12. vers 9. What Idolater Luk. 12. had greater confidence in any thing then this man had in his riches The auaritious man then can haue his confidence in nothing but in his riches Therefore in the first to Timothie chap. 6. vers 17. the Apostle saith Charge the rich men in this world that they be not proud nor put their confidence in vncertaine riches And Dauid in the 62. Psalme vers 10. saith If riches abound set not thy heart vpon them Dauid knew well that man would make a God of his riches Well if he put his trust in his riches and doth worship and honour them he is an idolater For wherein standeth the worship of God but in putting of confidence which is the inward worship of God in him Doest not thou then honour riches when thou puttest thy confidence in them yea certainly yea I say none will goe beyond him in that Looke to him that will put his confidence in an Idoll most an auaritious man shall goe beyond him and ouermatch him Ye will moue another question Is there no other vitious man an idolater Is not the ambitious man an idolater puts hee not his confidence in his honour and the belly-god in his bellie and some in the arme of men put not all these sorts of persons and many more then these their confidence in their seuerall vices like Gods are not these idolaters also I answere it is true indeede thou that art ambitious art an idolater thou that art a belly-god art an idolater and thou that puttest thy trust in the arme of man art an idolater but I say certainly not without cause hee termeth the auaritious to be an idolater before all other euen because it is most common and least counted of by reason that men most naturally are inclined thereto What is he that cannot cloake his auarice It is thriftines will the auaritious man say and why should I giue out my goods to this that why should not I keepe them well when I haue them And so they are most readie to cloake it with a colour And therefore the Apostle to let them see it is but vaine so to doe termeth this vice the greatest and more like to idolatrie then any other So that idolatrie is first and then auarice that is likest to idolatrie succeedeth and then ambition and the rest And to speake the truth it is an harder thing to draw the heart of an auaritious man from this world then it is to draw the heart of any man yea it is easier to winne the idolater from his idolatrie then it is to winne the couetous man from his couetousnes for couetousnes is bred in the marrow of thy bones Then I say againe this vice hath most neede to be insisted vpon and aggrauated For all the world will not satiate the heart of man it is onely the spirit of Iesus that will fill it Now one thing note here and so I will goe forward Certainly this aggrauating of auarice calling of it idolatrie lets vs see that the chiefe sinne in the world is idolatrie When he would make one sinne greater then another he will take the greatest sinne and set with it as here to shew that auarice is a great sinne Auarice and idolatrie compared and greater then many others he setteth it downe with idolatrie that is greater And therefore it must follow that idolatrie is the greatest sinne for that sin that is next to the greatest sinne must needs make that that sinne which is before it to bee the greatest sinne But so it is that couetousnes is next to the greater sinne which is idolatrie therefore idolatrie is the greatest sinne And therefore fie on them that leaue the true God and set vp an Idoll to worship it O that true God Idolatrie shall not leaue of to pursue them while they come home again and all the Kings of the earth shall not make them to prosper except they come home againe O then come home come home or els I pronounce it shall not be the Pope that shall be able to saue thee from damnation It was easie to win the idolatrous Gentiles but to winne false Christians from their Hard to cōuert Papists from idolatrie idolatrie of al things of the world it is one of the hardest Wilt thou not be wonne by the light and truth of the word that iron rod shall bruse thee together Now to speake something of these members will ye see the obiect of these-foule affections The obiects are two in number The first is pleasure the very pleasuring of the flesh The second is profit and gaine There are the two The lust is occupied about pleasure and this desire is occupied about profit and so the two obiects are pleasure and profit Now it is true the Lord that hath created all things hath created thee with these affectations of pleasure and desire of these things in this world so that it is natural to desire the things of this world and to take pleasure in them And the Lord that hath created thee so hee hath giuen thee pleasure and profit and such is his liberalitie towards thee that hee alloweth that thy affections be satisfied so be it that thou vse all to his honour and worship whether thou eate or drinke or whatsoeuer thou doe and that in vsing thy libertie with an vncleane heart thou defile not the good gift of God otherwise of necessitie these foule affections must be double sinnes Thou sinnest doubly not onely in thy lust but in the liberalitie of God thou sinnest in harlotrie and in ingratitude against God The Lord hath permitted thee to haue riches And the Lord shall say to the harlot permitted not I thee to haue pleasure but thou wouldest not take it as I commaunded thee but thou wouldest perseuere in whoredome from one to another and Inordinate affection so pleasure thy selfe in vncleannes which I haue forbidden thee And likewise he shall say to the auaricious permitted not I thee to haue riches but what hast thou done Thou hast made a god of thy riches and serued them whereas thou shouldest haue knowne me for thy God and me onely shouldest thou haue worshipped and therefore thou and thy lust and thou and thy profit shall both to hell in my hot indignation and as one affection that is foule bringeth many sinnes with it so it bringeth double iudgement with it Beware then and marke well these affections that they bee not in excesse and passe measure This inordinate affection to the foule lusts of the flesh and the gaine of the things in this world telleth vs that the corruption of nature and of these affections is more bent to an excesse passing measure then to a defect in nature There are some things that are in excesse and some in a defect but this corruption that is in man tendeth more to an excesse then any other thing Man is readier to offend in ouer great
here and there that which thou must rest vpon must be nothing else but the power of God the efficacie of the strong power of God Thou must not lay hold vpon Angels Saints or vpon Princes in the earth thou wilt be beguiled yea thou and they going about so to vphold thee will both to hell together Therefore suffer not thy selfe to be deceiued with an opinion of them I dare be bold to say that if the Angels and Saints would take the honour that the Pope and his Clergie Inuocation and worship of Saints and Angels would giue them they should all goe to hell and leaue the ioyes which they now haue So the stay of thy faith and that which thou must apprehend is the mortification of thy sinne and thy quickening to newnes of life it must not be by the mediation of man or Angell or of any Saint glorified but by the onely and immediate mediation of Iesus Christ there only thou gettest that spirituall power that quickeneth thee to life It is easie to slay a man and men now a daies think slaughter but a sport yea and rather then they will not slay they had liefer goe quicke to hell as they vse to say but the slaying of sinne must be onely by the power of God Sinne must be vanquished by faith and without faith thou shalt neuer mortifie sinne Therefore continually put out that hand of faith and pluck down that power of God for thy saluation euer crie for this hand of faith Draw draw spare not for there is no want in him That well of his effectuall power will neuer waxe drie and this bloud of Christ will neuer drie vp all power is through that bloud of Christ Then first by a true faith lay hold vpon Christ on the crosse and then sitting at the right hand of the Father and so thou shalt neuer depart with him till thy glorious resurrection be accomplished When hee had spoken of God when hee had said through faith of the effectualnes of God then he subioyneth Who raised him from death Hauing once spoken of that God who is so effectuall when hee nameth God hee leaueth him not but hee subioyneth some glorious description of him so speaking of him here hee describeth him first in respect of Christ and his resurrection Secondly in respect of raising of the Gentiles Thirdly in respect of the abolishing of the law and quickning of the Iewes And in respect of Christ hee saith who raised him from the dead to wit by the effectualnes of that strong power that is in him The first that euer he raised by that power is Iesus Christ And therefore he is called the first borne of the dead chap. 1. 18. For this resurrection from the dead is first by decree afore all times and then in time it begun at Christ who was that lambe that was sacrificed from the beginning and gaue grace to all other sacrifices so that they in his sacrifice Resurrection following regeneration and both depēding on Christ were accepted of God and then his resurrection is deriued to all them that doe or euer shall rise hereafter in Christ for they that are not in Christ haue no resurrection for them because there is no regeneration for them in this life and consequently no resurrection for them hereafter It is true that by vertue and power of that Godhead the most wicked and vnregenerate shall rise but they shall not rise in him that is new creatures who before in this life were regenerated and liue the life of Christ There shall be no such thing to follow them in their resurrection Againe you shall perceiue in the writing of the Apostles when hee would set out that all-sufficiencie of God and his mightie power he deliuereth it by the effects for therby it is knowne Now what an effect chuseth he not the creation of the world for he leaueth that and maketh choise of the raising of Iesus Christ as though the all-sufficient mightie power of God had neuer been so powerfully declared as in the death of Iesus Christ his resurrection Reade in the Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 1. 19. 20. where you shall finde this manifestly proued how God shewed this his power when hee The greatest power of God manifested most in Christs death and resurrection raised vp Iesus from the dead and placed him at his right hand Rom. 1. 4. There was neuer such a power vttered as this was in raising Christ from the dead What can be the cause of this Is it not a great power to create a thing and to create all things of nothing Iesus was something lying in a graue I answere that that power was so much the greater in respect there was neuer any so humbled as Iesus was so cōpassed with the bands of death as he so that by loosing of those bands there must of necessitie appeare the greatest power that euer was or should be for the strongest bands require the mightiest power to loose them There were neuer bands so strōg as Christ God equall with his Father was bound withall As for thee and me the bands of death wherewith wee are or shall be bound they are but gentle and it is but an easie matter to binde any of vs. Neuer any was bound as Iesus and therefore a stronger power is required to raise him then to raise any of vs. Well the Lord he raised him vp by the efficacie of his great power Now hee being raised who was bound in such strong bands despaire not thou but take thee comfort and say My Lord when he was bound with a strong power God raised him therefore it is an easie matter for him when I am dead and laid in graue to raise me in respect of him if he did raise Christ with his whole hand he will raise me with his little finger But beloued learne if by faith thou be not bound and ioined with him in his death and burial for thou must be conioyned with him in his death and thou must lie as it were vnder him in the graue if thou be not so conioyned thou shalt not rise with him But if thou be bound with him by faith as I haue said as he rose thou shalt rise and thou shalt be pulled vp out of that graue with him otherwise when the Lord raiseth him thou shalt lie still Then seeke faith in Iesus and that blessed coniunction with him through faith sticke by him in death and in the graue and let him not be raised without thee fixe thy heart to him and assuredly thou shalt rise with him in that day and he shal pull thee out so glorious a bodie as that then he and his father shall take pleasure in thee and thou shalt raigne with him for euer and euer Now to this powerfull God that raised this Lord Iesus with the holie Spirit be all honour and dominion Amen THE SEVENTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE Epistle of PAVL to the Colossians
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
thought it a thing indifferent that might be done without any fault they were come to that reprobate sense that nature condemneth Therefore the Apostle to let them see that this was a sinne and one of the first when he reckoneth the sinnes of the Gentiles he nameth fornication first to be the ring-leader to the rest and the more they extenuate it the more the spirit aggrauateth it The more thou shalt extenuate any sinne the more the spirit of God shall aggrauate it to thy conscience Wilt thou say murther which now is so rife is no sinne The Lord will say to thee it is a sinne and a huge great sinne if thou do not amend it thou shalt neuer inherit the kingdome of heauen Therefore wee learne that these sinnes the world accounteth least of the Lord accounteth most of and thou shouldest account most of them and in condemning of them thou shouldest insist This harlotry is euer conioyned with prophanenes Thou that takest pleasure to defile thine owne bodie thou growest a prophane bodie and so thou art ready to be drawne to al mischiefe for thou art left of God Heb. chap. 12. vers 16. Let no man be a harlot or a prophane person as Esau was meaning hereby that a harlot is a prophane dogge readie to be polluted with all vice But to come to the next vice It followeth Vncleannes Harlotrie is one sort of vncleannes But now hee subioyneth all manner of vncleannes And from the lesse member which is harlotrie he goeth to the greater This teacheth vs that we are full of filthines For if this vncleannes in all manner of waies were not in vs the Apostle would not bid vs mortifie the generall vice that is in vs and so though thou were come of a King thy nature is full of filth and vncleannes No the sow was neuer Greater filthines cōmitted by man then by a beast so vncleane as thou art by nature A sow hath not the filth of sinne but thou hast There was neuer beast that will fall into such filthines as man will doe wilt thou reade histories yea the Scriptures thou shalt finde greater filthines committed by man then by any beast This thing and that will make thee loathe but if thou hadst an eye to see thy sin thou wouldest loathe it more then all the filthines in the world The second thing that we learne here is this It is not enough to mortifie one sort of vncleannes In case thou be a drunkard it is not enough to mortifie that sinne in case thou be an harlot it is not enough for thee to mortifie this howbeit it be well done to do it but thou must passe from one sinne to another and neuer leaue it aliue in thee but mortifie them all slay all cut all away for I assure thee one vncleanenes will cause thee die it will cause thee goe to hell The Germanes thinke that drunkennes is no sinne but I say it is and it is enough to cause thee die as a sicknes will cause thee die if thou mend it not so one sinne will cause thee die if thou repent not Now to go to the next member He calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an vnruly Vnruly affection affection what euer it be Here it is taken for a raging lust that setteth a man on fire 1. Cor. chap. 7. vers 9. So yet I send you to nature looke what stuffe it is made of There is a fire in nature of foule lust that will burne thee to death and in the end put thee in hell if it be not mortified May ye not see this by experience when ye see that which is fit for y e a bating and quenching of lust cannot quench it but he will runne and mingle himselfe with harlots these harlots testifie of this fire Looke to the adulterer there is a fire Yet more then that when this fire hath burnt vp all the moysture of the bodie and wasted all yet it burneth in the heart Ye shall see this in filthie aged men when the bodie is decrepit yet the fire of this lust will be burning still in the heart and it looseth the tongue to filthines fie on thee it becommeth not an old man to speak foule filthie talke This is one thing I marke another thing by subioyning firie lust to vncleannes It teacheth vs that among all vices we should take heed of it This burning lost is not the least we should put out that fire first for I tell thee if thou let it burne all the things in the world will not quench it Thou must get the water of the spirit of Christ to quench it Therfore crie for that water or els thou and it both will burne in hell for euer When he hath spoken of this he goeth to euill concupiscence It is not one filthie affection but all filthie affections and euery kinde of them which are many in number Euill concupiscence that he will haue mortified Thinkest thou there be no more but vncleannes and burning lust in thee Yea although they were taken away yet thou art full of other affections This letteth thee see yet how foule thy nature is The Papist saith we aggrauate the filth of nature ouer much Ah filthie creature thou hast not felt the stinke of nature and therefore thou art Stinke of nature the worst teacher of nature I say to thee the filth of nature cannot be spoken of sufficiently enough yea an Angell can not paint out sufficiently the mysterie of sinne and the filthines of thy nature And therefore the Apostle teacheth vs to enlarge our mortification when thou hast mortified one sin two sins three sinnes yea many sins think alwaies there are more behinde when thou hast mortified all these former sins yet auarice is behinde suppose thou shouldest quit thy selfe of them all yet if thou be auaritious it shall cause thee die thou shalt not inherit heauen Then as there is no end of sinne so let there be no end of mortification of sinne There are more members of sinne within thee then there are members of thy bodie and therefore be slaying one And here I end crauing of him who is able to slay this filthines of nature to graunt his holy spirit and faith in Iesus Christ to that effect To whom with the Father be all honour and thanks for euer Amen THE XXV LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians beginning at the end of the fift verse COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 5. 6. 7. 5 And couetousnes which is Idolatrie 6 For the which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience 7 Wherein ye also walked once when ye liued in them YE haue heard brethren the first exhortation the Apostle maketh to the Colossians in this chapter was that they should seeke the things aboue The second exhortation was that they should be wise in them And wee haue entred into the third exhortation the last day which is that
