy hand But there are many false
the true blessednes O would to God we could know what blessednes we are called vnto by the preaching of this Gospell To goe forward What is the end of all this preaching of this admonishing and teaching and that in all wisedome The fairest end that euer was What is that end That we saith he may present euery one perfect in Iesus Christ The meaning hereof is that wee may present euery man and woman to whom wee preach of what estate so euer they be a perfect scholler and that in Iesus Christ without whom there is no perfection So this end of this preaching instructing and admonishing is a presenting of euery man in perfectnes and holines especially in the great day of the Lord before that glorious tribunall and to set them vp before their Iudge For if you will reade Paul you shall gather thus much of him that Heb. 13. 17 there is neuer a faithfull preacher but in that day hee shall bring in his companie them whom hee hath conuerted and say Lord there is my companie that were conuerted by my ministery vnto the faith in thy bloud Paul appeares to meane this in these words Alwaies I marke of this presenting that all men and women were once absent from God if thou art to be presented then it must follow that thou wast absent Nay all flesh wandred away from his God The second thing I marke what is the end of all this feruent The end of the ministerie preaching admonition and instruction There is the end to bring men and women that wandred away home againe 2. Cor. 5. 18. 19. to their God in Iesus Christ to bring thee who wast absent from God present to him and to that sight of that countenance in the which is the sacietie of all ioy And in that day when euery Pastor shall present so many as he hath conuerted by the voyce of the Gospell then hee shall see the fruit of his labours for let him preach what he will yet hee shall not see what is the fruit of his trauels till that day Then it shall be said to him Thou didst winne these soules Then he shall get his reward He gets not his wages here modified as you would modifie them to one that serueth you Nay nay but at that day he shall get a Crowne of glorie Paul looked for a Crowne A Crowne of righteousnes saith he is laid vp for me which the Lord that righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all those who looke for his appearing 2. Tim. 4. 8. Who shall be presented Shall onely Kings be presented who haue heard the Gospell shall onely the rich be presented to that glorie shall onely the honorable the Grecian and not the Barbarian shall onely the wise and not the vnwise be presented No no euery man from the King to the very begger that hath heard the Gospell as they all are sinners without exception all hearers of the Gospell of grace all shall be presented without exception in that day Marke it So thou who hearest this Gospell hast no small consolation looke for a faire presenting of thee onely lend thy eare and thou shalt not be frustrate of that glorie howbeit thou be here ignominious and despised for this Gospels sake yet shall it make thee glorious I promise thee it shall glorifie thee if thou wilt honour it in this life So all the faithfull shall there be presented And in what state Perfit saith he Brethren a perfect wisdome makes a perfect man in all knowledge and glorie and be assured of it howbeit thou hearest the Gospell in imperfection yet if thou wilt continue in hearing thou canst not but come to perfection in the end thou shalt be filled with all wisedome and when thou shalt be presented thou shalt be presented in such a perfection as the learnedst in this world cannot attaine vnto Thou art an idiot now in their conceit but if thou wilt heare Christ in his Gospell thou shalt be more wise then euer Plato The wisedome of the world and of Christ how they differ or Aristotle or the wisest worldling that euer was and thou shalt get perfect wisedome in the end And this is that difference betwixt that wisedome of the Philosophers and that wisdome of Christ All their wisedome neuer perfected any man because it was imperfect in it selfe as they themselues who taught it were imperfect but this wisedome of the Gospell which is the wisedome of Christ and of God as he is perfect so is it perfect So shall it perfect the man that heares it if he continue but a short time in hearing In the end of the verse he shewes in whom this perfection is There is nothing without Christ Iesus there is no grace out of him no beginning of grace no progresse in grace no perfection without him Wouldest thou begin in grace Begin in him Wouldest thou proceede in grace goe on in him Wouldest thou be perfected be perfect in him and thou shalt be perfected For euen in this life by reason of that coniunctiō we haue with Christ through faith in his bloud wee haue perfection euen in this imperfection of ours If thou be ingrafted in Christ thou art alreadie perfect in him and maist stand vp and claime it and say O my God I am perfect in Christ But in that great day when wee shall be presented being in Iesus Christ for the hold we get of him here shall neuer let goe thou shalt neuer be seuered from him thou shalt haue a double perfection Thou shalt not onely haue his perfection and his glorie which shall shadow thee and couer thee as a garment but beside that thou shalt then be filled with perfect glorie thy selfe All thy bodie and soule shall be filled with exceeding great glorie So thou shalt haue no small vantage in him All comes to this exhortation sticke by Iesus and be not seuered from him for if thou seuer from him thou art seuered from thy grace and if thou cleaue to him all thy glorie and perfection shall neuer be hindred Let them rent thee and teare thee as they wil thou shalt be glorified and perfected in spite of their teeth Fie then on thee creature that suffers thy selfe to be seuered from Christ cleaue to him as euer thou wilt see glorie and perfection Now we come to the last verse When he hath spoken of the end of his ministerie now hee sheweth he laboured to attaine to it vnto the which saith he I laboured If there was euer any laborious man Paul was one he was a painfull man neuer resting night nor day and all to this end to present many to the Paines in the Ministerie Lord Iesus Then marke the lesson would a Minister attaine to the end of his calling let him be painfull A sluggish Minister will neuer doe good if he be not painfull he is no louing man for loue is euer painfull 1. Thess 1. 3.
men perseuere in the same manner and put not to it so much as one tradition of any man The Lord Traditions Iesus cannot abide that the inuention of mans braine should be foysted into his Gospell So either keepe the Gospell in the owne simplicitie and spit out the dreames and traditions of men which they labour to put to it as though it were not sufficient or else neuer know it let it goe by thee and then woe to thee euermore Keepe it in it owne simplicitie for if thou mingle of thy inuentions with it thou shalt lose the efficacie and force of the Gospell Imbrace once Papistrie I assure thee thou hast fallen from Christ thou hast but fancied to thy selfe the name of a Christian Therefore either lay the Gospell from thee and take thee to traditions or else keepe it in it owne simplicitie Then thirdly I see what faith is Faith is nothing els but the VVhat faith is and perseuerance receiuing of Christ not with the hand but with the hart He is giuen thee thou receiuest nothing but that that is offered And what is preseuerance A walking and going forward in Christ Wouldest thou perseuere Thou must not sit downe thou must not stand still but thou must goe forward in him and make progresse at the least thou must striue to goe on vnto the time thou meete with him A bodie that sits downe shall neuer meere with him thou must therefore goe on thy way and be on thy iourney or else thou shalt lose him If thou make not progresse thou shalt goe backward Therefore run hauing thy eye vpon the goale and count not that thou hast done till thou get the goale which shall be in the day of the resurrection In the next verse when hee hath exhorted them to perseuerance hee lets them see how they shall come by this perscuerance Marke the way if thou perseuere in him Thou must be well knit vp and fast ioyned with him or else thou canst neuer goe on foote for foote with him This coniunction is set downe in two borrowed words The first is rooted in him no neuer tree tooke such roote in the earth as thou must take in Christ if thou goe with him And therefore he borrowed this word from a tree and if thou be rooted in Iesus that sappe of life must runne from that roote and make thee to grow The second word is as wee would goe forward with him wee must be grounded vpon him as a building builded vpon a foundation Nay there was neuer building so builded and setled as thou must be in Christ if euer thou wilt perseuere or else the least blast of winde shall blow thee away As the Lord in the Gospell in the similitude of the house builded vpon the sea sand doth declare Matth. 7. 26. 27. Then marke wee must haue a streight coniunction with Christ if we wil goe forward with him Therefore our care should be euer to see that wee take roote further and further in Christ and to see that stedfast foundation laide vp vnder our hearts and that wee grow euery day more and more on him Well is the man that can enter into this count with himselfe Then learne thy lesson at the tree when thou seest it rooted in the earth say O Lord let my heart be builded on thee and as the building riseth so raise thou A prayer vp my heart on thee And the Lord shall make thee a fairer building then all the buildings in the world Then that which he hath spoken in borrowed speeches he speakes it plainly and he saith established in faith As if hee would say it is nothing that I meane but your stablishing in faith O the vnstabilitie of man without faith O vaine man that hath not faith If thou finde any stabilitie in faith thou shalt say O my heart where hast thou been stragling there is no anchor that can fasten or stablish thine heart but faith and hope in Iesus Christ When by this anchor thou art anchored on him then thou shalt stand so fast that no winde nor waue of the sea shall be able to remoue thee And therefore except thou wouldest goe lose thy selfe seeke to get thy heart anchored on Iesus who is only able to make it fast A Papists heart hath no stedfastnes nor stabilitie because it is grounded on the wrong place it is founded vpon Antichrist Now to the establishing of thy heart he requires two properties To stablish thine heart in the faith note two things The first is in the faith that ye haue been instructed into that is by the Gospell of Christ Then brethren there is nothing will stablish thy heart but that faith that is taught out of the Gospell If thou get not thy faith out of this Gospell the Scripture of God and that onely without paring or adding of mens dreames thou shalt neuer get it The Lord shall iustifie this one day seeke it where thou wilt thou shalt not find it without the Gospel Seeke it in the Councels of the Fathers seeke it among the Popes Clergie thou shalt not finde it