3. 5. 6. he saith Paul is nothing and Apollo is nothing but God who giues the increase When he hath giuen God that glorie then in the fourth chapter vers 2. he saith let men so esteeme of vs as the disposers of the mysteries of God so let men euer giue God all glorie and praise and let them be assured the 1. Sam. 2. 33. God whom they honour in their calling shall honour them againe Now to this God be all honour and praise Amen THE THIRTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 1. 2. 3 1 For I would ye knew what great fighting I haue for your sakes and for them of Laodicea and for as many as haue not seene my person in the flesh 2 That their hearts might be comforted and they knit together in loue and in all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding to know the mysterie of God euen the father and of Christ 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and of knowledge YE haue heard brethren from the foure and twentith verse of the first chapter of this epistle how Paul hath insisted vpon his owne person purchasing authority to his doctrine y t he hath propounded and to the exhortation begun As yet he continues in speaking of himselfe from the beginning of this second chapter vnto the sixt verse thereof Then after he returnes to his exhortation exhorting the Colossians to perseuerance in that faith which they had receiued The sum of the former Lecture and exhorting them from vaine traditions obtruded or layd on them by the false teachers letting them vnderstand that there was nothing except Christ and his Gospell to be acknowledged or receiued by them and that all other things without him are but vanitie Then to come briefly to our purpose and this text now read in the last verse of the chapter preceding yee heard the Apostle vttered what paines he tooke and what strife he suffered and all for this end to present euery man without exception perfect before God especially in that great day Now the Colossians to whom he writes whom he neuer saw bodily nor they him might haue obiected against this his paine labor and strife which he sustained Well Paul thou pinest thy selfe but for whom what is that to vs It is not for vs thou neuer sawest vs nor we thee so all thy labour fighting and trauell Obiection is nothing profitable for vs. The Apostle in the first verse meets Answere with and answers it I would you knew saith he what great fighting I haue for your sakes and not for you onely but for your neighbours them of Laodicea this is a towne in Phrygia and not for them only but for as many of the Gentiles as haue not seene my person in the flesh There is his answere it is plaine onely hereout I shall gather some short notes for our instruction Then first I marke in the person of the Colossians that moues the question They thought he could haue no care of them except he had seene them so commonly men thinke that they who are absent from them and neuer see them neither know them by their face as we say whom they haue not seene face to face can haue no care of them nor loue to them This is the iudgement commonly of the world and it is so indeede for naturall men that haue no more than naturall loue will speake thus of them with whom they haue not been acquainted I knew him not what haue I to doe with them whom I neuer saw nor knew What good can such men doe to me or I to them This is the fashion of the worldly men But this is all wrong as you The difference betweene the regenerate and vnregenerate The loue of the Saints exceedes the loue of the world shall see and therefore marke in the answere of Paul what great difference is betwixt naturall men and renewed men the common sort of men and the seruants of God In his answere we learne that they that are of God which haue gotten that new birth aboue nature and contrarie to nature the seruants of Christ especially such as Paul was they loue them whom they neuer sawe haue a care ouer them whom they neuer knew yea they will striue and fight to the death for them For why brethren you must vnderstand concerning them that are conioyned in the bodie of Christ one hand will not know another better then they will know one another although they haue not seene one another bodily being far distant in person and place the one from the other because it is the spirit of Iesus who ioynes them together and giues euery one a sure knowledge of the other conioyned with Christ as a member of that body Hence commeth this liuely knowledge which one christian will haue of another whom otherwise he neuer sawe in properperson For they haue not onely this fleshly sight of naturall men and bodily eye to see a mans body and face before them but they haue a spirituall eye whereby they can see to the farthest nooke and corner of the world and will send as it were the very spirit and soule out of the body to the vtmost part of the world where they know there is any of Christs members Therefore Paul saith 1. Cor. 5. 4. When ye are gathered together and my spirit c. Thou that hast no care of the Saints of God where euer they be scattered thou hadst neuer this spirituall and heauenly eye of Paul Suspect thy selfe thou art but a naturall man and if thou haue not a loue to them to embrace and fixe them as it were in thy heart alas it is a token that thou art not in that body of Christ as yet Thirdly in this answere I see it is requisit that we loue them that are Saints howbeit we neuer saw them nor they vs in this world for when the conscience is touched with a feeling of that loue there ariseth The feeling of loue in our hearts a consolation to the soule When thou feelest in thy soule that the Saints loue thee thou maist be assured that God also loues thee and therefore it hath pleased the Lord to leaue in register the acts of the Apostles containing that loue and care they had for the Saints not onely for their owne time but also for all who should liue to the end of the world For Paul he had not onely a care of the Colossians but also of the whole gentils his loue and care extended so far that it reached out to the end of the world If thou be a member of Christ the care of Paul reacheth to thee as one of that body Then lastly I note it is so requisit that we vnderstand of this loue of the We must endeuour to make our loue knowne to the Saints Saints to vs whether we haue seene them or they vs or not that the man