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
thou makest the spirit sad and if thou continue on thou wilt make the spirit to dislodge himselfe out 1. Thess 5. 22. 23 Psal 37. 11 of thee for the spirit of Iesus dwelleth in a pacified heart And to be short it is true a man to be angrie and not to sinne in it it is a hard matter for wrath of all affections it is the hottest sodainest and misruliest It is a short furie depriuing thee of thy wit Therfore the counsell of the Apostle to the Ephesians chap. 4. vers 26. is to be followed Be angrie but sinne not where he sheweth that it is a hard thing to be angrie and not to sin Now then as all the affections would haue the direction of his spirit so chiefly anger would haue the direction of the spirit of God otherwise it is sinne Aske then the direction of that spirit and say O Lord guide my wrath yea supposing it were a iust cause seeke the spirit otherwise thou wilt passe the bounds and spill a good cause therefore in anger the speciall thing to be craued is the spirit of Iesus The second degree of wrong he calleth it anger the word is too milde to expresse the first language The word importeth Anger a firie wrath and commonly to speak it so when the bloud swelleth and gorgeth about the heart and runneth and fireth the tongue and the eye so that when this firie wrath is enkindled there is no mercie at thy hand it cannot be restained from euill and thy tongue wil fall out in cursed and euill speeches against thy brother and neighbour and so this sinne is Anger resteth in the bosome of sooles worse then the first I say thou that hast this vice except thou seeke mortification in time if thou let it raigne within thee I will assure thee an euill turne will be in thy hand a furious man will either stab or be stabbed Therefore temper thy anger in time and be not content that it burst within thee but euer striue to quench the fire in the heart Ye know if a house bee set on fire if it bee not quenched in time it will burne thorough and spoyle both the house where it is begun and others Simile besides euen so if thy heart be set on fire with wrath if it be not quenched with the watrie spirit of God it will burne thee vp and hurt thy neighbour also quench it then with the spirit of Iesus Now come to the third degree hee termeth it malice worse then the two first there is no worse bodie then a malitious Malice body Malice is a continuing wrath it will lodge with thee night and day and thou and it will sleepe on together The other two commeth on with a sudden push and they will flie away at an instant but a malitious man taketh a purpose to doe ill when he seeth his time Paul saith Let not the Sunne goe downe on thy wrath it will keepe thee waking the diuell will come to thee and thou and the diuell will take counsell together to slay thy neighbour And therefore if common wrath and that firie wrath are to be mortified how much more shouldst thou mortifie thy malice As for a furious bodie he wil soone be pacified but a malicious man hee will come laughing and slay the man Now come to the fourth that he speaketh of here he calleth it blasphemie that is a cursed speaking that hurteth the name 4 Blasphemie of thy brother It is the effect of the former all runne to the tongue and from the tongue the action passeth to the hand So that when thou hast strooken him with thy tongue thou wilt strike him with thy hand Therefore slay the first slay the cursed speaking that it may haue the hand holden off Now brethren there is yet a higher degree where is slaughter murther there is not a word here of it The highest here is cursed speaking I marke this in Paul while he is condemning vices ye shall finde that he speaketh either little or nothing of murther which is an argument to me that this cursed vice of murther had not at this time been so rife amongst them to whom hee writeth as it is at this day O villaine how darest thou take away the life of a creature Thou wilt say I will discharge a pistoll on him O God shall powre downe his iudgements vpon thee vile murtherer that so lightly esteemest of the creature of God created to his owne image The like was not found among the Ethnickes that at this day raigneth in Scotland For so I perceiue this hainous vice of murther hath Note this of murther not so rife among the Gentiles as among Christians not raigned so amongst them as it doth this day And I am sure if Paul were to write an Epistle to Scotland hee will condemne this vice most for of such scalding burning and murthering as there is in this land was neuer heard of in any part of the whole world and yet hee will be called a Christian while he is more cruell and tyrannous then the worst Gentile that euer was And so Paul hee leaueth this vice vnspoken of because it raigned not so among the Gentiles yea he abhorreth it so that hee would not haue it once named among the Christians Ye see then here this garment of iniurie against our neighbour there is wrath firie anger malice and blasphemie put together and all to let you see that that wofull garment it is a thicke cloath and that our neighbours may many waies be wronged Againe I note that thou shouldest not bee content to put one pleate two or three away but goe to the singlest of all put it off of thy heart for if thou foster it it will grow thicke vpon thee and it will not rest till it come to the vtmost action for mortification is not of one sinne onely but it is of all sinnes yea of the lightest corruption in the heart Therefore begin not to extenuate and say I will leaue this and keepe this no away with the least sinne if it were but the smallest canker that is in thee keepe not a bit of it no slay all or else thou shalt be holden at heauens gate When hee had ended these foure vices contained vnder the generall iniurie hauing spoken of the iniurie of the tongue he leaueth it not so but insisteth vpon the euils that followeth the tongue To lend the tongue to euill speaking against thy neighbour either before his face or behind his backe as it is the custome of many now adaies it is a dangerous thing Looke how the third chapter of Iames describeth the tongue It is a world of wickednes and therefore it is chiefly to be taken Sinnes of the tongue heed of Slay that member and y e affection or els thou wilt perish It is no small matter to let thy tongue fall a chiding it shall fire thee Well to come to
all the graces that are in the bodie that is a great benefit yea the graces that are not in thee thou maist challenge them being in thy brethren members with thee of one bodie Therefore enuie not any mans grace but challenge it as thy owne Euery one would haue al who is he or she that would not haue all graces and perfectiō But I shall teach thee how thou shalt be perfect Wilt thou stand vp thy self alone like an A per se A and say I wil not be in any mans Common and so seuer thy self frō the body I say thou shalt haue no perfection thou shalt be as a rottē branch cast into y e fire if thou were a King the Lord shall cause thee stinke and die in thine owne pollution Away with a proude headed lowne who cannot humble himselfe to creepe in to the bodie Then the way to be perfect is to seeke to the body for there euery member shall supplie thy want Thus for this faire peece of garment Loue or charitie Goe to the rest that followes The eight peece of this garment is set down in these words And let the peace of God beare rule in your hearts So the eight 8 The eight part of the garment of the nevv man peece of this garment is vnitie of minde concord followes vppon charitie for he that loues must be a peaceable man They will not be restles spirits full of enmitie and strife I will not insist much to speake of this peace onely this I call this peace nothing els but a sweete quietnes in the heart of man and woman together with amitie and concord with thy neighbour for when thy heart hath peace within thee then thy heart is in Peace vnitie with thy neighbour and therefore it is opposed to that restlesnesse of the affections of mens hearts Alas what pleasure canst thou haue when thy heart cannot rest within thee The peace of heart comes not of nature no no by nature thy heart is troubled and out of tune and all is vnruly reeling and rumbling within thee From whence comes it then Of grace that God giues in Iesus Christ If thou haue a pacified heart the Lord hath giuen it thee and therefore it is called the peace of God and it is not of one sort for there is a peace Note of the kinds of peace that is with God himselfe and that is the first peace there is another peace that is with thy neighbour The peace that thou hast with God is a pacified heart with God so that thy Peace with God heart is setled with him that it stirres thee not vp to enmitie against God When thou findest that thou art iustified by faith in Christ O the peace of heart that thou shalt haue with God! thou wilt appeare before his tribunall with boldnes Rom. 5. 1. For being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. The peace with man is a pacified heart with man when the affection is ioyned in loue with man This peace comes of the other for being at peace with God thou art at peace with all the world get once a setled heart towards God of necessitie Peace with man thou must be at vnitie and peace with all men O then begin at God! What is the cause of all these variances debates and al these slaughters It is the want of the peace with God O murtherer thou hast no peace with God thou hast nothing to do with God and therefore that wrath of God shall consume thee O murtherer when thou fightest with man thou hast to doe with the great God O restles spirit that canst not rest till thou haue bathed thy selfe in thy neighbours bloud thou art at warres both with thy selfe and with the great God who shall at one time or other meete with thee and plucke off all thy harnesse and then thou shalt neuer get peace nor rest Now to come to this peace that is with man that is spoken of here This peace it must beare rule in thee it must be a commaunder of thee She must sit ouer thee and hold downe thy foule affections when they are fighting within thee Where must she sit In thy heart and not in thy hand for oftentimes when thy hand will be hindred to murther thy heart will be persecuting thy neighbour to death therefore it must be in thy heart Now marke the order When hee hath required all good vertues at last hee requires peace Whereunto To be commaunder of thine affections This teacheth thee that except they be commaunded and put in order looke not that thou Affections must be cōmanded can doe any good turne in the world Canst thou who art disordred in thine affection doe any good to thy neighbour No therefore minde not to doe any good without this peace Then beseech the Lord that hee will put this peace in thy heart to put these affections into an order For when enmitie possesseth the heart what good canst thou doe Well is that bodie that can lie downe in peace with God and man Therefore aske the peace of God that thou maist rest in peace with thy selfe and liue in peace with thy neighbour O villaine thou that liest downe with anger and a restles affection and risest vp and goest out and stabst thy neighbour what disorder is in thee and what peace hast thou with God No thou art in rage with God himselfe when thine affections be not ruled with loue to thy neighbour and peace thou canst not haue with thy neighbour if thou haue not the first peace which is with God And so thou in bearing hatred against thy neighbour tellest plainly thou hast no peace with God and wanting this thou tellest plainly that thou art yet in thy sinnes and therefore vnder the wrath of God Now when hee hath exhorted them to this peace hee subioynes the argument To the which saith he ye are called in one bodie They who are in one bodie should liue in peace together An argument to moue vs to peace The first argument then is from our Christian calling It is a shame to a man not to be answerable to his calling if thou be called to such a thing why shouldest thou not doe it But aboue all a Christian man is called to this peace and therefore woe is to him in that great day if he bee one who hath wanted it Now take the lesson As ye see a man is called to be a member in any citie not to liue at variance or debate with his neighbours no no he is called to peace and to be a quiet man an vnquiet man is an euill neighbour a restlesse spirit a seditious and an vnpeaceable spirit is an euill neighbour euen so a man called to be a member in the citie of God in the kingdome of Christ for that is our calling he is called to be a quiet and peaceable body For saith the Apostle what is