amongst them thou shalt euer be the further from it For the Apostle streightens them sore he sees lownes creeping in vnder the cloake of Christ and stealing in traditions of mens wisedome Therefore he warnes them and saith I charge you that ye seeke saith only out of this Gospell And this day also I charge all flesh from Kings to beggers to seeke faith onely out of this Gospell and spit at the vile inuentions of men or else thou shalt neuer see the face of God nor the ioyes of that life in him Therefore sticke by this Gospell and suffer not thy selfe to be seuered from it yea rather suffer thy skinne be pulled off thee as the Martyrs did before thou shouldest be parted from the Gospell The second propertie that is required to the establishing of thy heart in faith is Thy faith must abound abounding saith he with thankesgiuing It must abound it must grow aboundantly it must not begin onely but it must grow degree by degree For brethren O how voide is the heart of man of grace and ful of vanitie It wil not be a degree of grace y t will fill thy heart nor two nor three c. but there must be aboundance Faith must abound and grow so long as thou abidest in this world thy heart must euer be filling But alas thou art euer filling thy bodie and forgets thy heart O but thou must be more carefull to fill thy heart then thy bodie Crie therefore euer to haue thy heart filled with faith in Iesus and say Lord as thou fillest my bodie so fill my heart also For thy body being Pray that thy heart may be filled with faith filled shall perish but if thy soule be filled with the faith of Iesus thou shalt liue for euer and euer And therefore seeke this aboundance and be not content with one degree
cloathing it is that thou hast first he calleth it a bodie it is a bodie then a massie lumpe this is a borrowed word from the bodie of man So the garment wherewith thou art clad by nature and which must be shaken off of thee if thou wouldest be saued it is no superficiall thing O vaine man Our naturall corruptiō no light or superficiall thing thou thinkest it a superficiall light thing No it is a bodie and a lumpe with all the dimensions thereof length heighth breadth and deepnes yea thou art not able to finde out the deepnes thereof Thou maist indeede feele the deepnes of thy bodie of flesh and bones but thou canst not finde the deepnes of thy heart For as thy soule is compassed with thy bodie euen so thy heart is compassed and clogged with an heauie lumpe heauier then the whole earth One sinne is heauier then the whole earth no marueile then if thou be drawne to hell if thou be not relieued Now let vs see whereof this bodie is He calleth it a bodie of sinne O stinking nature Then brethren ye see the arraignement of nature a bodie not of flesh bloud and bone but of sinne and of all sorts of sinne Wilt thou looke into thy heart thou shalt see it full of foule stinking cogitations and affections And if thou haddest any smell of it thou wouldest stink Naturall corruption how vncleane a thing in thy owne nose I forbeare to speake of the outward effects as foule speeches and the wicked deedes of the hands which returne to the heart againe and makes vp the stinking bodie The heart of man is drowned in the sinke of sinne and if thou relieue not thy selfe thou shalt be drowned in sin The world will not beleeue this nor yet learne this lesson In the next word he calleth it the bodie of flesh Wouldest thou haue the originall of sinne it is called flesh not this outward bodie that thou bearest but an inward hid thing and stinking corruption that is runne through thy whole soule and bodie and infecteth them so that there is not an inch of thee free So you see the welspring of this sinfull masse it is not outward it is within thee that ayleth thee the seate of it is in the heart and occupieth the depth of it and no part therof is free and it spouteth out vehemently this foule stinking venome of sinne as euer thou sawest any spout spout out water So that if thou grow not in regeneration thou shalt grow in sinne which poysons thee day by day till at the last thou drop downe like a poysoned bodie Therefore roote it out and digge it vp let this be thy occupation night and day as Kill sinne or else it will kill thee thou wouldest be saued or else it will destroy thee So thou seest this garment this bodie wherewith thou art so clogged must be cast off otherwise of necessitie thou must be a firebrand of hell In the end of the verse he taketh vp that which he hath spoken in one word I meane would he say by this of casting off the bodie nothing else but that circumcision of Christ that is to say not onely that that he suffered in his owne flesh passiue but that this is made by him actiue as we speake Then note shortly that all this of putting off this foule garment is not by the hand of man all the men in the world cannot get their hand into thy heart to plucke off this foule stinking garment hee may open thy breast and pull out thy fleshie heart but there is no hand that can pull off and draw out that foule heart but onely the hand of Christ Iesus Therefore if thou wilt be freed of that mortalitie craue his hand to pluck Christ alone doth circumcise the heart off this garment and crie O Lord put in thy hand and plucke this foule heart away fie on it it stinkes in mine owne nose When he hath thus spoken he leaueth vs not so but maketh it plaine shewing the manner how this is brought about Thou must not dreame of a grosse fashion for the manner is spirituall In old time a man would haue put to his hand bodily but Iesus Christ puts to his hand spiritually Now the circumcision of Iesus Christ standeth in a conformitie VVhat the circumcisiō of Christ is and likenes betweene Christ and vs. This likenes stands in two poynts first in the likenes with him in death and buriall thou must dye I tell thee thou that wouldest be made like to Christ thy head Secondly it standeth in a conformitie in life and in rising againe to life and truly thy life shall be more sweete and ioyfull then euer thy death was sower and heauie But he beginneth at his death his words are being buried Buriall presupposeth death no man is buried but he that is dead Then vnderstand how thou canst neuer liue with To be buried vvith Christ in griefe for sinne Christ vnlesse thou dye with him thinke not that euer thou shalt rise except thou bee first buried with him in griefe for sinne Well well wanton companions burie your hearts in teares and holy repentance Repentance if it be holy is thy buriall for who euer rose except he lay downe Can a man rise from death to life except he were first dead Canst thou rise to that spirituall and eternall life except thou be first spiritually dead It must be the death of this bodie of sinne of this body of flesh that is within thee that must bring thee to this buriall of Christ Couldest thou neuer sigh for thy sinne then wast thou neuer at deaths dore nor dead with Christ And except thou sigh continuallie day and night for thy sinnes and dye to them and euery one of them how canst thou say thou shalt rise with Christ Art thou a murtherer and greeuest not for it so that thou abstainest from it then thou diest not and shalt not therefore rise with Christ Art thou an oppressour and repentest not then thou diest not neither shalt thou rise with Christ Art thou an euill speaker of thy neighbour behinde his backe as this land is full of such people who thinke it no sinne and sorrowest not thou neuer wast dead with Christ neither canst rise with him O the villaine that will please himself in this sin the rest and yet will imagine to rise as well as the best men to life in Iesus But O foole thou art altogether vaine and thy cogitations are meere deceits for Christ will not be a Sauiour to any but to such as die with him mortifying their sinnes If thy buriall be not with him thou shalt neuer rise to spirituall life with him Thou maist indeed rise but not to thy comfort if thou be not buried to sinne in some measure in this life there shall be no resurrection for thee to that life which is in the heauens purchased in the bloud of Christ Iesus Men thinke not
that wee receiue in Christ Would to God wee could meditate vpon this life that is in Christ you shall know it best by this what a death wast thou in It was a spirituall death both of the soule and bodie standing in the want of the life of God Then this life must be spiritual also euen the life of God that thrusts out that death that is that corruption and fruites of the same If thou haue this life though thou werst dying bodily thou wilt be liuing in thy soule and when thou art dead thou shalt be liuing this is the aduantage of this life of God But if thou want this life dying thou shalt be onely dead and nought els and woe is that man or woman that is onely dead 2. Cor. 4. 10. Paul speaking of himselfe saith Euery where we beare about in our bodie the dying of the Lord Iesus meaning this dying in the bodie but yet saith he the life of Iesus is manifested in my bodie that is in dying bodily I liue spiritually And vers 16. The more that the bodie died the more he was renued daily Paul felt this in himselfe doest thou not feele this naturall life wearing away the strength of it decaying daily Striue theÌ„ with Paul that with the decay of the one thou maist feele the growth of the other in thee and woe is thee losing the bodily life if thou get not the growing of the spiritual life But if thou doest feele it keepe it well otherwise thou shalt die euerlastingly He saith not simply he had quickened them but he saith he hath quickened them with him that is with Iesus Christ in this order First he raised Christ from the dead then with him he beginneth their rising here in this life which shall be accomplished in the second resurrection that is to come If ye wil consider these words they import three things First there is none quickened alone so as if thou be alone Three things in our â—iuification to be considered and separate from Christ thinke not to liue conceiue not to get the life of God and therefore he saith hee hath quickened you with him The second thing is there is no man that is first quickened in order but Christ is first quickened and thou commest in the second roome thou canst not get life before him The third thing to be considered in this place is no man getteth life from God immediatly for first hee giueth life to Christ and thou being in Christ thou drawest a portion out of him He hath the fulnes if thou be ioyned with him thou drawest out a share of life where by thou doest liue And therefore take this admonition Wouldest thou haue life stand not alone but ioyne with thy head Christ and then with the bodie for if thou be not a member of this bodie though it seeme ignominious to thee thou shalt haue no life in thee Creepe then vnto Christ be neuer alone be euer in the society of the Saints And if Christ be the head then claime not to be the first to haue life but let Iesus thy head be first and then come thou creeping in to him striue to be next him as much as thou canst and striue not to be first for hee will be first in despite of thee The last is seeke not to get grace and life immediatly of God without Christ as if there were any life of thy own without him thou wouldest be deceiued in steed of life the curse of God will fall vpon thee Thinkest thou that the Iewes which looke vp to heauen and seeke life without Christ thinkest thou that they will get it Nay they get death in steed of life but thou that gettest a drop of his grace which is better then all the kingdomes of the earth to refresh thy soule that is parched as it were with the heate of sinne thou I say wilt get life in him for all grace is in him therefore seeke for it in him To goe forward he laieth downe whereupon this proceedeth It must be builded vpon a ground which is a remission of thy sinnes which is in effect the iustifying of thee in Iesus accompting thee to be a iust man notwithstanding thy sinnes saying I pronounce thee a iust man Then briefly mark this and looke by what order thou attainest to life This is the order to come by the life of God first before euer thou get that quickning How to attaine life spirit for it is the spirit that quickens thou must haue the bloud of Iesus For there are two things that come from Iesus his bloud and his spirit thinke not to get the spirit before the bloud but seeke the bloud bathe and wash that foule soule of thine Wash and clense thee againe and againe in that bloud shed on the crosse to the end that the guiltines of thy sinnes being washed away from thy soule for this is the vertue of that bloud to all that beleeue thou maist get the spirit of Iesus For being once washed in his bloud then thou gettest that that is called the remission of sinnes which are washed away Heb 9. 