with the filthines of nature that it cannot hunger for the word nor feele the sweetnes of it therefore emptie thy heart of this filth which is in it that being emptied thou maist haue some greedines of spirituall things Know you not the necessitie of this If in some measure thou emptie it not and fill it not with this word of grace I giue thee this doome looke not for a life to come For there is no fulnes of glorie except the fulnes of the word goe before in thee So if thou be not filled with the word in this life looke not to haue a life with Iesus in that day Seeing then it stands vpon such a paine take pleasure in this word albeit he be but a base sillie man that vtters it to thee for it is the meane that the Lord hath vsed to fill thy soule with and it hath pleased the Lord to put this iewell in earthen vessels therefore take heede to them 2. Cor. 5. 18. 19. 20. and fill thy selfe for els at that day thou shalt repent the time that thou wouldest not take grace when grace was offered being offended at the basenes of men in the Ministerie O let not the basenes of Christs seruants be a let to thee but be thou euer greedie to fill thy self with the word And woe be to them that would put this word away from thee and stuffe in vanities in steede of it woe to thee with thine Earldome except the Lord conuert thee in time The Lord in his mercie giue vs grace to keepe this word of Iesus and to feede thereupon To this Lord with the Sonne and holy Spirit be all praise for euermore Amen THE XXXI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 16. 17. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs sing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoeuer ye shall doe inword or deede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God euen the father by him WE haue heard brethren heretofore of this spirituall araiment of the new man or new creature made by Iesus Christ and wee haue heard of so many parts and peeces of it as haue been thus farre reckoned vp Of mercie kindnes humilitie mildnes lenitie forgiuing charitie peace and lastly thankfulnes for benefits receiued Now in the beginning of this text the Apostle recommends that meane whereby these graces and all other such like are gotten and wrought in the heart of man The meane briefly hee Coherence calles the word of Christ the speech of Christ Let saith hee the speech of Christ dwel in you plenteously For without this word which is the instrument of the spirit of Iesus wherby he works in the heart and without the which he workes not ordinarily there can be no grace wrought in the heart For to speake The Gentiles had no spiritual grace the truth neuer Gentile had any of these graces and for any that they had they were but dead images of vertues without life for where the word is not there can be no grace life nor vertue in man But to come to the words in particular Let saith he the word of God dwell in you plenteously Then the meane of all these graces is the speech or language to take it generally that comes out of the mouth Well brethren there is no little moment in speaking and it hath no small force in the hearer either to good or euill The language thou hearest will either do thee good or euill for it enters not so soone into the eare but Speech euer doth good or hurt as soone it goes to the heart and either will corrupt or sanctifie the heart Corrupt language will rot thy heart Ephes 4. 29. if thou takest pleasure to heare it it will cause thy heart to stinke Againe so soone as we haue spoken a word of grace by speaking it it will cleanse the heart and put out vncleannes for there is not a graine of it but it is full of stinke And therfore 1. Cor. 15. 33. When he hath recited the words of the Epicures Eate say they drinke let vs take our pastime then the Apostle subioynes be not deceiued for saith he wicked speaking corrupts good manners foule speeches euil talke will make thee an euill man For first it defiles thy heart and then thy actions Againe Ephes 4. 29. he giues expresse commandement Looke saith he that no rotten speech proceede out of thy mouth vpon paine of thy life Albeit thy heart thinke it as thy heart is euil inclined to thinke it yet keepe thy mouth close and vetter it Pro. 3. 24. Keepe the mouth close albeit the heart haue vncleane thoughts not Then he saith recommending the talke that should bee spoken Speake that that is to the edification of the hearer Speake no speech but that that is gracious I will not insist in this only keepe thy owne tongue first that thou corrupt not thy selfe or thy neighbour then take heede to thy neighbours tongue least in case thou lend thine eare to his talke that thou get not a filthie heart by it But to our purpose Speech that strikes in the eare it is of great force in the heart But whose speech must this be that workes these graces which are reckoned vp Will euery speech worke it No whose must it be then Let saith he the speech of Christ be in your hearts dwelling in all plentie Then it is Christs speech O it must be the speech of a great personage that must make this operation It is his speech that will pearce downe The speech of Christ only is the instrument of grace to the spirit because he is a spirit a diuine spirit and is the maker of all spirits and therefore it is he who pearceth downe to the heart and all his words are spirit and life This Peter saith Whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life Ioh. 6. 68. And therefore seeing he hath the spirit if the Auditor were neuer so dead he will make him heare The time is come now saith he in Ioh. 5. 25. when the dead shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God O then heare the word of Christ and it will giue thee life Then the speech of Christ is nought els but the Gospell which the Apostle to the Romanes chap. 1. 16. calles the power of God vnto saluation to euery one who beleeues Beleeue it and thou shalt find this power in thee For as concerning the Gospell it was Iesus Christ who was the first speaker of it first in The Gospel preached by Christ since the beginning Paradice and then to the Fathers in order and lastly in his owne person in a full reuelation hee spake this word of life Looke not then for life let none from the King to the beggar
Tychicus vnto them and together with him Onesimus whom notwithstanding hee might haue detained with him the better to minister vnto him in the bands that he indured for the Gospell And all this he doth that by them hee might the better declare vnto the Church his own particular estate and be the better informed in the knowledge of their affaires All which he doth not in a loose minde as in regard of himselfe babling out his owne matters he careth not how nor where nor to whom nor with a curious minde as in respect of their businesses being as too many are now adaies too much occupied in other mens affaires and carelesly neglect their owne but of a very carefull heart for them and their good Which care of his amplified as you see and being so great as it was indeede for the Churches of Christ whose benefit and good edification in Christ neglecting as it were his owne life and health hee had alwaies before his eyes should teach vs what we should doe Which yet that he might the better perswade vs vnto he mentioneth it yea hee discourseth vpon it in many places and namely 2. Cor. 11. vers 28. 29. where hee saith Besides those things that come from without that feare and trouble that daily riseth vp in me forceth me still I meane care for all Churches Who is afflicted and I am not afflicted who is offended and I burne not But what shall we say sinne and Satan and the intisements of this present wicked world haue daseled mens eyes and besotted their vnderstandings and plainly doe expresse the palpable yea the deplorable calamitie of these naughty daies and bad times in which a man shall hardly find any man amongst the members of the Church that hath conscience or care of the performance of this dutie And can we maruaile at it that the poore people know it not or feele it not sith you shall hardly find one amongst many thousand of the ministers preachers of Gods holy word who doth not more care for his own health and welfare then for the incolumitie of any other yea of the whole Church besides And is it not manifest by this that if a man be brought into some perill and hazard hee will with the neglect of the Church prouide for one and imagineth that if it goeth well with him it goeth well withall So strongly doth the world and worldly things and selfe loue and all other corruption beare sway and so truly may wee say as the Apostle Paul doth 2. Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath forsaken me and hath imbraced this present world But indeed if there were at this day such fidelitie and zeale in the hearts of them that exercise and execute the ministerie of God as there was in Paul and in other of Gods faithfull seruants in his time they would esteeme as nothing all the dangers of this life and they would account as durt and dung all worldly pleasures and profits in comparison of Christs glorie and the Churches good And of this let vs assure our selues that till men yea ministers be come so farre they are but the shadowes of Christians and vizards or counterfeits in comparison of Gods faithfull seruants and ministers To amend this geere is not in vs howsoeuer we may speake of it and wish it God onely must work it To him therefore let vs goe with cheerefulnes and earnestnes and beseech him to worke this care in the hearts of all faithfull ministers that belong to him and are imployed in his Church Which he graunt for Christ Iesus sake to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be giuen all praise and power both now and at all times of vs and all people Amen THE XXXIX LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 10. 11. 10 Aristarchus my prison fellow saluteth you and Marcus Barnab as cousin concerning whom yee haue receiued commaundements If he come vnto you receiue him 11 And Iesus which is called Iustus who are of the Circumcision These only being helpers with me in the kingdome of God haue been comfort vnto me IF you remember brethren the things that haue been spoken before you may perceiue that in these verses and the rest following there is contained as wee may say the seuenth part of the whole Epistle and the fourth part of this particular chapter And consisteth principally of salutations or greetings which some that were with Paul whē he wrote this Epistle sent to the Church of Colosse and with commendatiōs also which the said Church was in Pauls name and it may be in the name of diuers that were present with him to do to another Church some particular members of it The first sort of these two salutations are comprehended in these verses that we haue read and so on in the 12. 13. and 14. The other is contained in the fifteenth verse And wee are to mark for the more cleere vnderstanding of the text that these greetings are sent from two kinds of people according as the world it self was diuided and as God was pleased out of them to gather a Church vnto himselfe that is to say they were sent partly from the circumcised meaning thereby the Iewes because that signe was in some vse among them at that time and partly from the vncircumcised that is from the Gentiles who were not clogged or to be clogged with that ceremonie Of theis latter he speaketh vers 12. 13. 14. and of the former in these two verses yet so as we must vnderstand that one of thē also was a Gentile namely Aristarchus as we shal better perceiue anone And this I would haue further to be marked that hauing begun in some of the foregoing verses to treate of priuate and particular affaires hee holdeth on here in these and the rest following that so all and euery one of the Church might vnderstand that he was both carefull for and mindfull of the whole and euery one of them and of al their good specially spirituall which should cause thē likewise to affect him Those three persons that are mentioned in these two verses are after a double manner described here For either he doth by some particular description commend them to the Colossians and of this sort are my fellow in bands attributed to Aristarchus Barnabas kinsman attributed to Marke Iustus attributed to Iesus with some cōmon title common I meane either to two of them and that is that they were of the Circumcision or els to all three together that they onely helpe him in Gods kingdome and were singular comforts vnto him The first of these is named here Aristarchus He was of Thessalonica in Macedonia and was conuerted by Pauls ministerie and preaching and accompanying him in most of his iourneys he was taken with him as also was Gaius in the tumult that was made at Ephesus against him which being pacified hee accompanied Paul going into Asia and was caried prisoner together with Paul
his calling then of the Gospell thou shalt neuer see that life Looke ye euer to the truth how euer it shall please Notes to knowe the true ministerie God either ordinarily or extraordinarily to send it to thee with whatsoeuer man thrust out for that effect The second argument of the commendation of the Gospell is the fructifying of the Gospell and the effectuall working of it in the hearts as if he would say skar not at the Gospell preached by Epaphras I shall giue you an argument that it is the Gospell that I haue preached looke if it brought out fruites in you as it hath done in the world of life and regeneration if it hath done this scar not at it There is another note to knowe the truth of the Gospel if the Gospell taught at this day brings out in some I will not say all for many are called but fewe are chosen whose hearts it pleaseth the Lord to open as he did the heart of Lydia this true regeneration renewing the soule how few soeuer the number of them be as it did in the dayes of the Apostles O this Gospel must be the true Gospell for this is sure false doctrine will neuer regenerate thee The inuentions of men will neuer renew thee Nay further good morall precepts will neuer alter thy hard heart Reade Plato Isocrates Cicero reade them if thou wilt tenne thousand yeares all thy reading and hearing of them will not worke in thee the obedience of the heart to God They may well make thee an Hypocrite What Reading of prophane authors their best morall can not conuers the heart Psal 19. 7. were all the Philosophers as many Hypocrites counterfeiting humilitie and the rest of the vertues This ground shall stand then that there is no renewing doctrine which can change the soule but onely the Gospell of Iesus Christ because it is accompanied with the spirit I shall send to you the comforter saith Christ and he shall giue you my word Iohn 14. Onely this Gospell then hath the priuiledge to make thee a new man Therefore let thy rest bee on this Gospell if thou wouldest be renewed and renewed must thou be or else no life for thee nor sight of Christ and of heauen and of the ioyes thereof Sticke fast I say to this blessed and glorious doctrine of the Gospell that must renewe thee by the spirit of the Lord Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy spirit be all honour praise and glory Amen THE SECOND LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians beginning at the end of the sixt verse COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 6 7 8 9 10. 6 From the day that ye heard and truly knew the grace of God 7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our deare fellow seruant which is for you a faithfull minister of Christ 8 Who hath also declared vnto vs your loue which ye haue by the spirit 9 For this cause wee also since the day wee heard of it cease not to pray for you and to desire that yee might bee fulfilled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding 10 That ye might walke worthie of the Lord and please him in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God THe last day Brethren we intreated of the preface of this epistle of Paul to the Colossians and to the end that his doctrines exhortations and admonitions should be the more effectuall in them he conciliateth to himselfe their fauour and good will and that by two arguments the first shewing that hee thanked God for them the next shewing that hee prayeth continually for them that they should continue perseuere and grow in that grace receiued We entred into the declaration of these two arguments of beneuolence to call them so And first we begun to declare the first argument of his thankesgiuing as it is first in order in the text The thing that moued him to thanke God for them was nothing in this world no no earthly grace or benefit but first their faith in Iesus Christ next their loue to the Saints He setteth downe the cause of their faith and loue They had a respect and to-looke to that euerlasting life glorious in heritance that was laid vp for them and all that beleeue in Iesus and kept to them with Christ in God as the Apostle speaketh teaching vs that except we haue respect to another life and glorie when this life is done it cannot be possible to cleaue to Christ and loue his Saints because there are so many impediments and temptations to drawe vs from him and from the loue of the Saints Then he goes forward and sheweth by what meanes they had this respect and to-looke to this life and glorious inheritance It bred not in their brest first but by hearing and if thou heare not thou shalt not vnderstand that there is another life And what a hearing whereof Of a word What word not of lyes and vanities of the inuentions of men nay heare till the day of doome these vanities thou shalt neuer get by it the hope of another life and of glorie hereafter What a hearing then is this the hearing of the word of veritie which he calleth the Gospell of the blessed God which for the excellencie thereof for it excelles all the words of the Philosophers yea the lawe of Moyses it selfe it is called the word of truth Then he recommendeth this Gospell which they heard by the ministerie of Epaphras least the person of the man should make them to despise the doctrine As for the Gospell which ye haue heard doubt not of it it is the true Gospell and I shall giue you a token confer it with the Gospell that hath past through the world if it be the same Gospell that hath past through the world let not the person of the minister scar you from receiuing it Then hee giues another argument of this commendation of the Gospell looke if it fructifye in you and bringeth forth such fruites as sanctification humilitie charitie and such fruits of the spirit as it doth in the rest of the world doubt not of it for it is the true Gospell of Iesus Christ And therefore let not the person of the minister scar you Then he commeth to the last argument whereat we left you the last day and he calleth them to the remembrance of the sudden effectualnes of the Gospell preached by Epaphras amongst them of the continuance which it had with them and saith from the day that ye heard and truely knew the grace of God Vers 6. remember you not that the first day ye heard of it it begun to fructifie in you and euer since it fructifies in you Therefore if you will looke to the suddennesse of the effect and the continuance of it amongst you it argueth plainely that it is the truth of God Vpon this last argument learne this beside the fruite
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.
his fellowes neuer man gat or will get such graces as the man the Lord Iesus hath gotten neuer a one hath gotten such wisedome such knowledge and such holines nay all the Angels haue not gotten such graces as he hath But it is not onely these graces wherein this fulnes stands but he is filled with the fountaine of all grace The fulnes of the Godhead it selfe is in him that is his fulnes such as neuer creature got or shall get in heauen or earth It is a vanitie to speake of the graces of Angels in comparison of him all the graces of men or Angels they are as it were but riuers and streames that flow from that glorious head that is full of God So there is no comparison of his fulnes Wee haue receiued saith Ioh. 1. 6. all of his fulnes So all our fulnes stands in his fulnes that is deriued into vs. As this is the reason prouing his dominion so it is a part of his glorie Looke to the glorie of that personage thy Redeemer he is not only a man but a man full of God and so must not this bloud y t comes from him be precious Therefore it is called the blood of God Acts 20. 28. Yet only beleeue and I assure thee in his name of thy redemption if thy sinnes were neuer so great Fasten thy heart once on him and thou shalt finde mercie Take his bloud in thy hand and sprinkle thy heart with it and thou shalt finde grace Heb. 9. 14 and mercie to flow to thee through the same otherwise it had bin better for thee that this bloud had neuer been shed As for the rest I leaue it till the next day concerning the Mediatour onely thus farre As the glorie of the image of the inuisible God and the rest ye haue heard me speake of is infinitly excellent so this that he is a man full of God this is the glorious personage of thy Redeemer It tels thee that that bloud that came out of that bodie was more precious then al the things in the world That bloud y t was powred out of his foot out of his hand and side al tels thee that it is excellently precious and beside that of great necessitie And further it tels thee that sinne against God is great and greater then thou canst consider Fie on thee vile creature if thou wist what it were to sinne against God thou wouldest shake and tremble nay neuer a ioynt of thee would bide fast for feare of that fierce wrath to come on thee And againe if thou knew the vertue of this bloud that takes away thy sinne thou wouldest cleaue fast to it and make much of it but thou considerest not this and therefore thou knowest not the preciousnes of this bloud for if thou knowest not thy sinne thou shalt not know the preciousnes of that bloud of Christ that takes away sinne And againe it tels vs of that passing iustice and of that infinitnes of the wrath of God O that infinitnes of the wrath of God! O wretch thou wottest not The wrath of God for sinne what it is but if it lighted on thee it would rush thee to hell So the precious bloud that was shed for sinne without the effusion of the which thou couldest not be redeemed It tels thee I say that the wrath of God for sinne is infinite and if it were but an euill thought It strikes vpward and strikes the Lord in the nose and kindles his wrath against thee therfore feare and studie to mortification And more I tell thee that notwithstanding thou art once redeemed and by this bloud of Christ freed from sinne and death by such a ransome yet if thou take delight in sinne the murtherer in his murther the oppressor in his oppression being once redeemed thy sinne if it were but an euill thought it is a thousand times the greater by reason of thy redemption For why it brings with it the contempt of the bloud of Christ And thou sinner who takes pleasure in weltring in the foule puddle of sinne what doest thou thou goest on with thy foote and treads the pretious bloud of the Lord Iesus vnder thy foule feete And therefore thou shalt be chalenged in that day not onely because thou wast a murtherer an oppressor and a harlot no no there shal be thy chalenge villaine thou treadest vnder thy foote the bloud of the couenant the precious bloud of thy Sauiour that should haue redeemed thee from thy murther and sinne and therefore wel were it for thee if thou hadst been a Gentile that neuer had heard of this couenant and therefore if thou mindest not to leaue off thy sinne in paine of thy life thou come not to heare a word of Christ For why the more thou hearest the greater shall be thy damnation And there is not one word spoken this day but if it be not effectuall to chaunge thy euill life so that thou begin to leaue off thy sinne but it shall increase thy damnation in that day Therefore take my counsell either amend your liues or els come not to heare one word of this Gospell For this word as the Apostle saith shall be either a sauour of life vnto life or els a sauour of death vnto death and it shall slay thee with a greater dead stroke then if a thousand rapiers were thrust through thee I beseech the Lord Iesus to touch thee with his word that it may be effectuall in the hearts of the hearers so that they may amend their liues to their owne weale and his glorie To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise Amen THE SEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 20. 20 And through peace made by the bloud of that his crosse to reconcile to himselfe through him through him I say all things both which are in earth and which are in heauen YE remember beloued brethren the Apostle when he had set downe that great benefite of the redemption of mankinde by the bloud of Iesus Christ hee fals out into a high descriptiō of the sonne of God tending to this end to let vs see the preciousnes of that bloud He set him to be first the image of the inuisible God a high stile Secondly he stiles him to be the first borne of all creatures Thirdly hee stiles him to be the Creator himselfe by whom all things in heauen and earth were created Fourthly he calles him to be the end of the said creation of all creatures for whose honour and glorie all creatures were made Fiftly he stiles him to be the preseruer and keeper of all the creatures made by him Sixtly he comes forward and considereth him not onely as he is the sonne of God God from all eternitie but as he is man also and he makes him to be the head of the Church as he is God and man Then he cals him the first borne of the dead as hee is
so now millions and great numbers are saued And whereas before it was but now one and then one that preased into the kingdome of heauen now they come in multitudes striuing and thrunging who should first enter into heauen Matth. 11. 12. For it is impossible that this light should be without life If thou take a pleasure in the light it is not possible that thou canst dye but if thou take no pleasure in it woe be to thee a double death The calling of the Gentiles shall befall thee Woe is to that man who dyes in the light of the Gospell without taking pleasure in the same Well it had been to thee that thou hadst dyed in darknes with the Gentiles for thy damnation shall be doubled Take therefore a pleasure in it and all the world shall not make thee to perish and that is that which Paul saith Sin raigned to death but grace raignes by righteousnes vnto life through the Lord Iesus Rom. 5. vers 21. But looke to the last words of the verse Vnto whom is the manifestation of the Gospell made Not to euerie one beguile not your selues for the Lord will not vouchsafe to manifest himselfe and grace in him to euery man but hee calles them his Saints to whom chiefly hee manifests himselfe Looke your books ye that scorne at the name of Saints if thou be nota Saint thou shalt neuer see heauen then this If thou be not a Saint thou shalt neuer see heauen manifestation is not made to euery man It is true brethren it is preached to all and all heare it it strikes in euery ones eares yet it is also true all men see not It is to many as the light of the Sunne is to a blinde man and the great multitude Simile gets no more good of it then a blind man gets consolation of the Sunne Who is it then that sees it None but the sanctified one that is none but they that are sanctified by the holy Spirit Nay no spirit no sanctification no sanctification no sight of God and so thou art no Saint but the diuell possesseth thee So none sees what this Gospell is but the sanctified ones and that man is he that hath gotten the spirit of Iesus to open the eye of his soule for it is the spirit of God that opens the soule to see what the Gospell of Christ is and what vertue comes with it when it comes If thou hadst the quickest spirit that can be if thou haue not the spirit of God thou shalt not see one whit in God because as it is the spirit of man that searcheth the spirit of man so it is the spirit of God that searcheth all things yea the most secret things of God 1. Cor. 2. 10. So none sees what the Gospell is and what it brings with it but such as are illuminated by the spirit of God Heare as long as thou wilt thou shalt a bide in blindnes till thou come to a desperate hardnes of heart if thou be not enlightened with the spirit of Iesus this is to be had in and by the Gospell Therefore brethren say euer Lord make me a Saint make me one of that number and make me to crie for the spirit of Iesus to sanctifie and Luk. 11. 9. 10. 15. enlighten me for otherwise thou shalt perish for want of the light of God Now to come to the next verse when he hath spoken of the Saints he insists vpon the reuelation of the mysterie made vnto them and hee sets it out in sundrie circumstances First hee sheweth who is y e Reuealer to wit God Secondly what cause moued him to make this reuelation to the Saints to wit his The reuelation or manifestation of the Gospell good pleasure towards them Thirdly what thing is reuealed to wit this mysterie And he termes it not simply a mysterie but he calles it the riches of his glorious mysterie and not that onely but the mysterie of Christ Fourthly among whom is it reuealed to wit not among the Iewes onely but among the Gentiles also through the world All tends to this to let vs see the glorie of the grace of God as it is said Ephe. 1. 6. So that this Gospell is shining bright and aboundantly in such a wonderfull great mercie that there is not a circumstance but it lets you see a wonderfull grace in God To come then to the first The reuealer of this mysterie is no other but God He was the author of the reuelation of this The first circumstance mysterie of the Gospell The Saints they begun not to see first but God first reuealed before they saw or could see yea they had neuer seene one glimse with their eye if God had not begun to reueale it no thou shalt neuer see any heauenly or spirituall Flesh and bloud can not teach vs spirituall things thing vnto the time it please the Lord to reueale it vnto thee Then in that hee is the beginner of grace herein appeares the more the glorie of his grace and the matter of praising of him but it staies not here We will come then to the next What moued him to reueale this mysterie to his Saints both of Iewes and Gentiles The Lord doth nothing rashly he hath The second circumstance euer good causes mouing him wherefore he doth this or that He is not like a vaine man that doth and vndoeth again and wots not what hee doth Saw hee any thing in these Saints to moue him Some Papist will say hee foresaw some merit in them O but the text saith that there was no such thing at all without himselfe which could moue him hee saw nothing I Nothing in the world did moue God to send Christ and his Gospell vnto vs but his owne loue and good pleasure say in the same or yet in the world which could moue him but his owne goodnes His good pleasure which was ere euer they were Saints is it that moued him to reueale this mysterie Then againe they were not Saints before the reuelation was made There is not a Saint before Christ be reuealed to them It is the sight of Christ that makes a man holy so there was neuer none holy but he that first gat that sight of Iesus the sight went before holines and holines followed vpon the reuelation because holines is the effect of the reuelation of the Gospell Then ye see that as the Lord is the beginner of the reuelation so it is not our deseruing but his owne good pleasure that moues him thereto The Lord of his good pleasure shewed himselfe to the world and no question this is spoken that thou shouldest euer glorie in God Alas would to God as we haue matter to glorifie God that we could answere to the thousand part of it Then to come to the third circumstance What is the thing The third circumstance that he hath reuealed He calles it a mysterie and
the Preacher what is his estimation All his glorie 2. Cor. 5. 19. 20. and his estimation all his honour is in this treasure Iesus Christ that he hath in custodie Marke it And in what thing consists his honour and glorie and estimation As it is his honor to distribute this rich treasure to thee and to the world so here is all thy glory to put out thy hand and take in these riches to thy selfe Thou hast more honour to doe this then if thou wert aduanced and promoted to the highest honor and dignitie vnder the sunne then if thou wert made a King of all the world for when thou art made a King if thou haue no part with Iesus thy end will be miserable and woe is thee for euermore To goe forward in the next words he laies down his preaching in the parts of it admonishing and instructing euery man there be the parts admonishing them that were out of the way instructing them that had entred in the right way It is Admonition and instruction how they differ not enough to tell a man that he is in the way but to counsell and instruct him to hold on which if he doe to assure him of life euerlasting Then briefly all the preaching of Christ stands in these two points in admonishing the sinner and telling him his fault that he is in the wrong way if he were a King admonish him of his error either in manners or doctrine And then tell him the high way of his manners and doctrine wherein he should walke If the Minister cannot doe this yea if it were to a King if he cannot admonish instruct and teach him he cannot preach Christ let him therefore be silent and neuer speake a word of Iesus Christ And what euer they be of the people that will not suffer admonition and will not receiue instruction they shall neuer be rich in Christ if they had all the riches in the world they are but beggers and shall dye like beggers Who are these that he admonisheth and who are these whom he instructs and teacheth Marke euery word he saith not one man two men this sort or that sort of men onely but euery man and al sorts of them Iew Gentile Grecian and Barbarian wise vnwise Kings subiects poore rich There is neuer a one exempted from admonition neuer a soule exempted from instruction Wherein brethren you may see that vniuersall dominion and lordship that Christ Iesus hath ouer euery man and euery estate of them ouer Kings and subiects rich and poore ouer them that be in honour and dishonour Whatsoeuer ranke thou be of thou maist well exempt thy selfe from his dominion but thou art not exempted in deede though thou wert a King or a Monarch the Gospell hath a Lordship ouer thy head If thou draw out thy necke from vnder the yoke of the Gospell thou shalt one day vndergoe the heauie yoke euen of Gods vengeance and fearefull wrath so then we see the vniuersalitie of the Gospell of Iesus Christ ouer man and how this ministry that seemes so contemptible to all men is extended to all And if thou wert a King thou art vnder the ministry of the word thou must suffer of the Minister admonition and thou must receiue instruction If thou wert neuer so learned in thy owne conceit thou art but a scholler to this ministry and oughtst to sit with reuerence and to heare And lastly ye see the common miserie that all stands in in this world all is out of the way thou art out of the way by nature Euery man by nature in the high way to damnation and in the high way to damnation And therefore if thou lay not hold on admonition thou shalt goe to damnation By nature thou art ignorant like an Asse and therefore perish shalt thou if thou receiue not instruction by this ministry of the Gospell All haue sinned saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 23. and fallen Ephes 2. 1 2. 3. Psal 32. from the glorie of God and therefore admonition and instruction extends to all men But I would aske who is he that can admonish teach and instruct effectually Paul saith We teach Christ admonishing and instructing all men I answere then Who can admonisis none can admonish but hee that can teach Christ Will you say that a prophane Philosopher could euer admonish or instruct any to frame their life aright howbeit he will take it vpon him No no onely the man that can speake of Iesus Christ that man can admonish and teach others because he onely can speake to thy heart For brethren it is the word of Psal 19. 7. God that is able onely to reforme the heart All the words vnder the sunne will not doe it For this word of the Gospell hath onely the concurrence of the holy spirit of Iesus that causeth this word to goe downe to thy heart Now what doctrine is this he teacheth Instructing saith he euery man in wisdome so wisdome is his doctrine O but in what measure in all wisdome saith he It is perfect wisdome there is no lacke or want in that wisdome that he teacheth He teacheth euery man and euery ranke and sort of men wisdome and a perfect wisdome whole wisdome and full wisdome euen that fulnes of wisdome that was in Christ O the treasure of wisedome and knowledge that is in him In the second chapter of this epistle vers 3. it is said he is full of wisdome and knowledge Neuer any had all wisdome except Christ no not all the Philosophers onely Iesus hath this prerogatiue This wisdome this full wisdome I say is giuen to the Apostlés and to Paul in a high measure but so that they haue it of Christ and not of themselues And therefore Christ as I haue said hath onely this prerogatiue to haue all wisdome in himselfe Looke next who teacheth this wisdome Paul an infirme weake man he teacheth all wisdome Then marke Iesus Christ he hath put these treasures in earthen vessels as it is said 2. Cor. 4. 7. In a weake brittle bodie so that if thou take it not out of this vessell Ministery thou shalt neuer get it out of Christ if thou contemne this treasure for the frailtie ignominie of the vessell wherein it lies thou shalt neuer get this riches of God For the Lord hath ordained that thou shalt take it out of the hand of a silly man Againe you see the blessednes of the schollers of Christ O blessed is the soule that is a scholler to Christ It was counted a blessed thing to be a scholler in Platoes schoole or Aristotles schoole by reason of the wisdome they taught but Plato nor Aristotle neuer taught all wisdome nor true wisdome but Wisdome thou who art a scholler in Christs schoole thou hast the true wisdome and that not in a measure but thou hast all wisdome to make thee perfect in knowledge that is thy blessednes Alas this miserable world knowes not