14. through faith in the bloud of Christ and hauing got this free remission the spirit will come and will pull out that roote of bitternes and digge it vp by the rootes all the power in the The power of Christs spirit world cannot pull it vp but the spirit of Iesus will doe it it will I say pluck vp that roote and all the branches and members of it howbeit he will not doe it at once yet hee will doe it by degrees Then if thou wouldest haue life goe on in this order and say to God Lord forgiue me my sinnes in the bloud of Two petitions Iesus say not Lord quicken me but say Lord forgiue me my sinnes and take away the guiltines of them in the bloud of Iesus It is most certaine that if thou haue faith in the bloud of Iesus thou must be forgiuen Then say in the second roome Lord quicken me giue me that spirit that may pull out this naturall corruption and put life in me Come on in this manner and if thou hast a faithfull heart it is not possible but thou maist obtaine remission of thy sins and be quickened Crie then continually Lord forgiue me Lord relieue me of the death which I lie in relieue me of this corruption put life in me and all this through thy beloued sonne Christ Iesus For it will not be the life of thy parents that will make thee to liue crie to root out that poison which thou hast from thy parents Our gentlemen thinke it enough for them if they be descended of such a descent of people Ha ha thou wilt die like a dog if thou haue no more be neuer contented til thou hast gotten a new birth For all they that will raigne with him must haue a new birth It is impossible for thee to be one of
to speake of Angels and of their orders and tell you there bee so many orders of them Who told you that and then he will begin to speake of Saints and he will bid you call on them Did God commaund him to bid thee doe so and when hee hath done with heauen he will goe downe to hell and will tell you of all the chambers and places there of Limbus Patrum Purgatorie with the rest as though he had bin there And againe with such confidence he will speak of these things as if he had seene thē with his eyes This then tels vs y t this doctrine of the Papists is not a new but an old heresie and how like is a new heretike to an old heretike Well to be short let neuer man be curious in that which God hath neuer reuealed If God Curiositie hath not reuealed what the Angels be doing in heauen what the Saints be doing question not of it where hell is and what parts are in hell if God haue not reuealed it be not curious to search it let it be leaue off questioning of things that God hath not reuealed seeing there are so many things reuealed which thou canst not attaine vnto if thou shouldest sit night and day meditating vpon them Againe let no man bee bold to affirme the thing that hee knoweth not whether it be true or not if thou vse thy selfe to shamelesse pertnes thou wilt come in the end to confirme lyes Euer keepe a moderation and speake according to thy knowledge that that thou hast seene and heard And speake seeing it is the office of the Pastor to speake speake assuredly of saluation for surely thou must be studious to get the truth and to speak boldly of it and to die in the truth of God There is the first argument why the Apostle wils the Colossians that no man condemne them for meate and drinke learne of it to answere the Papists after this manner Thou art a pert and shamelesse bodie to intrude thy selfe into this point and that point of religion whereof thou hast no sure warrant and in that thou neuer sawest heardest nor was neuer reuealed to thee The second argument is from as euill a ground euen from pride and a poore pride as the words import for so the Apostle speaketh blowne vp as a bagge with winde no solide stuffe Now after what manner is he puft vp Rashly that is without cause hauing no matter but onely winde For ye shall vnderstand that there is but two sorts of pride There is one that is called a poore pride as we say A proud heart in a poore Two sorts of pride breast whē vpon a vaine conceit men are proud of that which they haue not Such was the pride of the Pharisie vpon the conceit of his righteousnes through it he scornes the poore man besides him who was notwithstanding more iustified then he was The second sort of pride is when one is proud but hath some matter of it as a rich man for his riches a man of science for his science whether the matter of it be outward or inward Of this the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued why then boastest thou as though thou haddest not receiued it Alas no gift should make one proud For where that is it is a tokē that thou misknowest the giuer If a man haue pride with his graces all his graces are poyson for pride is a poysonable seasoning of them so that they shall neuer doe thee good As for example hee that hath grace to speake well if he be proud he may well doe the people good but he shall neuer be able to doe himselfe good A man of law Pride poysons all gifts that is full of law euen to the throte if he haue pride with it he may doe thee and the people good with it but not himself yea it is a curse to him A Preacher that hath knowledge in the Scriptures and can discourse vpon them finely if hee haue pride with his gift all is poyson he may well doe the auditorie good but hee shall neuer be able to doe his owne soule good So it is no small grace of God with thy gifts to haue humilitie and grace with humilitie is more worth then many graces that are conioyned with pride Now to goe to the words Where from commeth this pride this mischieuous pride that hath no matter to be proud for nothing it is a thing which is intolerable Hee sets downe the ground of it It comes from the minde there is the mother of it It is not without thee it is not riches honour and what euer thou hast that will make thee to haue a conceit of thy selfe it is not these things outward Pride whence it comes howbeit they will greatly further thee and helpe thy pride as ye may see this day in the persons of rich and honourable men What is it then euen the best thing of nature giuen to thee euen thy minde the reason that is within thee it poysoneth al thy gifts A natural mā wil make a faire discourse in reasoning yet with such a pride that he will not yeeld to any that saith against him and his reason So the best thing in man is his greatest enemie Man hath reason a reasonable minde and that is his preferment aboue the beast but I say to thee if that reason be not sanctified by the spirit of Christ Iesus if thou werst a King well had it been to thee that thou haddest bin borne a dog yea that thou haddest bin created a stocke or a stone if thou be not sanctified in thy reason This reason in the minde hauing pride conioyned with it beguiled all the Philosophers Rom. 1. 21. What a minde is that a fleshly minde saith the Apostle If there be any pure thing in man it must be the minde Yet the Apostle calleth it fleshly and Roman 8. vers 7. The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God I say to thee as the bodie is grosse and corrupt so the minde is as grosse and corrupt by nature So that as the bodie can feele nothing but that that is grosse no more can thy soule apprehend spirituall things but grosse things So there is the mother of all mischiefe That that Paul calleth flesh the canker of nature will ye see her daughters she begetteth vaine discoursing Then when she is in conceit of wisedome followeth false The daughters of reason not sanctified opinions of doctrines as this that Angels should be worshipped and then followeth the last childe Pride So all tends to this seeke mortification the slaughter of this mother the flesh or els she will destroy thee I say if she be not mortified thou shalt die euerlastingly For she shall fill thee so with wind and puffe thee vp so that when the iudgement commeth thou shalt be burnt vp like stubble Alas hast thou not thought of mortification
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