of grace or two or sixe or seauen for there is no facietie till thou get that sight of the countenance of Iesus in the heauen as he is Now he ioynes with this aboundance thankesgiuing as if he would say as thou findest thy faith grow euer thanke him that giues thee it For these two are inseparably coupled together so that if you take thankes away there will be no abounding of faith Thou that canst not thanke God thou hast no faith thou that canst not perseuere in thanksgiuing thou growest not in faith For thanksgiuing is an vnseparable companion of faith Growest thou in thanksgiuing thou growest in faith True signes of faith for it is a plaine argument of the growth of faith in thee Hast thou a pleasure to pray and to aske and to thanke God thou canst not get a surer token of the aboundance of faith then that Then thou maist reioyce and say Praised be God my faith growes and I shall get daily a cleerer sight of the face of Christ and so shall be made conformable to my Sauiour the Lord Iesus Now the Lord worke this grace and earnestnes in our hearts for this his Christs sake To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise for euer Amen THE FIFTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 8. 9. 10. 8 Beware least there be any man that spoyles you through Philosophie and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily 10 Andye are compleate in him which is the head of all principalitie and power THe Apostle brethren hauing set downe his doctrine as ye heard in the first chapter he addes hereunto an exhortation and admonition He hath exhorted to perseuerance in faith now hee admonisheth to beware of false teachers and of false doctrine He began his exhortation in the first chapter then hauing spoken something of himself partly in the first partly in the second he returnes and giues this admonition to beware of false teachers Then after he returnes to the exhortation again calling vpon them to be constant in the doctrine once receiued Now in the text that wee haue read this day he returnes to the admonition admonishing them to beware of false teachers Then briefly to come to the words Beware saith he least there be any man that spoyles you The word in the originall language signifies Let no man The sense of the word spoiles carrie you away as a pray The word is borrowed from robbers and theeues that come vpon a folde of sheepe and carrie away the sheepe as a pray Euen so false teachers are naught else but robbers brigands theeues that come vpon the sheepfold of the Lord Iesus and carrie away his sheepe as a pray The manner how they doe this is not by strong hand or by violence but it is by Philosophie by deceiuing of the sheepe and snaring of them first by sophistrie and then when they haue snared them and trapped them they binde them and so take them on their shoulders and they goe on willingly being deceiued Therefore wouldest thou not be a pray to a false teacher keep thee from his deceit keepe thee from the Papists traditions mens Philosophie For all their religion is meere peltrie I say to thee their Philosophie that is their deceit and vanitie in doctrine The philosophie of the enemies of the Church more to be feared then their violence or power is more to be feared then their violence and power because by it onely they get their pray if thou keepe thee from their deceit they shall not bee able to take thee as a pray As for their violence if they beguile thee not it shall neuer seuer thee from the Lord Iesus Christ Yet to insist vpon this hee calles it Philosophie A faire name to be called wisedome but hee giues it as foule a name afterward when he names it vaine deceit that is vanitie that deceiues there is no soliditie in all their doctrine Search it who will Indeede it is true the wisedome of man so long as it is within the bounds of things that are earthly and worldly things naturall things concerning policie it will haue some soliditie but so soone as the head of a man albeit neuer so ingenious and learned reacheth without the bounds of earthly and naturall things begins to climbe vp to heauen and to seeke out God and his worship there the head of man vanisheth and becomes foolishnes O how great distance is there betwixt the wisedome of God and man Therefore Paul to the Romanes chap. 1. 21. speaking of the wise Philosophers seeing to be wise saith they became starke fooles Diuine Plato a very foole in the knowledge and worship of God and all the rest fooles concerning God Yet brethren he saith This wisedome of theirs is deceiuing Although it be vaine notwithstanding it is effectuall to beguile thee because it will seeme to be wisedome and it is dyed with the colour of wisedome so that if thou wilt looke on it at the first face it wil seeme wisedome for outwardly it hath a fairer shew then the greatest wisdome of God So I note here alas how lightly and with how light a thing is a bodie deceiued Follie will seeme wisedome and vanitie will seeme stedfastnes vnto him There is none borne otherwise if he haue no more then his natural birth So there must be a deeper ground of this matter What can be the cause that vanitie and follie can so soone deceiue a man Alas if the cause were not in thee thou couldest not so soone be deceiued Thou art borne with a vaine hart and thou drinkest it vp as naturally as sand doth water If thou hadst not this nature and this vaine heart none would be able to beguile thee When I consider this O fie vpon the deceit of the world I wonder not to see millions of Papists Poperie is a naturall religion Kings and nations to be so blinded this day at the light of the Gospell for that is the naturall disposition of all men but rather I wonder to see one silly body to haue that change that he can drinke in the truth of God And if thou haue it thy selfe wonder at it and giue him thanks that hath shewed such grace and mercie on thee To go forward In the second word when he hath set down this vaine deceit he specifies it more particularly and saith Through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not according to Christ I aske the question what thinkest thou by the vainest doctrine that euer was taught I answere out of this place of the Apostle when hee hath said Traditions of men the vainest deceit in the world vaine deceit hee expounds it mens traditions so the vainest doctrine in the world is mens traditions If thou wouldest
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
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
crie for it or els thou shalt die and apprehend the death of Christ for it is the death of Christ that slayeth the flesh and takes away the corruption of thy nature Now to come againe to the false teacher I gaue you a mark Markes of false teachers of him before hee is pert hee is shamelesse and hath a brasen face otherwise hee durst not affirme such points of doctrine Another marke of a false teacher he is proud as proud as the diuell as wee say what were it if hee had matter but hee is proud with the winde of false doctrine for as humble as hee will seeme to thee yet beware of him his heart is blowne vp with pride There is not a false teacher but hee is proud a proud heart in a poore breast he is a poore diuell I remember a sentence of Augustine to Paulinus It is a wonderfull thing that a man should be more proud of humilitie then if he were openly proud and I will assure thee a deceiuer will be prouder in his counterfeit humilitie then he that is openly proud A simple man cannot doe it and of all the proud men in the world the deceiuer is greatest Another thing I marke false doctrine and pride are companions together so that if thou say there is false doctrine I will say there is pride also If thou wilt say there is false doctrine in this heart I will say there is a proud bodie as a man of a foule stomacke will giue a foule belch So a blast of false doctrine is a puffe of pride wherewith the heart is filled vp Therefore it is no marueile though I say a false Doctor is a proud man Be not deceiued with a Iesuite when hee commeth with his side long cloake and his broad brimbd hat who is so humble as hee but I say hee is full of pride and thou shalt bewaile the time that thou sawest him Keepe him in thy chambers as thou wilt hee shall sting thee to death The last argument of the condemning of this false doctrine is in these words he saith He hath not to doe with the head Iesus Christ The third argument of false doctrine He vttereth plainly he neuer wist what Christ was and that hee neuer tasted of that power and vertue which descendeth from the head to the bodie for if hee had tasted of it O for all the world hee would not haue put an Angell betwixt him and Christ VVilt thou put one betweene thee and thy head An Angell is but a stranger to thee in respect of Iesus Is not a mans head the most familiar and best thing that a man hath will he not haue recourse to his head O would the deceiuer put thee from thy head Iesus Christ he plainly testifieth that Iesus Christ thy head stood neuer vpon his necke Iesus stood neuer vpon the necke of a Papist speake of him what he will for if he were thy head O Papist and haddest tasted the vertue that descended from him thou wouldest neuer seeke to Angels and Saints to bid them open their mouth to pray for thee But thou that followest after Saints and huntest after Angels thou shewest that thou neuer tastedst of the head Iesus Christ And therefore thou testifiest that thou art a false teacher and thou that followest such a teacher thou art a false professor of Iesus Christ Here I end onely I request you sticke to Iesus once get him to be thy head and I shall promise thee thou shalt neuer long for Angell nor Saint For thou shalt finde such a power and vertue of life to flow out of him to thee and such a sweetnes as therewith thy soule shall be contented and as thou continuest with him thou shalt finde thy selfe more and more liuely and ioyfull in thy heart thou shalt sucke continually life and ioy out of him till at the last thou shalt see him in his Iob. 21. 22 glorie and be filled fully in him for in his countenance is the sacietie and fulnes of ioy And thou shalt not seeke to Angels and bid one of them goe betwixt thee and him at that day O then acquaint you with him for the Angels are but ministering spirits at his commaund I say O acquaint you with him and sticke by him immutably and thou shalt finde the ioy of thy heart vnspeakable To Iesus Christ with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise Amen THE XXI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 19. 20. 19 And holdeth not the head whereof all the bodie furnished and knit together by ioynts and bands encreaseth with the encreasing of God 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though ye liued in the world are ye burdened with traditions YE heard brethren the admonition of the Apostle that the Colossians should not suffer themselues to be abused by false Apostles especially with the rites and ceremonies that sometimes were giuen to the people of the Iewes and after abolished by Christs comming Secondly that they should not suffer themselues to be abused by no other kinde of traditions which God neuer gaue to any people as the worshipping of Angels whereon wee insisted the last day This kinde of tradition it came in vnder the pretence of Coherence humilitie and it was refuted and condemned by the Apostle as ye heard by three arguments first it comes of shamelesse pertnes of men pretending to haue a knowledge of that they neuer saw nor heard Where sawe they the Angels and their intercession they make in heauen where heard they of it and so it is a false doctrine to propound any thing whereof they haue no warrant The second argument is taken from the pride that is in them for this doctrine concerning the worshipping of Angels it commeth of pride without any cause or knowledge and so it is no more but a blast of a foule proud stinking heart The third argument which is in the beginning of this verse is from the want of Christ the head These doctors neuer tasted that Christ was their head for if they had they would neuer haue sought nor bidden seeke to Angels to bee mediatours betwixt them and God So briefly there be these three arguments whereby this false doctrine is refuted and taken away Yet the Papist defendeth it by the same arguments that the false Apostles defended it It commeth of humilitie to vse them as mediatours that are most familiar and conuersant with God Alas a new heretike is wondrous like to an old heretike So it is but a damned doctrine that they haue raised vp in these daies Now the Apostle hauing spoken of the head Iesus Christ hee falleth out into a description of him from the relation to the bodie and from the effects of the bodie which is the Church all to this end to shew the false teachers and their followers of how great a good
before Christs comming but now Coherence are so abolished that they become not the tradition and doctrine of God but of men His argument was Ye are dead with Christ from all these things by your death ye are freed Therefore why should ye be burthened with ordinances I insist not vpon that which was spoken but I goe to the verse that followeth wherein he setteth downe a certaine kinde of rite whereunto the false teachers presseth them to wit concerning meates and hee bringeth in this matter by counterfaiting of the voyce of the false teacher O saith the false teacher Touch not taste not handle not there is the doctrine of the deceiuer ye heard when hee admonished them to beware of these ceremonies The first sort was concerning rites from that he past to daies Now againe the onely sort of ceremonies which here he expresseth is the same concerning meates This importeth something that he sticketh so vpon this ceremonie of meates Wherfore the Apostle specifieth the Iudaicall ceremonie concerning meates It teacheth vs this that the diuell the enemie of man specially tempteth men about meate He begun betimes Our first parents were not so soone created and placed in Eden but he begun to tempt them about meate and from that houre to this houre he neuer resteth to tempt men about meate either after one manner or other either to abstaine or else to exceede He hath thus tempted the world in this subiect of meates VVhat is the cause of this He seeth not a meeter subiect to tempt men with then meate drink It is the thing that we vse and must vse daily therefore he setteth his engine to tempt men in this Yet to open this matter better there are two things especially wherein the Lord hath giuen men libertie meate and mariage In these two the Lord hath giuen vs libertie And this hath euer been the craft of Sathan to restraine this libertie giuen by the Lord. The Apostle foresaw this in the 1. Tim. 4. 1. and foretold that in the latter daies men should arise with a lying spirit and should deliuer the doctrine of diuels And then he nameth these two points of their doctrine forbidding saith he meates and mariage Now there must be some cause of this temptation of Sathan he knoweth well enough there is a faire The pretence of hypocrites pretence for restraining of mens libertie to wit the mortification of the flesh Abstaine say they from meate abstaine from mariage because it mortifieth the flesh So hauing a faire pretence he tempteth men in these things and restraineth the libertie that the Lord hath graunted This pretence is friuolous because there is no meane of mortifying but that that God hath commanded Therefore if thou shouldest pine and famish thy selfe to death thou shalt not be mortified but the more thou vsest that dealing without the spirit of Iesus thou shalt be the more puffed vp in the vanitie of thy minde for it is a meane to pride to vse that which the Lord hath not commaunded thee It is true that Paul said 1. Cor. 9. 27. he held his bodie vnder at a straite diet and so doe all godly men this is a good meane and the Lord hath commaunded a diet to be kept but to abstaine frō meat as an vncleane thing thou hast no warrant neither oughtest thou to follow such as would perswade thee to the same Therfore follow no meane to mortification but that which the Lord commaundeth thee And as for that which Paul did hee had the warrant of the spirit of Iesus but yet ye shall see there that he placeth no merit in it But the false teacher as the Pope and his Clergie they place a merit and necessitie in these things But to come to the words of the Apostle he counterfaiteth the voyce of the false teacher and speaketh as they doe and that with bitternes of heart O saith the deceiuer Touch not taste not handle not which testifieth plainly that in the heart of the spirit of God there is a bitternes against the hypocrite yea a bitternes like gall especially against the false teacher O thou shalt finde one day a bitter voyce vttered against thee Touch not saith hee that is lay not thy fingers end vpon such meate hold backe thy hand from it Taste not that is bring it not to thy mouth let not the tip of thy tongue taste it Handle not that is lay not thy hand grosly vpon it nor meddle not with it in any wise handle not such vncleane and forbidden meates Brethren these commandements that are so streight import that these false teachers thought there were in certaine meates vncleannes and that they were poysonable and had force to infect and make a man vncleane this was their mind concerning meates and therefore their sinne was manifolde For first they are iniurious to the meate in accounting the creature vncleane which was cleane In 1. Tim. 4. 4. it is said the creature is cleane And Rom. 14. 14. that there is no meate vncleane So they were very iniurious against the creature the meate And then that which is more they were iniurious to the Colossians in taking their libertie from them and in burdening them with an vnnecessarie burden To bind a man to this meate or that meate thou snarest the conscience and doest worse then if thou shouldest strangle that man whom thou thus entrappest What God commaundeth that thou countermandest Lastly they were iniurious to God who created althings cleane especially to them that are in Iesus Christ who sanctified althings and gaue libertie to man to eate what it liked him as wee see in the Acts 10. 15. when all sort of meate was offered to Peter and he being commaunded to eate indifferently of all refused Then the voyce commeth to him halfe in anger and saith to him that which God hath made cleane make not thou vncleane O Papist God hath not made the meate foule but it is thou that defilest thy selfe and the meate both the Lord hath cleansed it in the bloud of Iesus and thou deceiuer shouldest thou stand vp and say it is vncleane O deceiuer thou art vnworthie of meate Yet more ye see in these words the nature of an hypocrite A false The marke of a false teacher Doctor he is the strictest y t euer was in that that auaileth not in a trifle he will be wondrous precise in the things wherein the Lord hath giuen libertie he will be a niggard and close the hand of him And by the contrarie in that which the Lord hath forbidden he will be liberall Come to murther he will giue thee a pardon before hand hee reckoneth not of adulterie and oppression and such grosse sinnes Paul 2. Thess 2. 4. giueth this as a note of the Antichrist that he shal oppose himselfe to euery thing diuine he shall be euer in a contradiction to God So where ye find this opposition say here sitteth Antichrist Therfore I say
they should mortifie their earthly members and after the generall he commeth to the deliuerie of these seueral foule affections that breake out in the bodie and the first hee nameth was fornication the second was vncleannes in generall whatsoeuer the third was one speciall kinde of vncleannes the inordinate affection the burning lust that cannot bee quencht the fourth was generall euill concupiscence Now brethren wee spake of these the last day as God gaue the grace and as this permitted leauing off the generall discoursing pertaining to the common heads of doctrine and therefore without further repetition of any thing that was spoken I goe forward This day we proceed with the fift member and then after wee shall come to the two arguments whereby hee will moue them to this mortification of the lusts of the flesh The fift member then hee termeth it auarice or couetousnes Euen as before when he had named the generall vice or member called vncleannes hee subioyned a speciall member which he called the inordinate affection the which member of affection among all parts and sorts of vncleannes is the greatest Euen so now when he hath named the general member which he calleth euill concupiscence he subioyneth the speciall called auarice which is the worst kinde of euill concupiscence in this world therefore he maketh a choise of it besides al other concupiscences in the heart of men For euen as that burning lust of the heart is vnquenchable and cannot be extinguished by any earthly meane without the spirit of Christ it will neuer be quenched so this wicked concupiscence of auarice it is vnsatiable it can neuer be filled It is like a deuouring gulfe for though it could swallow in all this world yet it would be too little for it Giue an auaricious man the whole world hee will yet craue more and this is no marueile for this world and all that are in this world are finite and bounded within termes but the desire of an auaricious man is in a manner infinite And to speake the truth if it get not God it will Nothing can fill the couetous heart but God himselfe neuer be satisfied There is nothing that will content or fill it the more he hath the more hee will craue In a word there is nothing that will be able to fill the desire of man but that infinite God And as one said well alluding to the shape of this world and comparing it with the heart of a man The world is round and circular the heart is foure cornered Therefore the couetous mans heart may fitly bee compared to a square which can neuer be compleatly filled vp by a circle though a circle be of all others the most capacious figure still there is a corner voide turne the circle which way thou wilt within the square Euen so though the whole frame of the heauens earth seas and ayre with all that be within thē were ingrossed in the gulfe of a couetous mans vnsatiable hart yet would it neuer be filled neuer contented neuer haue enough It is knowne that a quadrangle is neuer filled euen so the heart of an auaricious man being a quadrant it is neuer filled The more he hath the more hee will craue the auaricious heart will neuer be satisfied vntill it drowne the man Paul 1. Timoth. chap. 6. vers 9. speaking of them that will be rich he saith they drowne themselues There is their end Brethren if ye will compare together these two foule affections as the speciall worst members in a man certainly I account auarice farre worse and more incurable then the other As for the lust and that fire it will grow lesse and as a man groweth old it wil grow old and faile with him But as for this affection of auarice it groweth more and more and as a man groweth in age it groweth in youth the older thou art it is the younger for the more thou decayest in strength of thy members the more strong groweth it according to the prouerbe All vices grow old but auarice groweth young Therefore aboue all wicked affections this vice of auarice A prouerb requireth mortification Now slay it I beseech you and fill it vp once fill vp that gulfe And wherewith either with godlines or else it will neuer be filled Godlines is great gaine 1. Timoth. chap. 6. otherwise thou shalt neuer haue contentation I tell thee there is no other meane then to fill thy heart with godlines if thou haue thy heart filled with godlines a little thing will fill thy heart a sober supper and a sober dinner will serue thee but if thou want godlines in thy heart auarice shall raigne in thee as a tyrant and how beit he had gotten a world of things yet if he heare of any thing behinde he can not be satisfied but requireth that also For his greedines can not be filled Now to goe forward when he hath named this auarice he leaueth it not as he did the rest of the vices before simply naming it but he insisteth in it and describeth it to be idolatrie as he would say it the greatest vice that is it bereaueth God of his honour and worship Brethren it is not in this place only where he calleth this vice of auarice idolatrie but in the fift to the Ephesians 5. verse he termeth the auaricious man an idolater and Iesus Christ in 16. of Luke vers 13. No man saith he can serue God and riches Where ye may see he attributeth that to riches which is proper to God for the auaricious man honoureth his riches and is a seruant yea rather a slaue to his riches whereas he should serue his God But I say to thee pretend to serue God as thou wilt thou shalt not serue God and riches both for the words of Christ meane that when once thou beginnest to be in loue with thy riches thou biddest God farewell For thou wilt be content rather to be a slaue to riches worshipping them then to serue God as he cōmanded thee in his word Brethren ye may aske of me what man is hee that will adore his riches for he is an idolater that will adore any Idol whatsoeuer it be what rich man will fall down to a piece of money I say there was neuer an Idolater tooke greater pleasure to looke on a grauen Image then an auaritious man Auarice is idolatrie 1. The couetous man loueth his mony more then God 2. Trusteth in his mony will delight to looke on a piece of money The outward eye of him shall be so fixt on it that he shall forget his God such shall be his pleasure to behold it But to speake nothing of the outward worship There was neuer an idolater that had greater confidence in his Idoll then the couetous man in his money Remember ye not the rich man who when hee had filled his barnes My soule saith he take thy rest whereon vpon thy riches there is his confidence Luk.
the Apostle saith mortifie that same word is a word of mortification euen so he mortifieth men by example Hee will take a slaine soule and Examples of the faithfull ought to moue vs. set it vp as a spectacle to thee and bid thee that art a sinner looke to that slaine soule he will point it out to thee and bid thee take an example of it of mortification and so well art thou that preachest by thy life howbeit thou neuer preach Heb. 12. 1. 2. 3. one word with thy mouth for thou wilt be able to edifie by thy life as another will be by y e word Now howbeit that the Lord vseth both the word and example to teach vs mortification yet for all this it is not effectuall in euery one of vs for where one will be moued by example two will scorne at it Know yee not how a naughtie packe sold to wickednes will scorne when he seeth the life of a godly man or woman propounded to him he wil scorne at him what matter if he were a Lord or whatsoeuer he be if hee scorne at the life of a godly man I say he is but an impious man void of grace 1. Pet. chap. 4 vers 4. 5. it is said Because yee will not runne on with them they blaspheme But what addeth he Who shall render an account to him that is readie to iudge both quick and dead thou scorner shalt first render an account of thy prophanenes and then of thy blasphemie against the Saints To come now to the fourth that is to be marked here which is the time put away now saith he that is while it is to day before it was night and darknes and therefore yee walked in darknes but now it is day and fie on thee that wilt liue in the day light as it were in the night Brethren there is no small force in the time to doe this or that Ye know by experience when it is night and when the clowdes couer the earth it prouoketh men to doe that which they would not doe in the day and prouoketh a man to sleep A man that is inclined to drunkennes will goe to it in the night and he that desireth harlotrie he craueth the night for he that doth euill hateth the light And by the contrarie there is no small force in the day light it will shamethee and will make thee to wake and compell thee to put to thy hand to doe some good thing But to come to the spirituall night and day if this day hath this force hath not the spirituall night a great force Thou that liest vnder the clowd of ignorance thou art more heauily opprest therewith then the clowd of the night doth the bodie this clowde will cause thee to runne to all mischiefe in the world And by the contrarie when once that light the sunne of righteousnes shines when the shining of the Gospell beginneth to breake vp it prouoketh men to goe to heauenly workes which are the workes of the light Therefore Paul saith The night is past and now is the day walke then as in the day time Rom. 13. vers 12. Fie on thee that euer thou shouldest let this glorious light of Iesus shine vpon thee and then walkest in the workes of darknes and in the night Better were it for any in Scotland that they had neuer seene the light of the Gospell then to haue seene it For there are many in Scotland that the more they heare of the Gospell they are the wickeder for except this Gospell be forcible to the slaying of sinne in thee it shall be forcible to the workes of darknes which shall worke thy damnation If it make thee not the better it will make thee the worse for it shall be either the sauour of life vnto life or els the sauour of death vnto death either Christ shall quicken thee and slay thy sin or els he shall slay thy selfe In a word neuer Turke nor Pagan was so wicked and so euill a liuer as a Christian man and yet he will heare the word and turne vp his eare and listen to the preaching now if this word alter him not it shall harden him And therefore I giue thee my counsell except thou finde a mortification in thee of thy affections by the hearing of this Gospell neuer lend thy eare to heare the word of Christ for it shall be a sealed booke vnto thee And therefore take good heed that the Gospell be powerfull to life to thee and crie O Lord let the word of life be powerfull to life that I may finde life in me by it Now brethren I haue ended these first words When hee hath generally exhorted them to put away all these things he commeth on in particular and besides the members that hee hath rehearsed before he reckoneth more of them but not all And in this text he reckoneth vp seauen wrath anger as it is turned malice blasphemie or cursed speaking filthie speaking lying-speaking Let vs heare of euery of them as they are set downe Onely I shall touch them so farre as shall serue for the purpose The first foure are contained vnder the generall Sixe common iniuries Foure degrees sin called iniurie or wrong done against our neighbour they are set downe in degrees and passe vp in degrees The first is wrath that is the lowest degree anger is the second and a firie malice is the third and cursed speaking is the fourth To come to the first he termeth it wrath that is the first member of the argument that hee will haue them to put away from them This wrath is the first commotion sinfull in thy heart against thy neighbour to this end to be reuenged on him An angry man is euer reuengefull and there is nought in him but vengeance and the vengeance of God shall ouertake him I call it a sinfull commotion because there is a commotion that is holie God forbid that men want wrath the Lord hath wrath the Angels haue wrath and the godly man hath wrath Holy wrath and that a holie wrath I call it so when it is not so much thou that art angrie as it is the holie Spirit that dwelleth in thee that is when the holie Spirit so ruleth gouerneth thy wrath that in wrath thou sinnest not in any circumstance Wrath in it selfe is a thing indifferent but if thou faile in circumstance it is a sin Some will be angrie without a cause for the turning vp of a straw thou sinnest if thou passe measure in anger thou sinnest if thou be angrie when it is no place nor time thou sinnest if thou bee angrie with one with whom thou shouldest not bee angrie So it is a sinfull commotion when there is fault committed in these circumstances either in one Eph. 4. 30. or all And then when thou failest it is not the spirit of God in thee that directeth thee in thy anger but it is thou thy selfe in thy corruption And
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
elected from all eternitie them in time he elects and chuseth out from the rest of mankinde by effectuall calling Then I make of this first ground a lesson This Christian calling it requires a faire rayment You know the cloathing of euery man and woman should be according to their calling when thou goest aboue thy calling thou sinnest so the earthly raiment and cloathing whatsoeuer it be should be according to thy vocation This calling of God is an high calling as Paul to the Philippians chap. 3. vers 14. speakes And as the calling of a King requires a faire apparell to set it foorth with so this calling to the kingdome of God craueth a higher apparell Therfore remember thou art called to put on that faire apparell The next argument is Ye are holie This holines is the effect of the other For wast thou blacke before yet being called from darknes to light the beames of the face of God shining vpon thee now thou art whiter then snow Ye see a man that walkes long in the Sunne will be altered so of necessitie this sonne of righteousnes must make a chaunge to wit to make thee holie And this is that which the Apostle 2. Cor. 3. 