is of such things as are proper for such a life I tell you this earth and all the things in it your siluer gold drinke and all the rest the knowledge of these things serueth not for the life of heauen but if thou wilt haue such a life thy knowledge must reach to heauen and howbeit thy knowledge be finite yet it will compasse things infinite if thou haue the spirit of Iesus saith the Apostle it compasseth the breadth and depth of him Ephes chap. 3. verse 18. 19. Knowledge of heauenly things necessarie if we be in Christ So this heauenly life requires wisedome in heauenly things Iesus Christ when hee rose the eye of him went vp to heauen he knew no more these carnall things all went away and the minde of him was occupied vpon heauenly things so if thou rise with him thy minde will to heauen and in some measure thou wilt vnderstand things and thou wilt be wise in God If thou haue not this I say thou hast not risen with Iesus but art yet filthie wallowing in thy owne bloud to thy eternall damnation Now he is not content to exhort them that they be wise in these things aboue but hee excludeth things of this earth to teach thee that thou canst not be wise in these heauēly things in case thou be wise in these things beneath yea these heauenly things shall bee but foolishnes to a wise man in earthly things for they shall be but as a dreame and imagination to such the speech of the Gospell shall be follie to him So think not to take both in thy armes when thou art looking downe how canst thou looke vp Thinke not to compasse heauen and earth both together for in compassing the one thou shalt lose the other Therefore the Apostle sundreth them This seemeth to be hard for how can we cast all care of this world away we must eate drinke and be cloathed and haue some care of these things so long as we abide in the earth The Apostle answereth in the first Epistle to the Corinth chap. 7. vers 29. for hauing spoken of mariage he saith the time is shortned As if hee would say ye will not be long in this life Therefore ye that haue wiues be as though ye had them not By the which he meaneth not that we should cast all care away of this world but that we should take the things of this earth by the way as it were that is to say let not thy chief care be on them but so farre as they serue for heauen Doe euen as though thou were going on a pilgrimage yee will take meate drinke gold siluer and such other things to helpe you forward in your iourney yet your care will not bee on them but your care will bee chiefly on your iourney euer hauing your eye vpon the end of it Thou wilt not sit downe vpon thy riches vpon thy meate and the rest Simile while thou art in iourneying but wilt be euer going forward in thy iourney vsing these things by the way euen so the Lord in this our iourneying to heauen hee will not haue vs to sit downe and set our care chiefly on these things in the earth but to take them as it were by the way hauing thy chiefe care Matth. 6. on him and the things with him therefore sit not down vpon any thing in this earth if thou doe thou shalt neuer come to thy iourneys end yea thou shalt lose the remembrance of it Now to goe forward in the words following There are two arguments to this purpose set downe by the Apostle the first is to disswade them from earthly things ye are dead The next is to seeke heauenly things your life is hid with Christ in God To speake then of the first argumēt which is ye are dead to the earth therfore striue not to be wise in y e earth Ye knowe that a mā that is dead supposing that he had neuer so great care of this world and could neuer get a fill of the things in it so long as he liued yet when life is gone the bodie lieth still and will not giue a peny for all the world all pleasure goeth away and Simile as a man dieth he will begin to spit at the world yea a man full of the honour of it he will at his dying day spit at it Euen so brethren the soule dying with Iesus spiritually as the bodie dieth naturally to sinne to the earth and to all earthly things to what end should it care for these earthly things Nay if thou didst finde that death of Iesus thou wouldest loath these things In deede it is vnpossible to be altogether voyde of the care of these things of the earth as long as we are in the bodie here but if thou be buried with him certainly thou wilt loath all these things beneath and despise the wisdome of them and begin by little and little to seeke the things of heauen And if thou be thus wise dead it is a sure argument thy soule is mortified lying as it were in the buriall of Iesus vntill the time thou rise glorious in that great day As by the contrarie if thou be not buried with Iesus in thy soule and bodie thou art liuing to sinne thou wantest the life of God and hast nothing but a sinfull life Brethren ye heard before he sayd they were liuing now he saith they are dead How can these two stand Obiection Answere together I answere a spirituall death in the soule when it dieth to sinne to foule affections and to earthly things such a death as that standeth very well with a spirituall life yea this death is so ioyned with the spirituall life that except the spirituall death precede the life of Iesus will not enter into thee Thinke not to enioy both together at once the life of sinne and the life of God but ere thou get the life of God the eye thou hadst to earthly things must be closed no thinke not to looke vp and downe together at once No no be dead to the world ere euer thou minde to open an eye to heauen So then the death to the world and the life to heauen standeth well together The last argument followeth perswading to the things aboue your life is hid aboue with Christ. There are the words and why should ye not follow him and set your heart and your eye vpon him where your life is Brethren I see there are many things to moue vs to seeke heauen and to be wise in heanenly things Now I would to God one of them could moue vs but alas as for a stonie heart speake and reason with it as ye will and conuince it as ye please it will abide hard and will not be moued Wouldst thou goe downe to the things of this life that death that thou diest forceth thee vp to heauen it giueth thee wings to flie vpward and closeth thine eyes from the world
come and take vp the bodie and so sinne is not a light thing Seeing then it is so hard to slay these affections continue in slaying them and thinke it not enough thou hast giuen sinne a wound to day and so leaue off I tell thee it will slay thee if thou slay not it daily and hourely For that is it Paul saith Rom. chap. 7. vers 18. 19. A wanton girle and a wanton fellow they thinke they are liuing but I say there is not a sparke of life in them and well were they that they had not that life Therefore continue in slaying of sinne or else thou shalt be slaine of sinne and the life of lifes shall be taken from thee Ye that haue bin occupied in slaying of others slay your selues and your affections But how shall ye slay your affection It lieth not in thy hand to doe it there is no vertue in thee thou canst not slay one affection I will tell thee The meanes are two the first is faith in Iesus and in his death that is the death of Iesus apprehended by faith draw him as greedily Two means to kill sin to thee as thou suckest sinne It is the vertue of the crosse of Iesus that slayeth sinne and thy foule affections so that if thou haue not faith in him and his death thou shalt neuer be Gal. 6. 14. 15. able to slay sinne in thee nor to mortifie one foule affection The other meane to slay sinne and foule affections is the spirit of Iesus that accompanieth the crosse of Iesus take away the crosse of Iesus no spirit Then this spirit comming into thy heart it falleth to and putteth his hand in that sinne which is within thee and killeth it by little and little for as hee is a quickening spirit so hee is a slaying spirit of sinne So Christs crosse embraced by faith then his spirit they are the meanes to slay sinne in thee Then thou hast no more to doe but by faith to entertaine that crosse of Christ and his spirit for woe Rom. 8. 2. 3. 4. is that heart that is without the spirit of Christ But how shall this be I tell thee faith is by hearing heare the Gospell then for if thou take no pleasure in the Gospell faith Christ and his spirit shall goe from thee Besides these two there are other godly exercises profitable to the same purpose continuall prayer for that is the exercise that God delighteth in Meanes to come by to increase saith earnest exercising of the workes of charitie if thou leaue off these exercises thou shalt lose Christ and his spirit and shalt grow in sinne and then thou shalt be cast into damnation for euer Gods iudgement shall light on thy necke and shall crush thee downe to hell and thy sinne both This for the word mortifying The next is what should wee mortifie Hee saith not thy neighbour no no but hee saith mortifie thy cancred affection that moueth thee to slay thy neighbour slay thy selfe that is that masse of sinne that is within thee and cut off from thy bodie euery vncleane thing and slay euery member thereof and leaue not so much as thy little finger vnslaine By the mēbers Members of sinne I vnderstand the foule affections in thy heart which run thorough the whole bodie and fill the eye with pride with adulterie with wrath and crueltie in such sort that the very looke of the eye is defiled and will runne to vncleannes The hand is defiled and runneth to bloud the foote is defiled and hasteth to murther yea thy foule affections in the heart they will come to the tongue and imploy it all in their seruice so that thou maist perceiue what a sinne lieth in thy heart that infecteth all the members Therefore this is the exhortation of the Apostle slay the foule affections in thy members if it be in thy eye plucke it away that is plucke away that foule affection in thy eye for better it is for thee to bee crooked and blinde then to be cast into hell and there to curse thy hand and feete and all the members of thy bodie euerlastingly Now then of this briefly Ye see how farre sinne spreadeth in man and woman it is not content to occupie one part onely of man it will not be content with thy soule but it runneth through all It leaueth not one part free but filleth al the parts of man and woman Therefore mortification must not bee in one part it must not be in the soule onely but as farre as sin Mortification in all parts reacheth so farre must thy mortification reach Then begin at thy heart and next come to the outward members of the bodie for it auaileth nothing to haue a faire counterfaite face without if thou haue a foule heart within Yet the stile is to be noted that he giueth the members he calleth them earthly not heauenly All these foule affections are called earthly because in themselues they are grosse and earthly and their obiects are earthly And what matter brethren if these affections were made of the best part of the earth they are made of the dirt of the earth of these ofscourings of the dirt that thou wouldest lothe to look to Note Indeed there are some that be of the good earth as eating drinking and sleeping c. therefore are lawfull being sanctified but as for these affections of harlotrie of concupiscence of murther of couetousnes they are vnlawful and vncleane wilt thou then foster them No mortifie them slay them and cut them away Christ came not to make thy harlotrie cleane to thee no no thou lies in thy throate cut it away therefore otherwise thou and it both shal perish This for the generall Now I come to the particular members Because the large dispute vpon the particulars fitteth not for this time onely I will speake so farre as serueth for the purpose of this text Hee beginneth first at fornication Then hee commeth to vncleannesse Thirdly to inordinate passions Fourthly to euill concupiscence And fiftly he commeth to auarice and he would haue all these cut away Now to prosecute euery one of these The first is fornication harlotrie when whores and harlots go together Paul to the Romanes chap. 1. vers 24. and Ephes chap. 5. vers 5. when hee counteth out the vices of the Gentiles hee beginneth alwaies at harlotrie and fornication and then from that hee commeth to other vices In the first to the Corinthians chap. 6. he insisteth more largely Fornication in condemning of that sinne then commonly yee shall finde him to doe in any other vice and hee vseth for the condemning of it fiue or sixe arguments What meaneth this constant doing in condemning this vice The spirit doth it not in vaine no not one word commeth from that holie spirit in vaine I shall tel you the cause This sinne was a sinne common among the Gentiles and they thought it no sinne they
this vice of filthie speaking would ye know it There is no house but it is full of this villanie The villaine cannot speake two words but the one is filthie speaking and so it is no wonder that this ayre is defiled Thou bringest on Gods iudgements on thee and thy corne both thou art a foule speaker Paul in the Ephesians calleth it rotten speech stinking speech and that because it is of foule things For where the thing is filthie the talke must be filthie also And as the filthie thing defileth and corrupteth the flesh and vitiateth all that it toucheth euen so out of question the filthie speech will rot thee Put a fresh apple amongst the rotten the very rotten apples will rot the fresh euen so thou Simile shalt rot thy selfe by thy foule speech Ye will say to me Is there such a force in a word what doe I reckon of it it is but winde But Paul 1. Cor. chap. 15. vers 23. saith be not beguiled thou thinkest words be nothing what addeth he wicked speeches corrupt good manners wicked speeches therfore will rot thee be not beguiled with them By this learne thou then how subiect the heart of man is to vanitie and how readie hee will be to sucke it in Hee will sucke it in faster then euer a drie mouth will drinke in drinke and he will speake of his vanitie and filthines no there is not an obiect cast vp but it will defile the soule of the filthie speaker To what end should I speak of these things the foule heart will commit filthines with the shadow of it and ere euer thou be a harlot in thy bodie thou wilt be a harlot in thy heart and tongue first and then it will not rest vntill thou pollute that bodie of thine Looke to it and proue thy experience if thy heart hath not committed adulterie or euer thy bodie committeth it The bodie was neuer so subiect to draw a pestilence as the hart is to attract the vice of adulterie and all other filthie vices and thy senses in thy head are as many doores to the soule that letteth in either good or euill things when they are open especially take heed The senses windowes to thy eyes and eares for they are principall but the eares chiefest For as the greatest grace is let in by the care for from whence commeth faith but by the hearing From whence cōmeth edificatiō but by the care and so it is a special sense in a man and therfore take heed to it As it receiueth the greatest grace so it will take in the foulest greatest vice that is Take heed thē to it let it not be giuen to euery bodies talk keep her chast lend her not to filthie speaking when thou hearest any speake filthie talke turne thy eare from him I giue this exhortation to yong ones that are brought vp in filthie houses with gentlemen with swaggerers I say this therefore for them that they may receiue knowledge for it will take a deepe impression And therefore it should be enformed in good things for there is none of you but the filthie things ye gate in your youth hindreth you in good operation Therefore thou that art young keepe a chast eare abhorre filthie companie And you know if the pestilence were in a house you would not abide there O if thou knewest the pestilence of filthie talke thou wouldest not abide in the house with him that speaketh filthie talke For as filthie thoughts are put from the heart so filthie speaking is from the mouth and as there is mortification required in the heart so there is mortification required in the mouth and tongue That spirit crieth to all runne vp thorough the bodie and all the members of it and mortifie them beginning at the heart Therefore thou that wouldest speake speake cleane things minister grace in thy talke purge the heart for yee know out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Therefore I say to you if thou heare a Lord speake foule talke say my Lord your heart is foule stinking like a priuie I will say this to thee Lord clense thy heart and tongue or els both will be burnt in hell Againe brethren as the contagion ariseth out of the heart to the tongue euen so the filthy word goeth not so soone from the mouth or tongue but it sendeth a stinke back againe to the heart and it maketh it fouler then before and so thou defilest not thy tongue only by thy filthie speech but thou defilest thy heart and laiest on it a double filthines Is it not as good then to be silent and euer purging your hearts Thou that thinkest both filthie things and speakest filthy things O vile villaine thou sinnest doubly But alas who can hinder this filthines in man or woman alas so long as we liue we shall finde it in them yet I giue thee my counsell lend not thy tongue to it but aske grace of God in Iesus Christ to keepe thy heart and tongue from this vncleannes and be slaine in thy heart and surely thou shalt get grace in thy heart to slay it by the spirit of the Lord Iesus to whom be all honour and praise for euer THE XXVII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 9. 10. 9 Lie not one to another seeing that ye haue put off the old man with his workes 10 And haue put on the new which is renued in knowledge after the image of him that created him WE insist yet brethren in this exhortation which the Apostle hath to the Colossians to this end that they should mortifie their earthly members that is their lusts and foule affections He vseth sundrie arguments to this purpose as we heard and at last hee concludeth that purpose in other words Before he said mortifie and now put away seeing it is to day it is a shame that they should bee seene now in Coherence the day light of righteousnes to walke in vncleannes and filthie lust Then he rehearseth vp a number of vices besides them that were before namely wrath anger which is firie malice cursed speaking filthie speaking And here we left the last day Now we shall goe forward with the last vice which is lying we be to speake of it first here and so to passe forward to the argument taken from that regeneration begun and therefore it should perseuere in vs to the end But to come to the vice of lying There be here three vices Three vices of the tongue reckoned that follow the tongue for if it bee euill it is the worst member in the bodie The first is cursed speaking when we hurt the fame of our brother The second is filthy speaking rotten speaking as hee saith in another place when wee defile the eare and consequently the heart of our brother with the breath of our mouth for we defile all and our owne heart also whereunto our foule speech returneth as ye
because man is created to the image of God and God is truth So euery lie is a sin before God Alas when Christ in the 12. of Mat. vers 36. saith that we shall giue an account of all this vaine talke and idle words that defile the care and fill it with clattering and glauering from morning to euening how much more shall a liar giue an account of his lies So to conclude all lying is sinne of what sort soeuer it be Therefore vse it not neither in iest nor earnest I am not ignorant brethren but this matter hath bin reasoned of old euen by the learned to excuse some kinde of lie especially this officious lie that is for the good of their brother they want not arguments and especially the examples of the Scripture The Midwiues lied to Pharaoh Exod. 2. Rahab the harlot lied to her owne townesmen to saue the spies 1. Iosu chap. 2. Dauid to saue his owne life being in the Court of the Philistines hee lied 1. Sam. 21. he fained himselfe mad Now say they we cannot say that these godly persons sinned in all this seeing the Midwiues were highly rewarded Rahab was saued when all the towne was spoyled This is an apparant argument Now brethren grant this that they lied as it is doubted whether they lied or not yet it followeth not that they sinned not I say to you they sinned in lying The midwiues sinned in lying Rahab sinned in lying and Dauid in that counterfeiting and it was not the lie it was not the infirmitie of the which the lie proceeded that the Lord rewarded no the Lord forgaue the lie but it was that pitie and feare of God that was in the women that the Lord rewarded Therefore their lie is not set downe to thee for imitation but that thou shouldest flie it Doe the good they did but by another meane Doe not euill that good may come of it No doe the good but vse the lawfull meane I doubt not but these women asked mercie for their lie if thou be so straited that thou liest aske mercie if it were that thy lie were to saue the whole countrie aske mercie for it for it is an offence to God Now a question and so to go forward We see here if we haue concluded with the Apostle that it is sinne to lie in any sort ye will aske is it a sinne to conceale the truth to hide the truth Sinneth the man that telleth not all the truth I answere there are two sorts of truth one of religion and another of policie Of concealing a truth concerning this present life If thou aske about religion I giue thee a distinction If thou be vrged to giue a confession of thy faith thou art bound to conceale nothing otherwise thou deniest the Lord Iesus and as thou deniest him thou forswearest the truth so sinnest grieuously Beware then of this though the fire should be set before thee for the telling of the truth when thou art vrged thereunto rather be content to goe to the fire then thou shouldest conceale one iot of the truth of Iesus but tell all the truth then But againe if thou be not straited with a confession it is lawfull to conceale yea to cast out the truth in euery place and to euery person it is to cast pearles before swine As for the matter of policie I answere with a distinction also If before a Iudge thou be charged to Confession of the truth in religion and policie publike priuate depose the truth thou art bound not to conceale a whit of it and thou that concealest and wilt not tell the truth thou resistest the ordinance of God for it is God that chargeth thee in the Magistrate But if one priuate man haue to doe with an other and standeth not before a Iudge it is lawfull to hide a part of the truth for I tell you all the truth would not be told at all times to euery man yea it is a sinne to tell the truth at all times Saith not the Apostle Charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes Now I end it with this word let no manner of lie proceed out of thy heart let no man be deceiued by thinking that to lie is a matter indifferent no no alas we are ouer readie to thinke so But I admonish thee if thou vse to lie in light things thou wilt bee brought on to lie in the greatest things yea if it were in matters of saluation Beware then of it Now to goe forward he returneth to his argument tending to mortification and it is taken from the regeneration begun There are two parts of it the first part is in putting off the second is in putting on The meaning is ye haue begun to put off the old man the euill affections of your nature therefore continue in putting it off otherwise it had bin better for you that ye had neuer begun the work of your regeneration Then brethren the lesson is regeneration once begun would be insisted in vntill thou end it begin once to be holy thou must end it begin once to put off this old man thou must hold him off and put him away that thou see him no more And beginning once to put on the new man thou must hold him on Perseuerance still otherwise to begin and not to goe forward is double iniquitie to thee It is better neuer to begin except thou make a progresse vntill thou bee glorified For hee or she that beginneth and then commeth backe againe are in hazard if euer they come forward againe It is easier to bring one forward Relapse that neuer came forward then it is to bring one that hath once begun and then hath reuolted and made defection Reade the Epistle to the Hebrues chap. 10. vers 26. of this apostasie But to marke the words Seeing saith he ye haue put off the old man with his workes The word is borrowed from cloathing for properly the cloathing is put off Therefore the word importeth that this old man is a kinde of cloathing and being a cloathing Simile ye see the thing neerest man is his cloathing This old man it may sit neere thee and sticke close to thee yea thy coate and shirt sit not on thee so neere as this old man The coate couereth thy outward skinne but the old man cloatheth thy heart and thy marrow so that there is not one bit vncloathed of thee Thou wast borne without coate or shirt Note of our corruption but thou art bred with this old man cloathed with this old man from top to toe Then seeing this old man is a cloathing he is not of thy substance either of bodie or soule Thy cloathing is not of thy substance no more is this corruption that is thy old man of thy substance and so it is a follie to say that originall sinne is in a substance But what is hee then he is a corrupt qualitie and sitteth so fast to thee