18. saith Looking into the glorie of God as it were in a mirrour we are transformed from glorie to glorie and therefore take pleasure to look into it night and day and thou shalt be changed from the dregges of the world and made to shine Marke then as I said of him that is called so I say of him that is a Saint A faire garment fits thee well for the Saints stand night and day before God in his household Who will come before the eye of an earthly Prince ragged and bare how much lesse before that great maiestie of God If thou be not clad with holines the very eye of God will strike thorough thee to thy consumption Now the third argument is the loue of God shewed to thē This is that loue of God that he bare to vs when we were enemies to him when thou wast wandring in thy vanitie he gaue himselfe for thee and hee loued thee ere thou wist and afterward he powres it into thee that thou feelest it Nay thou neuer tastedst of sweetnes if thou neuer tastedst of the loue of God and this is the loue of God that makes thee to loue him again The beloued one of God craues a faire apparell Who is he or she among you that will not trauell to be pleasant in the eye of your louer So the Lord loues thee and neuer one loued thee so well Therefore wilt thou not studie to come pleasantly clad before him Then ye see they in whom the Lord delights come before him gloriously in faire apparell that makes them to be pleasant in his eye Thus much for the arguments that he sets down which should haue moued the Colossians to put on the new man Now followes the vertues The first vertue he termes The bowels of mercies that is the word in the first language that is pitie mercie and compassion briefly it is a vertue and grace not growing of nature but wrought in the heart by the spirit of Iesus Now it hath this force and effect to pitie the miserie of men and women but there is little of it in these daies When thou seest the members of Christ sick or sore be sorie for them thou wilt be sorie for thy hand when it is sore euen so thou shouldest be sorie for the members of Christ Againe he calles it no mercie but mercies in the plural number to signifie that he that is mercifull must haue many of them for many miseries require many mercies He cals it not mercies but the bowels of mercies to signifie this intire loue it must be within thee and in thy bowels Then this mercie it hath two properties first thou must abound of it Next it must be in thy bowels and thy bowels must bee loosed with pitie Then brethren ye see this faire garment hee exhorts them to put on Where begins it It begins at thy bowels the depth of thy heart there is the first cloathing and the cloathing is pitie and mercie and wherefore mercie and so many mercies because in this world there are many miseries Where shall the godly man turne to but he shall see miserie Wilt thou looke vp to the King and his Court a spectacle of miserie Wilt thou looke to the beggar a spectacle of miserie And if euer there was any pitie to be had this land hath neede of it The next vertues Kindnes Bountifulnes The first was the vertue that pities thy neighbour this is the vertue that doth him a good deede Mercie is in the bowels Bountie is in the hand And if thou pitiest any bodie and hast it to giue put out thy hand and giue him otherwise it auailes not Then yee see this vertue of the elect of God is Bountie And wherefore is this bountie requisite because there is so much neede in all estates and a great scant of all things both earthly and heauenly and therefore it is requisite to haue bountifulnes that thou maist bestow vpon one bodie a benefit spirituall and vpon another a temporall Now to come to the next vertue which is the third in number Low lines of minde modestie It is a vertue when men and women counts nothing of themselues and are not puffed vp in pride So it hath these two properties it counts nothing of themselues but much of others Then this vertue is lowlines in the eye and in the heart If thou wouldest appeare in the sight of thy God put on modestie come not haughtie come not with raised vp neckes the Lord is aboue thee and he will giue thee such a stroke that hee will slay thee For there was neuer a proud man that raised vp his head against God but he made him stoope So the third peece of this garment is humilitie Wilt thou looke to thy selfe what hast thou to glorie in where thou hast one thing thou wantest tenne Wilt thou looke to others the grace thou seest in thy brother thou shouldest account of it Now the fourth peece of this garment is Meekenes that is excellently well matched with humilitie euer the humble man is meeke the proud euer churlish without meeknes and mildnes and so farre as in him lies renting the bodie of Iesus For where pride is there is no societie for a man that hath pride hee cannot associate himselfe with another Now this vertue is in thy mouth and makes thee to giue to thy neighbour sweete language Now this fourth part is so necessarie that there can bee no standing of the Church without it for such is the nature of man if it bee handled roughly it is lost and if thou handle a sinner thus thou doest ouerthrow him And therefore Paul euer recommends gentlenes if thy rebukes smell of bitternes and not of meeknes thou wilt destroy him Forthere is no sinner as
Lord Iesus I presse ye with experience foundest thou euer any true ioy in thy heart when thy hart eye was not on Christ No no there is no actiō if it were neuer so glorious that will minister ioy to thy heart except the eye heart be on Christ No if it were a Preacher if he haue not the eye of him on his Lord his speeches auailes not they will not comfort the soule of him Therefore haue euer thy eye vpon this Lord Iesus as euer thou wouldest haue pleasure and ioy in thy heart and benefit to thy selfe in the Lord Iesus To whom with the Father and blessed Spirit be all honour and praise for euer Amen THE XXXII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 18. 19. 18 Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands as is comely in the Lord. 19 Husbands loue your wiues and be not bitter vnto them IN the text preceding the exhortation hath been generall to wit to mortification pertaining to euery estate in the world Now in this text he descends in particular to certaine speciall estates of men and women directing his exhortation particularly to them and namely to three estates The first is to husbands and wiues The second is to parents and children The third is to masters and seruants To come then to the purpose It is to be vnderstood that from the beginning of this world there hath euer been these three principall estates and ranks of men and women in the world The first is the estate of husbands and wiues for ye know Adam ere euer he had children he had his wife The next after Inequality in all estates this was the estate of parents and children and then by processe of time there became some masters and some seruants so that this is the last in order and time In these three estates all be not equall but there is an inequalitie some are superiours and some are inferiours The superiours he hath made to be Husbands Parents and Masters The inferiours he hath made to bee Wiues Children and Seruants For if all were equall no policie could stand nor order on the earth but a confusion The Lord who is onely wise knew this and therefore it pleased him to dispose the world after this manner so that a policie might be kept in it These being the three estates the Scripture hath chiefe respect to them and giues exhortations to these three In all he begins first at the inferiours as in this place he begins at the wiues and then comes to the husbands The cause of this is because the estate of the inferiours is hardest and therefore the spirit of God first informes the inferiours that they should take that burthen the Lord hath laid on them and that they should doe that which they doe willingly for I will not giue a peny for thy seruice and subiection if it be compelled for the subiection that is voluntarie is blessed whether it be by wife child or seruant otherwise all is nothing worth thou hast lost thy thankes But to come to the words First he saith Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands Few words but pithie Note foure things In them ye shall marke foure things First that dutie that is required of maried wiues the dutie is subiection and obedience The second is to whom they owe this dutie not to euery one but to their owne husbands The third is the manner of subiection how it shall be done to wit in the Lord. The fourth is the argument to moue them and it is taken from that that is comely The dutie then is subiection let vs weigh it The first thing in it is obedience in deede and effect This is the first part of subiection as appeares in the first Epistle of Peter chap. 3. where the Apostle making mention of the ancient women brings in the example of Sara and there he defines that subiection Yet there is more in this subiection then simple obedience The obedience must haue ioyned with it honouring of thy husband in word As thou obeyest Subiection of wiues to the husbands and what required in it him indeede and effect so thou must honour him in word therefore in that same place it is said that Sara called her husband Lord. Yet there is more then all this there is feare and reuerence in the heart required that is the ground of all Paul Ephes 5. 33. speakes expresly of this Looke that the wife feare and reuerence her husband in heart So then there is this subiection in the whole parts thereof In deed it is obedience in word it is honouring of him in heart it is feare and reuerence Note So that wife which will be subiect to her husband must keepe these three points or else she faileth in subiection Come to the second to whom this subiection ought to be giuen not to euery one To your owne husbands This subiection is commaunded not to strange men but to your owne husbands The speciall kind of subiection wherein stands the dutie of the wife to the husband is not to be communicated with any other man It is true the male kind hath a preferment aboue the female it hath honour aboue the other Looke Paul 1. Tim. 2. 13. 14. where he giues two reasons of this preferment The first is from the creation Adam was first created and then Eue. The second is from the transgression the woman fell first and it is sure first in sinne last in honour Notwithstanding this wiues are not commaunded to doe this dutie to euery man but to their owne husbands If you will mark the words narrowly you shal perceiue there lurks an argument in them The argument is taken from their propertie they are your proper goods thou hast nothing so proper as thy husband and therefore seeing thy husband is thy proper good shouldest thou not doe a dutie to thy husband But I leaue this and I come to the manner The manner of this subiection is bounded In the Lord the Lord Iesus must be the rule of it But to consider the words Wiues be subiect to your husbands in the Lord The manner of the subiection in these two respects First when you are subiect to your husbands be first subiect to Iesus Christ obey him honour him there is the first dutie which is according to the law discharge thy dutie to God first otherwise thou art in a backward way Begin neuer then at a man though it were at a King to shew and giue thy subiection but begin first at God and subiect thy selfe first to him Secondly when thou hast done thy dutie to the Lord Iesus Christ then for the loue and pleasure and glorie of this Lord thou shouldest subiect thy selfe to thy husband I will giue thee my counsell let neuer wife be subiect to her husband but for the cause of Christ and not for thy husbands cause First if thou doe it so for the Lords
them do but increase their sinne and their condemnation by meanes therof But the other sort as not sinning in so high degree must be otherwise melt withall namely admonished in the spirit of loue to leaue that sinne though it might be as deare and precious to them as their right hand or their right eye and to striue by godly communication words both to strengthen them that do stand and to help the weak hearted and to gain others with whom they haue to deale And if this belongs to euery Christian as his common dutie then how much more doth it concerne the publike Minister not onely as in regard that he is Gods substitute on earth who propoundeth nothing saue that which is good to edifie all but also in respect that he speaketh or should speake Gods word onely according as S. Peter saith Let him that speaketh speake as the words of God And yet the more is the pitie nothing more trifling nothing more vnsound then that which some take vpon them either as Gods ministers or in steed of them to deliuer in the chaire or pulpit But wee will leaue them and proceede in the text The second thing that hee requireth in our speech is that it should be poudred with salt These are metaphors or borrowed kinds of speeches and therefore had need of a good interpretation both for the cleering and doctrine of them That the speech should be gracious which the Apostle had required before it must of necessity be seasoned with salt because in a hearers heart there cannot bee effected any grace but by such speech as is poudred or seasoned And wherewith must it be seasoned The Apostle answereth it must bee with salt The salt wherewith our words must be seasoned is true sanctitie or holines Of necessitie there must be holines in the heart before there can bee any salt or sauour in the mouth or words Nay I will say more that sanctitie must possesse all the affections of the heart or else there wil not there cannot flow from it seasoned speech Yea this holines must spread and stretch it selfe vnto all the outward parts and members and to all the outward actions and operations of the parts and peeces of mens bodies or else there can bee no salt or seasoning of any thing that is said or done For if the heart be holy and all the affections thereof sanctified then the hand shall worke the foote shall walke the eye shall see and the tongue shall speake holily For if the heart be it that setteth the whole man and euery seuerall part of him on worke as that is so sure and certaine as no man that knoweth no more then the light of nature can affoord him will or can denie it then it must needes follow that according to the frame and disposition thereof all in the whole and euery part of it must be ordered and if euery part follow the disposition of the minde then doth the mouth also Which also our Sauiour himselfe signifieth when he saith that out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and S. Iames expresseth it likewise by a similitude when he telleth vs that no fountaine can send out at one and the selfe same place or hole sweete and bitter waters But yet for the cleering of this point we must a little looke into the nature of salt It hath two special or chiefe vses One to make meat that is sauourie more sweete to be eaten and better pleasing the palate or taste The other to preserue euery thing almost from stinking and corruption So that first sanctitie is it that maketh speech gracious delightfull and fit to edification and therefore meete also and fit to bee directed to the eares yea to the vnderstanding of the hearer Secondly it purgeth the very speeches themselues and preserueth them from all impuritie stinch rottennes corruption c. whereas otherwise without this sanctitie the speech it selfe will be in it selfe filthie and corrupt indeed and as it were with a certaine kinde of putrifaction corrupt the minds of the hearers which the Apostle expressely forbiddeth Ephes 4. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouth By which we may learne one singular poynt and that is this that as filthie and foolish speech bewraieth want of true sanctitie in him that vseth it or taketh delight in the speaking or hearing of it so it is one speciall meane I meane lack of true holines which neither good speeches of good things are so powerfull in him that speaketh them nor so profitable in them to whom they are directed as otherwise they might be if there were true sanctitie and holines in the hearers and speakers as there ought to be And that therfore no man should speak to himself or to others or heare others speake of good things but that they should striue first to purge themselues from all filthines of the flesh and the spirit and then to fit and fill themselues with all puritie and pietie that so there being an analogie and proportion betweene inward holines and outward holy things propounded the holy and good things of God might be more profitable then they haue been And so wee may see one speciall cause why good things spoken either in publike or in priuate profit so smally no man neither speaker nor hearer hath conscience or care to cleanse their hands or to purge their hearts but as though that they were cleane enough alreadie if not too cleane or as though their impuritie could stand with the holines of good things so do we goe on But beware brethren of this conceit for a net is spread by Satans malice and our own corruption to catch our feete fast and to hold vs in sin at their pleasure But we will passe from this and proceed in the text wherein yet one word contained in this sentence of framing and fashioning our speech is worthie of animaduersion and that is the aduerbe alwaies By which hee giueth vs plainly to vnderstand that it is not sufficient for vs now and then or sometimes as we say to haue our talke communication and speech holy and gracious for that will but make vs more and more without excuse as hauing a light raised vp in vs to testifie against vs that we haue seene and affected for a while the best things but haue in a daily course followed the worst But wee must continually looke to our selues in so much that when we are to speake wee must either speake holily and vnto the benefit and edification of others or else speake not at all For euen in this sinne there are these degrees To speake wickedly or filthily is to corrupt other men because as the Apostle saith out of the Poet Euillwords marre good manners and this is properly indeed to destroy men But if we be silent we sinne not against them that way though wee must answere this to God and men that wee aduaunce not in them the worke of grace
COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 13. 14. 13 And ye which were dead in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him forgiuing you all your trespasses 14 And putting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against vs. REmember brethren the last day we had in hand the circumcision not made with the hands of man but standing in a putting off of the bodie of the sinnes of the flesh he tooke it vp in one word and termed it the circumcision Summe of the last Lecture of Christ that is an inward circumcision made by him and by his vertue Now to make this more plaine he insisteth in the next verse on the circumcision of Christ and hee made it to stand in a conformitie betweene Christ and vs that as Christ after his death was buried so wee should be buried with him that is our old man and the corruption of nature should be buried with him Next as after his death and buriall he was raised vp to life so we being dead and buried to sinne should rise vp to newnes of life in him Now this is obtained not by the Sacrament of Baptisme onely but by faith laying hold on God and his mightie power After this when he had spoken of the effect of this strong power of God he abides on it describing God himselfe his omnipotent power The description ariseth of the effects that proceede from him The effects of Gods power You haue heard the first effect it was in raising Christ from death in which worke the power of God chiefly appeared there was neuer a worke that God wrought from the creation to this houre or will worke to the end of the world in the which so mightily appeared the power of God as it did in the raising of Christ because there was neuer a creature so humbled and so bound with the bands and dolor of death as was Iesus Christ Now in this that we haue read presently followeth the rest of the description of God in his power and first wee haue his The second effect of Gods power description from the second effect and worke of his power It is the quickening of the Gentiles that were dead with Iesus who was first quickened namely the Colossians to whom he writeth Then followeth the third effect the quickening of the The third effect Iewes that were as well dead as the Gentiles But to speake of the quickening of the Gentiles and namely of the Colossians and so to come to the words he saith And you that is you Colossians and all the rest of the Gentiles when you were dead in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of the foreskin of your flesh then he quickened you and raised you vp from the death that ye lay in with him meaning Iesus Christ whom hee raised vp first and that in this order He hath freely forgiuen you all your sinnes these are the words Now brethren this is to be considered he setteth not downe the quickening of the Colossians and of the rest simply but he setteth it downe in a comparison with their former estate wherin they were before their quickning calling them to remembrance that before they were quickened they were dead life followeth death the first gate to life with Iesus is to be dead with him so it behooued that before they were quickened they should be found dead Now in the comparison and example set downe here mark first it is the will of God whatsoeuer grace hee giueth vs wee doe much esteeme it and if he giue thee life he will haue thee highly account of it The spirituall grace that is gotten in Iesus Highly price the least grain of the grace of Christ Christ it cannot be highly enough thought of in the heart of man For when thou hast put it in a ballance with al earthly things all is nothing the least graine of this spiritual grace gotten in Iesus Christ is worth them all Therefore the Lord that giueth thee it will haue thee to make much of it Now the way to weigh aright this heauenly life receiued in Christ is this to cast thy eye back and looke ouer thy shoulder to that death wherein thou latest before thou gottest it looke what thou wast before looke whether thou wast dead or quicke before thou gatest this spirituall life And therefore there is nothing more required then a sanctified memorie in a Christian Remember wealth and woe both good estate and ill what euer it hath bin Now looke to the working of God for rather then his own elect shall be forgetfull of their former estate of their death they lay in before they got life he wil make y e very stink of their sinful nature wherof they haue yet a remnant he will make it I say to strike them in their nose and make them feele that stinking sauour For he keepeth still the remnant stinking The remnant of sin in the regenerate what vse is hath in them that they may remember what estate they were in before they got this life in Iesus Christ that they might remember the life they haue gotten to be the sweeter Nay marke it thou shalt neuer feele the sweete odour of the life in Iesus Christ except thou feele the stinke of thy nature And if thou take a delight to looke into thy owne nature and thinke it delicate thou neuer thoughtest what grace meant yea thou shalt neuer account of it but once tasting of the life of Iesus and the sweetnes of it then thou shalt abhorre that stinke of nature wherein thou before delightedst For whē once thou hast tasted of that sweetnes for all this world thou wouldest not returne againe to that death of sinne wherein thou liuedst before it was taken away by the quickening power of God But to insist vpon the words When ye were dead as if hee should say ye Colossians did imagine that you were quicke but I say ye were dead not onely ye but all the Gentiles were dead Then brethren ye may see a man if hee were neuer so quicke being out of Christ he is but dead as Paul speaketh of the wanton widow 1. Tim. 5. 6. and the quicker thou thinkest thy selfe if thou be out of Christ thou art the deader But here is our miserie wee feele not that we are dead alas these miserable creatures that wallow in sinne they haue dead bodies but they feele it not and certainly there is no man that getteth the sense of the bitternes of that death or that loathes and is squeamish at the filthines of his nakednes vntill he be in Christ and vntill he feele the sweetnes of the life of Christ hee The sweetnes which the faithfull feele by Christ in their regeneration neuer knoweth himself to haue haue been dead or vnder the power of death And therefore whatsoeuer ye be which he dead without Iesus striue to get a feeling of the sweetnes of that life which is in him I
in the Church of Rome sitteth the Antichrist There he sitteth shall sit vntill he be abolished by the breath of the Lord Iesus This for this point of false doctrine In the 22. verse he falleth to and refuteth this doctrine and he bringeth in two forcible and pithie arguments and first he reasoneth from the perishing nature of these things what are they They are corruptible things Who will set downe rules about things that perish as though religion were in them Paul 1. Corinth 6. 13. in handling this same matter he saith Meates are ordained for the bellie and the bellie for the meates but God shall destroy both it and them As if hee should say both the meate and the bellie shall perish Now this argument taken from the corruptible nature of these things hee aggrauateth when hee saith but in the vse they perish When they are in the hand and mouth they perish It is true that all these earthly things appointed for this mortall life passe away all goeth away that is appointed for the sustenance of man yet there are somethings more lasting and more durable then others but as concerning meate and cloath and such things they all weare away by the vse So the Apostle would say that of all vanishing things meate is the most vanishing thing that is Then note this Religion godlines and the worshipping of God it is not in things corruptible it is not in things indifferent as meate drinke daies cloathes and the rest of these vanishing things but true religion standeth in things permanent and in things necessarie I giue thee an example To eate this and not to eate that I will not count thee the more godly or religious for that is to be in the kingdome of Antichrist but to honour one God onely the true God sincerely that is religion And so goe through the whole commaundements and if thou finde thy heart sanctified to obey God in his word and to follow him onely then I say to thee thou art truly religious Eate what thou pleasest all is sanctified to thee and to keepe temperance in the vse of them that is acceptable to God But to eate or not to eate that is no religion if thou haue not the warrant of the word of God for thy religion I will not giue a poynts end for thy religion for there is no religion but that which the Lord hath commaunded And therefore Paul to the Romanes chap. 14. vers 17. he saith that the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke religion consisteth not of these things but in an vprightnes peace with God and with thy neighbour and ioy in the holy Ghost Albeit thou shouldest fast all the fridaies and wednesdaies in the yeere yet if thou be a wrangler with thy neighbour thou hast no religion thou art an hypocrite Ye see the religiō of the Papists standeth in things corruptible goe to Rome and Spaine ye shall see this their religion standeth in wearing this cloathing and that cloathing in abstaining from this meate and eating of that and such other trifles wherewith they haue troubled the world Fie on them will they neuer be ashamed of it Thus for the first reason of the refuting of this false doctrine now followeth the second What are al things saith he againe but the doctrine of men This doctrine Touch not taste not handle not was not the doctrine of God and therefore saith the Apostle it auaileth not For euen as these things corruptible as meate drink with the rest of that sort they are no matter or subiect of religion euen so the commaundement of man and the doctrine of man that commeth from his braine is no rule of religion Liuest thou after the doctrine of man I affirme thou art not religious Liuest thou in abstinence at the commaund of man Ha ha there is a faire countenance in thee but I say to thee all is superstition which is ruled by the doctrine of men In one word take all that religion in that Church grounded on the braine of man not to be religiō but superstition Thou shalt find out a superstitious Friar by his habit goe through all their Cloysters ye shall finde nothing but the doctrine of man and the doctrine of man will neuer make a religious bodie Secondly The doctrine of mē cannot make any religious I perceiue in this place and such others that men in all ages haue busied themselues to set downe doctrine about things indifferent Looke the doctrine of the Romane Church ye shal finde this true This testifieth whereto the wit of man inclineth to wit to be religious in vanities in eating drinking cloathing and to let thee liue as thou wouldest As for other necessarie points it will not acknowledge them as for the honour of the parents thou wilt passe by that O the wicked nature of man it hath no inclination to any thing but to vanishing things and it will haue a religion of these things in any case To come to the last verse hauing thus confuted this false doctrine concerning meates by these two arguments the false teacher might haue excepted and said O yet there appeareth some reason in this doctrine of abstinence because it hath a shew of wisedome Secondly it hath the appearance of the submission of the minde and thirdly it is a mortifying of the The third obiection bodie it spareth not the bodie but it humbleth the body and therefore this doctrine must haue some reason and shewe of wisedome The Apostle graunteth this but he saith it auaileth not because this doctrine is about fleshly things the filling of the bellie c. But briefly to examine the words which indeed hath the shew of wisedome Marke first a false teacher a Sophister howbeit there be no wisedome in his doctrine yet if it haue a faire shew and a glance it is enough to him This is the nature of a Sophister he is well contented with a shew of wisedome and beguileth the world with this And the people are naturally as vaine as he If thou get a shew of wisedome thou wilt be content with it And why The heart is vaine and vanitie may serue a vaine heart a vaine emptie heart that hath no soundnes will drinke in vanitie greedily as a man drinketh in water 2. Thess chap. 2. vers 10. 11. Therefore brethren wonder not to see this world wander after vanitie wonder not to see so many Papists and superstitious persons to spread abroad and the people to follow them no wonder because the world inclineth to drinke in vanitie and the world is content with a shew of truth but thanke God if hee hath made thee able to discerne betwixt a shew and a solid thing for thou hast gotten a great grace And therefore if thou heare of Phil. 1. 9. their vaine arguments thanke God that thou hast that heart to consider of them aright and that thou hast an eye that can rightly discerne thereupon for few hath gotten
this spirit of God to discerne aright betwixt the shew and the sound truth Againe note there is not one head of doctrine but it will get a colour of an argument to defend it There was neuer an heresie but it got the colour of truth neuer doctrine so foule but it will take to it a faire shew Thinke ye that the diuel that can change himself into an Angell of light that he hath not taught his owne to colour that vanitie of theirs and to couer ouer with sugar their poyson spued into them by that foule spirit No no I warrant you hee forgetteth not that therefore be not deceiued with a colour of seeming probabilitie but when thou hearest a noueltie in doctrine trie and proue the spirit and hold that that is good Trust not till thou trie and credit not lightly for thou wilt be deceiued except thou trie skilfully and with time Now I passe to the colours of their doctrine I tell you in generall of these sorts of colours that teachers will put on There is one that is false in it owne nature as the doctrine is false It is a false argument concluding a false head of doctrine Secondly there is another colour that is a true colour but falsely applied to such a subiect as thou wouldest colour a peece of dirt with faire colour so a false teacher will take a faire colour and put it vpon his dirt vpon his dreames and phantasies But to come to the speciall and that ye may see this more cleerely the first colour whereby the doctrine of meate is coloured is called voluntarie worshipping that is such Colours of false teachers worship as is not commaunded by God but inuented by the vaine head of man Woe worth such a worship when a man followeth his owne fansie And how coloured they this head of doctrine after this manner This doctrine of abstinence from meates is a kinde of voluntarie worshipping that God hath not commaunded so readie is man to serue God vnbidden Voluntarie worship apparantly hee that tarieth for bidding deserueth no thankes at Gods hands as the false teacher would say but to answere To worship God vnbidden it hath a false colour and it will not be allowed of God If thou worship God vnbidden thou seruest a thanklesse master He will not accept of thee nor thy worship So there is a false colour applied to such a subiect Come to the second colour humilitie and submission in the minde how put they on this colour O saith the deceiuer the doctrine that maketh thee humble it must be the doctrine of wisedome But so it is this doctrine concerning abstinence it humbleth thee and maketh thee lowly minded for meates puffe vp therefore this doctrine must be a good doctrine I answere this is a faire colour humilitie and submission of minde a thing commended so it is a true colour O but it is euill applied for as the deceiuer saith that sorow fasting is for humilitie he belieth it No no fast all thy life long hauing no warrant of God it shall not profit thee to humiliation Will then a false teacher bid thee abstaine from that that God hath commaunded and hath giuen thee libertie of I say to thee thou shalt neuer be the more humbled So it is a good colour but falsely applied to this foule doctrine The last colour is the subduing of the flesh Man consisteth of two parts and this abstinence serueth for both how layeth he on this colour That doctrine is a doctrine of wisedome that serueth for the chastening of the bodie I can it not denie but saith he that doth the doctrine of abstinence I say to thee that is false for there is no meanes wil serue thee for that turne but that which the Lord hath commaunded Put in thornes in thy shooes put in pinning stones in thy shooes scourge thy selfe vaine lowne thou shalt be whipped in hell take penance to thee doe all these things and such like I say to thee O deceiuer the more thou vsest these the more thou shalt bee puffed vp There is none more proud then these of the Church of Rome for I tell thee it is a pride to follow that that God hath not commaunded So it is a faire colour but falsely applied as a colour vpon dirt and all commeth to this Trie well the argument of a Papist for the argument of a Papist hath euer some falsehood if thou hast an eye to see it howbeit it will not at the first appeare to thee And if it bee a true thing which he speaketh looke how he applieth it For ye see that hee can take good and faire colours and applie them very falsely Trust neuer any of these Iesuits for he will make thee beleeue that blacke is white be not deceiued then with their colours Now will ye haue the Apostles answere he is short He granteth all these colours and shewes are true and saith as it were to these false deceiuers your doctrine will haue all these colours but I answere you all auaileth not they are of no value colour it as ye will colour it for that which is not good in it selfe it will neuer bee good vse what argument thou wilt Thy argument what euer it be will neuer make a false doctrine good He condemneth then this doctrine of abstinence that the Papists this day vse for that that is false in it selfe shall neuer stand true by any colour He giueth the reason wherefore it auaileth not because it is a doctrine that serueth for the stuffing of the flesh as he would say there is no true religion concerning things of the bellie nor cloathing of the backe nor filling of the purse what hath religion to doe with these things Eate and drinke Papist looke chap. 1. while thou burst keep thy cord and cowle on thy backe what hath religion to doe with that He cutteth it therefore away in one word it is of no value Then brethren take the lesson The doctrine concerning things that serue for this life for thy bodie thy flesh thy bellie thy back and cloathing and if thou shouldest cloathe it with sackcloath and in one word things of this life haue not to doe with religion with God and his worship God is not worshipped by these things There is not one commaundement giuen by God touching these things Where readest thou it is there ought concerning this meate or that this garment or that no no all the commaundements that serue for the worshipping of God are all in the word of God So then I say againe there is no doctrine of religion in the things of this life for why the doctrine of religion is about things that concerne spirituall life about faith about worshipping of God about the honouring of thy parents abstaining from murther and such like as thou hast set downe to thee in the law of God which is the lanterne that shineth before the feete of his elect ones So then brethren be