in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise now and for euer Amen THE XXXIIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 22. 23. 24. 25. and Chap. 4. vers 1. 22 Seruants be obndient vnto them that are your masters according to the flesh in all things not with eye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of heart fearing God 23 And what soeuer ye doe doe it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for ye serue the Lord Christ 25 But he that doth wrong shall receiue for the wrong that hee hath done and there is no respect of persons 1 Ye masters doe vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that ye also haue a master in heauen THese last daies welbeloued brethren we entred into the particular precepts exhortations concerning particular estates of men and women And first we spake of the dutie of wiues to their husbands and againe of the dutie of husbands to their wiues Next we spake of the dutie of children to their parents and againe of the dutie of parents to their children Now the last estate in a familie is the estate of masters and seruants Therefore wee haue to speake of the dutie of the seruant to the master and againe of the master to the seruant because there is a mutual dutie required and they are so bound the one to the other that they cannot be separate To come then to the words There is one precept giuen to seruants Seruants saith he obey your masters Then after hee insists vpon this obedience and describes it largely First hee sets downe the matter of it in what things they should obey Secondly he comes to the forme of obedience and describeth it Thirdly he goes to the fountaine and ground of all dutie which is the heart Then lastly to moue seruants to this obedience hee brings in two arguments The first is for that rich is the reward in heauen And the second is for that recompence that God shall giue to masters who doe not their dutie to their seruants To the words Seruants saith hee In these daies when the Apostle directed this precept properly here by seruants is vnderstood such as were in a hard estate slaues bought and sold like beasts ouer whom the masters had power Seruants in the Apostles time permitted by lawes to slay and saue them as ouer beasts so their estate was hard and heauie Secondly you must vnderstand they were seruants conuerted to Christ and their estate in that case was blessed Thirdly they were for the most part such as had to their masters Infidels not yet conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ and so were the more rigorous For oh the crueltie of the Infidell ouer the Christian Now in respect of their estate hearing of the libertie of the Gospell they mistooke it and began to think that Christ and his Gospell came to destroy policie and lawes that binds vp Common-weales And therefore many of them began to turne grace into wantonnes and began to leaue their masters thinking that the Gospel made an equalitie of persons as the Anabaptists teach at this day Therefore the Apostle perceiuing this hee directs this precept to them recommending obedience notwithstanding of the Gospell Thou art a brother and a sister and yet a seruant therefore obey Now howbeit properly and in the first roome this precept bee directed to seruants that were slaues bought and sold yet it is extended also to all kinde of seruants It pertaines to you as well as to them Come to the next what is commaunded them The dutie is obedience Obey saith he Hee that is a seruant should not rule but obey The whole dutie of the inferiour to the superiour is called in one word Honour so the Lord termes it And it hath two speciall parts First reuerence in words The inferiour is bound to reuerence the superiour in his talke The second Honour hath two parts part is obedience in deede he is bound not onely to reuerence him in words but also to obey that hee commaunds Both these must begin at the heart otherwise thy reuerence and obedience auailes not Now the Apostle especially insists vpon obedience The dutie recommended to children is obedience and the like is recommended here because of the two duties obedience is the hardest It is an easie thing to doe curtesie to thy master to put off thy cap and becke but here is al the grauitie and weight of the matter to obey This the Apostle considering he stickes most on it howbeit vnder it all poynts of dutie be comprehended This for the dutie Now followes the persons to whom it appertaines Obey Whom not euery one but your Lords and masters Those that God hath set ouer you It pleases him to make thē superiours you inferiours therefore obey them Yea the name it selfe containes an argument to moue thee to do thy dutie he is thy Lord and master and thou shouldest thinke with thy selfe he is my master therefore I should obey I am bound to doe it Let euery soule saith Paul be subiect to the superiour powers There is the commandement The words that follow be to the consolation of Rom. 13. 1 the seruant your master saith he but how according to the flesh That is according to things bodily not according to the spirit and soule This is thy comfort that art a seruant there is no master that is set ouer thy soule no not a King is set ouer thy soule to sit on thy conscience for that were an absolute power that commaunds as well the soule as the bodie Now brethren there is not a Lord that may commaund so but onely the Lord of heauen and earth that is none that hath an absolute power but onely the Lord Iesus Christ It is shame to Christ the only Lord of the conscience the Monarch to take this name to him It is a blasphemie and a derogation to the name of Iesus no there is none hath power ouer my conscience or thine but onely he So if ye marke narrowly ye may see that as there is one thing commaunded so there is another thing forbidden them Obey them in thy bodie though it were to suffer iniurie but as for thy soule and conscience it is forbidden thee to subiect it to their appetite if thou doe it thou bereaues Christ of his right Therefore Galath 5. it is said be not made the seruants of men if thou doe it thou makes thy selfe a slaue to the foule appetite of flesh and bloud To be short there be two vices in seruice and obediēce that is done to the superiour whatsoeuer which should be eschued Two vices in seruice to be eschued and they are both in extremities and betwixt them there is a gracious vertue The one is when the subiect refuseth obedience in
the bodie howbeit he should doe wrong to thy bodie yea and hee should hang thee behead thee thou must not refuse obedience there is a Lord will requite him The other is as euill as the first when thou giuest all to him both in soule and bodie Fie on thee thou giuest to him that which God hath forbidden The Lord hath reserued the soule to himselfe and yet thou wilt giue it to thy superiour Ye know the speeches of the land of what religion the Prince is I will be of the same Some of the Lords will say so my religion depends vpon the commaundement of the Prince but if the King did his dutie hee would stone thee for thy blasphemie These are the two vices in seruice and obedience Then comes the third point the vertue that is in mediocritie the seruant must obey his master according the bodie but not according to the soule Thou art of two parts of a bodie and of a soule Giue thy master the bodie but as for thy soule keep it to the Lord. Though all the Angels should claime right to my soule I will not giue it them it is reserued to my Lord. Now to come to the second part The description of this obedience wherein the Apostle insists Obey them that are your masters according to the flesh in all things not in some things according to your appetite but in all things according to their will and commaund Then will ye say shall wee obey them in all things vngodly vnhonest vnlawfull and forbidden by the absolute power of God I answere the word before immediatly bounds your obedience as their dominion is bounded so is your obedience towards them bounded So that if Obedience of seruants limited with their commaund they would hurt thy conscience they passe their bounds and thou art not bound to obey but deny them obedience For if thou wert a beggar thou art as free in conscience as the King but yet seruants take heed looke that you make not the rule of your obedience your owne will as there is ouer many this day who follow their froward will whisperers that will doe things with a quiet Pater noster The rule of thine actions is not thy owne will but the will of thy master In such sort that if he commaund thee things grieuous laborious and wearisome thou art bound to obey The Lord himselfe Luk. 17. 7. he sets downe the estate of a seruant Which of you hauing a seruant that hath been occupied all the day in labour and trauell will say to him come and sit down No hee will not say that to him but notwithstanding all his painfull labour and wearisomnes he will say Goe make my supper readie then rest your selfe there is the burden Thinke not because it is wearisome therefore thou maist disobey it but if it stand with the will of the Lord thou art bound to obey This shortly for the matter wherein seruants be bound to obey now followes the manner forme and fashion of their obedience First he tels thee in what manner thou shouldest not obey for it stands thee in no lesse then the reward of death and life euerlasting if thou wert but a sweeper of a house or a caster out of ashes thou hast to doe with the Lord in doing of thy seruice The forme of not obeying is to obey to the eye of thy master This is a vice in thy seruice when thou hast not an eye lifted vp to heauen but art set so on thy master that without respect to the Lord thou goest about to please him yet more thou obeyest him with eye seruice when thou settest not thy heart so much as thy outward eye to please thy master so that when he leaues thee thou wilt goe to thy wantonnes againe or els doe some euill as there be many in Edenburgh this day who in their masters absence sit either idle or els do euill in stealing of their masters goods Such seruice as this is called eye seruice The Lord compares these seruants to reprobates what doe they As soone as their master is absent they will begin to strike their fellow labourers and what more they will sit downe and drinke and be drunken What will the Lord doe when he comes he will cut them off and giue them their portion with hypocrites Matth. 24. 48. 49. c. Then this is the forme forbidden and he giues a reason what manner of men are these eye pleasers they that doe such seruice are pleasers of men that is they are flatterers studying to please men when their heart will be farre from them Well he or she who sets not their heart to please God but seekes first of all to please the eye of man shal neuer be a faithfull seruant to man False to God neuer true to mā for false to God neuer true to man But that man who sets his heart to please God that is a true seruant he will be as true behinde thy backe as befor thy face therefore thou who wouldest make a choise of seruants seeke them who are set to please God and if thou get them with that marke thou gettest happie seruants But on the contrarie want he this marke he shall be a curse to thee and the most thou shalt get of him hee shall be an eye seruant for if once thou shouldest turne thy backe he shall be a waster of thy goods and an euill speaker of thee behinde thy backe The forme of seruice he craues is this Obey with simplicitie and singlenes of heart He opposeth this to eye seruice for they are as contrarie as light and darknes and therefore where there is eye seruice onely there is no singlenes of heart for he that goes about to serue thee with eye seruice hath a double and false heart Againe where the simplicitie of the heart is O there is a blessed seruice where there is such seruice there is fidelitie and faithfulnes there is a faithfull seruant there is no eye seruice for he is not a seruant to thy eye onely but a seruant behinde thy backe also He shall be euery way faithfull He laies downe the ground of this sinceritie fearing God So he that feares God more then the eye of him who is his master the King or Prince that man shall be the faithfullest seruant And by the contrarie he that hath not the feare of God in his heart that wretch will beguile thee hee shall neuer bee faithfull to thee Therefore thou who wouldest haue a good seruant I giue thee a token whereby thou maist know him Looke if he haue the feare of God and if hee feare God more then thee for all thy scepter and sword thou shalt get a faithfull seruant and subiect But on the contrarie thou shalt receiue a curse in thy house and familie when thou shalt get any that wants this feare of God for he shall neuer feare thee but shall euer be false to thee You that haue seruants
nature of men they cannot beare superioritie make thee a King thou shalt be a slaue to thy affections So it is profitable to them to be threatned that they may keepe them within the bounds of their dutie And I say they that would euer giue them faire words they are but flatterers and if they would haue them wracked or vndone let them euer speake faire to them Therefore let the Gospell haue it owne freedome Binde men as yee will but binde not the word if thou binde the Gospell O the band thou shalt finde in that day Let euery man be contained within a dutie to other that we may be partakers of the eternall kingdome where there is onely true libertie in Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honor and glorie now and for euer Amen THE XXXV LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 2. 3. 4. 2 Continue in prayer watch in the same with thanke sgiuing 3 Praying for vs that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtterance to speake the mysterie of Christ wherfore I am also in bands 4 That I may vtter it as it becommeth me to speake WE heard brethren the last day as God gaue the grace certaine speciall precepts of manners that were directed to particular estates of men as to Husbands and Wiues Parents and Children Masters and Seruants now in this text we returne to the generall exhortations that generally concernes euery estate in this world whereof the first set downe here is concerning prayer which is a common dutie that euery one that is borne oweth to God in Iesus Christ To come to the words Continue in prayer be instant in Prayer a common dutie prayer pray continually all is one thing To speake of prayer because it is a common place I will not insist but only so farre as the text will furnish me for the matter is ample and therefore I will bound me within the text As for the causes and necessitie of praier I need not to speake much ye know the Lord giues a commaundement that we should pray and that in the name of Iesus Christ and if there were no more but this it is a Motiues to prayer cause sufficient to moue thee to pray The Lord commaunds thee But there is more to wit a promise the Lord hath promised 1. Charge 2. Promise to euery one that prayeth in faith Aske and ye shall receiue Luk. 11. c. this promise may allure the heart of euery one to pray There is yet more who is he that feeles not the necessitie 3. Necessitie and wants that be in euery one of vs so long as we liue who is he that hath so much that he needes no more Yea though he were a Monarch hath he such sufficiencie that he needs not to seeke more at God Besides this there be such riches plentie and aboundance in God through Iesus Christ that it is able to fill vp all the wants that be in vs. Therefore the very 4. Gods riches riches that be in him should driue vs to desire a portion of that fulnes which is in him But brethren to leaue this and to come to the words If there were no more but this that wee are commaunded to pray it is a sufficient argument to euery one to assure them that there is no merit in vs. Wee deserue nothing of God but all that wee get we get it of free mercie and grace and that in Iesus Christ If thou come on with a deseruing and a merit of thy righteousnes thou shalt neuer get mercie I seclude thee from God for what is praying but begging not of worthines but of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ And when thou hast done all say fie on my workes and aske mercie for that bloud of Iesus Christs sake In the text there be two qualities of prayer set downe The first is an instātnes without tyring The second is watchfulnes Two things in prayer first constancie secondly watchfulnes For he who praieth should not be a sleeper but watchfull both night and day To come then to the first hee saith Be instant perseuer continue all is one thing The thing that he requires is perseuerance ardentnes continuance I neede not to insist vpon the causes of this Needest thou not continually Findest thou not that there is not an houre wherein thou wantest not either things heauenly or earthly if thou wantest not earthly indeede it may be that thou knowest not the want of heauenly things but woe is that soule that findeth not the want of heauenly food and so if thou needest continually why should not thy prayer be continuall for it is prayer that supplies that want Moreouer there is none of you but ye finde this by experience God will not heare a man at the first but crie as thou wilt he will not seeme to heare he will seeme to haue a Luk. 18. 1. 2. 3 deafe eare and all to this end that thou shouldest perseuere in prayer For hee hath pleasure to trie thy patience faith and prayer which is the best exercise And so supposing that thou get not that that thou askest yet if thou get perseuerance Perseuerance Whatsoeuer thou gettest without prayer is but stolen and an argument of wrath thou gettest a greater gift then if thou hadst that that thou askedst at the first yea if thou get all the world without prayer for all is giuen in wrath if he should aduance thee to a kingdome it is but a bait to thy damnation except thou get a heart to pray and to continue in prayer Of all graces a spirituall grace is best a little bit of regeneration is better then all the kingdomes in the earth howbeit thou set light by it now yet when thou art driuen to the vtmost point or at the last gaspe thou wouldest giue all the world to haue a bit of it There is the first qualitie in prayer perseuerance The second is watchfulnes watching in it Watchfulnes is feruencie in prayer when not the bodie onely but when the soule and all the affections are waking and bent to heauen when the Spirit is instant with God in Iesus Christ It is opposed to this coldnes that ouergoes vs all Our prayer is in sleeping and when we are sleeping we are praying and so comes out a cold prayer out of a cold heart and it is opposed to this sluggishnes and deadnes in prayer with yawning and gaping halfe sleeping and halfe waking Alas our necessitie requires another earnestnes it stands vs in the losing of heauen and shutting of vs in hell and damnation The diuell stands to catch vs if wee could see our danger and when thou thinkest thou art most sure he is busiest about thee if thou knew this thou wouldest watch better and wouldest seek more feruently to God to keepe thee But alas all are so blinded and all are
shadow and it shall disappoynt thee of thy proceedings Would to God that men could consider this To goe forward Walke wisely Toward whom Toward them that are without that is without that bodie of Iesus Christ that are straungers from that folde such as were the Gentiles in those daies for all the Colossians were not conuerted at that Eph. 2. 12 time This is the estate of this world there are some within and domestickes in the house of God through Iesus Christ and there are some without as straungers that want the faith of Iesus as yet This is the diuision of the whole world For the Church of God is compared to a citie that is placed in the middest of a naughtie and crooked generation within this The Church like a citie are the faithfull at the least they that professe the faith without are the faithlesse They that are within are as many lights holding out the light of life and they that are without are in darknes without Christ aliants from the Common-wealth of Israel without the life of God yea without God This is their miserie Woe is them that are without Now wisedome should be vsed in respect of both but especially in respect of the straungers and that for sundrie causes First in respect of the enemies themselues that wee giue not them iust offence to abide out of the Church for who delights to see men keepe away from Christ And I protest I wish that those men that haue gone back that they creepe in againe into the Church of God Our walking with wisedome should be that we giue them not iust offence to keepe backe Next it should be in respect of our selues Thou that hast adoe with prophane men beware of thy selfe forthou that wilt eate and drinke with them and make merchandise with them to speake with them I will assure thee they are able to make thee prophane Beware then there are some that care not what company they haunt Companie well knowes thou of what mettall thou art thy bodie is no more readie to receiue the pestilence and to be infected with Note it then thy soule is to receiue the pestilence of idolatrie and sinne Woe worth euill companie as many haue said at the place of their execution Be not deceiued saith the Apostle euill speeches corrupt good manners 1. Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 15. vers 33. T he third is in respect of this Gospell that the enemie that is readie to blaspeme the Gospell get no occasion to speake euill of it that should be our chiefe respect Make much of this glorious Gospell account of the mysterie of Iesus Christ esteeme it the most precious pearle that euer was For I shall tell you what they are doing thy eye is not so vpon others as their eye is vpon thee to marke thy doings seeking occasion to disgrace thee and through thy sides to smite Christ in blaspheming his Gospell To goe forward This wisedome here commended stands especially in taking opportunitie of well doing when it is offered And therefore the Apostle makes mention of this circumstance that he that would be wise should take the opportunitie He is neuer to be accounted wise who when God offers the occasion misseth the opportunitie and he is the wise man that takes the opportunitie when it is offered For the Lord in that counsell as he hath ordained things to be done so hee hath prescribed the opportunitie and time when each thing should be done Nay if it were but a straw or a haire to fall to the ground hee hath appoynted the time of it Behold the prouidence of God for as he hath ordained the action so hath he prescribed the time of the action in such sort that if men lose the time to doe well and speake well they shall lose Take time when it is offered their turne for let time goe by thee then adiew thou shalt neuer lay hold of it againe Time is painted with a balde hinder part of the head thou canst not draw it backe againe All the Kings of the world haue no power to bring time once past backe againe The worldly wise men consider this when opportunitie is offered O how they wil take hold of occasion and will condemne themselues if they let it slip If this be the wisedome of the world what should be our wisedome for this houre wherein I am speaking is the acceptable time wherein Iesus Christ is offered It is the day of grace and so long as you heare this saluation vnderstand it It is the time of grace therfore lay hold of this time let not an houre escape you and when thou hearest this Gospel take hold of grace and let thy prayer be ardent Mercie is offered Lord giue me the hand to receiue mercie Now brethren this day is passing it is going so they who would be saued let them take hold of grace this day for it will not alwaies be with you And be assured when it shall goe away many shall perish and if it goe away many in Scotland shall goe to hell Therefore foreslow not your time apprehend grace while it may be had Now brethren it is hard to get this season for it is sayd in the Epistle to the Ephes chap. 5. vers 16. that the daies are euill and euill daies will stand vp betwixt thee and this time of grace therefore saith he redeeme the time It will not come to thy hand but many impediments shall stand vp betwixt thee and it yea death it selfe therefore thou must redeeme it The word is borowed from Merchants who when they see opportunitie of merchandise they will goe speedily to it and let all other things goe to get their gaines of it Euen so a good Christian man and woman when they see occasion of well doing they must hazard and if it were their life to get a grip of that occasion And I say rather then wee should lose this occasion of the Gospell if it were to the losse of our life wee should not be slouthfull in it What should we lose thereby nay nothing but we shall be restored a thousand folde So the good Christian will bee busie and vigilant to redeeme the time and will buy the first occasion to doe well because it is not at his hands Paul saith there is a doore opened to me c. but there be many impediments so if thou be a merchant in Christs cause thou shalt neuer repent thee buy the occasion to glorifie God if it were with thy life This lieth not in the hand of flesh and bloud but it must come of God Paul saith be partakers of afflictions c. And seeing it lieth not in thy hand to buy this occasion but that it must come of God therefore be earnest to seeke power of him Now the Lorde strengthen vs in these dangerous daies and grant vs grace to keepe this time and occasion of the Gospell that we hold vp the light of it
earnest in keeping and hearing such doctrine as concerneth life euerlasting and when thou hearest this doctrine of dirt turne thy eare away from it for there is no godlines in it And I giue you my counsell heare him not that speaketh of such things but heare him that will speake of Christ Iesus and his doctrine which shall feede thee to life euerlasting It will not be meate and drinke and the doctrine thereof which will feede thee but it must be this doctrine of Christ wherewith thou must be fed and thou must still feede on it vntill thou be glorified in him and with him for euer and euer To whom with the Father and holy Spirit be al praise and honour now and euer Amen THE XXIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 1. 2. 3. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God 2 Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth 3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God WE haue heard in this Epistle beloued brethren in Iesus Christ first the inscription of the Epistle Secondly The parts of this epistle alreadie handled the preface Thirdly the doctrine touching Christ and his benefits And then fourthly wee haue heard how he passed from the doctrine to the exhortations and admonitions exhorting the Colossians to perseuerance in that faith which they had receiued admonishing them to beware of the false Apostles their doctrine and mens traditions In this admonition hee insisteth throughout the whole second chapter Now brethren in this third chapter taking occasion of the vaine and corruptible things as meate drink and such things of which are the traditions of men from the which he had disswaded them in the former chapter he begins to exhort them to other things not corruptible but euerlasting not earthly but heauenly in the which true godlines and holines standeth Throughout all this whole chapter he insisteth vpon this first in general and then he cōmeth to his exhortation in speciall And he continueth so to the seuenth verse of the next chapter The particulars I remit to the diduction of the text and I come to the words presently read In thē there are two exhortatiōs to one thing together with sundry arguments hee exhorteth in both to the things aboue to heauenly things and the foresaid exhortation which he vseth for this purpose is to seeke them and the second exhortation is to know them to be wise in them and to vnderstand them for that is the force of the word Then to come to the first exhortation If ye be risen with Christ seeke the things that are aboue There is the exhortation and the first argument which is ye are risen with Christ to life after that ye were dead to all these beggerly ceremonies to mens traditions of meate and drinke and such like Now after ye were dead to these ye are risen againe to a life and to an heauenly life therefore seeke the things that are in heauen Now to insist vpon euery word Ye see here and in the chapter before mention is made of a dying of Christ and of a buriall with him and of a rising and liuing with him so that when he dieth wee die and when hee riseth and liueth we rise and liue Marke it well In a word as he altereth wee alter so many as beleeue in him of necessitie they change as he change when he dies they die by vertue of his death to sinne and to the world and sinne dieth in them when he riseth they rise with him vnto that heauenly life This alteration is wonderfull What man is high in the world which wil draw others after him after this manner that when he dieth wil cause another to die with him that neuer saw him bodily in this life What is he I say looke through the whole world and to all the Kings of the world whom will ye find in heauen or earth that will alter men after this manner by his death and life This is one common doctrine but it would be considered well for there are few which vnderstande this doctrine Then of necessitie in Iesus Christ there must be a great force and vertue Ye see now the Heauens Planets Sunne Moone and the rest because they by their operation do make alteration in these inferiour things as in plants grasse fields and euen in the bodie of man because I say of this operation in these inferiour creatures wee ascribe a great vertue to them But all these celestiall bodies cannot worke such effects as Iesus Simile his death and life can worke No no if thou were once dead these celestiall signes and planets will not make thee liue againe The Sunne nor the Moone cannot make thee liue when once thou art dead but when thou art dead Iesus will raise thee vp more liuely then euer thou werst before So there The power of Christs death and resurrection must be in him a force aboue all the force and power that euer God made or gaue to any creature But marke brethren concerning this power he must be a man in whom this power is because this vertue cannot come to thee but through the nature of man man cannot die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse but by that vertue that commeth through man yet he must be more then a man and that a holie man without al spot of sinne He must be more then this I say he must be God to Rom. 8. 11 Phil. 3. 10. 11. make thee die to sinne and rise vnto righteousnes This commeth of the special power and vertue of God for none is able in heauen or earth to worke such a strange worke as this except hee be God Yet there must be more of necessitie there must be a coniunction betwixt thee and him he must be ioyned Our communion with Christ to thee and thou to him otherwise his vertue will not come to thee either to thy death or to thy life he must bee thy husband and thou his spouse yea hee must be more then thy husband for the husband cannot draw the wife after him by vertue of his death or life either to liue or to die as Christ can doe He must be then thy head he must be as neere as thy head is neere thy bodie That is the familiar similitude of the Scripture When the head dieth the bodie dieth with it and when the head is liuely the bodie hath sense and being So when Iesus dieth the bodie dieth when Iesus riseth the bodie riseth also So the meetest thing to expresse him and his coniunction with vs is the head bodie of man and yet he must be more then the head for there came neuer such vertue from the head of a man to the bodie as there shall come from thy head Iesus Christ