in him are hid all treasures of wisedome and knowledge therfore be not wise without him seeke not wisdome without him There are false teachers entred in that make you thinke there is wisedome without him but I say vnto you if you would not be deceiued seeke no wisedome without him for in him is the treasure of all wisedome and knowledge There is the force of the argument briefly Now marke the order of the Apostle Before hee exhorted them that they should not be deceiued by the inticing of mens words and doctrine and hee laies out the reason taken from the treasure and riches of wisdome and knowledge that is in Christ So the Apostle to the Hebrues 13. 8. being about to exhort them that they should not be carried about with sundrie and strange doctrine hee laies downe this ground Christ is today and yesterday c. therfore be not carried away from him As if hee would say there was neuer saluation without him from the beginning of the world and there shall be no saluation without him to the end thereof therefore sticke to him This order teacheth vs this lesson that after wee haue let men see what is in Christ after we haue opened as it were and laid abroad before the eyes of the world all that store of wisedome and knowledge that is in him then it is time to exhort men to leaue all their doctrine and vanitie and inticing words of men and to sticke by this Christ in whom there is such wisedome and knowledge For brethren you must vnderstand men if they see not true wisedome they will drinke in vanitie the heart must be filled with The heart must be filled vvith something something if thou see not the truth thou must drinke in lyes And more when thou hast begun to receiue the truth as these Colossians did except that truth be opened and laid before thy eyes as it were to be seene what is in it and what is the meaning and true sense of the same except this Gospell I say be continually taught O vaine man thou wilt goe to the puddle of mens fancies thou wilt fall againe to mens doctrine The preaching of the Gospell must be cōtinued traditions and vanitie thou wilt be a Papist yea and an Atheist to And therefore there is nothing more needfull then this that these riches of Christ be laid out before our eyes and euer tolde to vs that in Christ is all wisdome and knowledge I aske what is the cause that this miserable world all men and all nations for the most part be so drunke in mens dreames what is the Popes doctrine but dreames and poyson drinke it in thou shalt be poysoned with it I tell thee because these false deceiuers close vp the Gospell and swaddle vp Christ in the swaddle bands this is the cause that these poore soules see no better and therefore they are led to damnation blindfolded O miserable bodies these foule spirits send out their poyson to dampne the world withall as alas the greatest part of Europe this day can tell But to sticke to the words The Apostle saith I speake this least any man should beguile you with inticing words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are set out in faire flattring talke Then ye see here he opposeth to all the treasures of Christ inticing words to wisedome he opposeth flattring words There is no wisedome without Christ all is plaine sophistrie as it is called in the Schooles Then in a word all wisdome being in Christ if thou y t wilt be wise without him seeke thy wisedome where thou wilt runne to Rome runne here and there to the Iesuites to get wisedome out of them thou shalt be filled with dreames thou shalt finde nothing but sophistrie thou shalt not meete with wisedome All that thou shalt see and finde shall be but inticing words And what wilt thou winne by this He saith that ye be not deceiued and tooke in a grin Thou shalt be taken in a grin as a beast if thou seeke ought without him Alas brethren when I remember Antichrist and his wofully deceiue soules this miserable world it is a pitie to see how it is abused by these traitors and deceiuers of mens soules O that damnation and iudgement that shall fall on that cursed kingdome of Antichrist For I assure you this world for the greatest part are taken in the grins by Antichrist and so reserued to iudgement And the more miserable are they that are in the grin of Antichrist that they thinke that they are in sweete bands for the end shall let ye see how bitter the bands were let them now be to thee as sweete as they will thou shalt finde in the end that of all bands in this world they are the worst To goe forward He hath vttered a great care to the Colossians whom hee neuer saw nor knew Therefore they might haue said what care is this thou hast of vs thou neuer sawst vs nor we thee He meetes with this in the next words O ye Colossians saith he though I be absent from you in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit Then ye see the Saints the true members of Christ they haue a sight and knowledge of others that the world knowes not of This world and naturall men that haue Iudgement and loue of the world concerning other men not the spirit of Iesus thinke that none can reach out to the worlds end and can haue knowledge of another nor any care ouer him if he see him not with his bodily eye but al is vaine For a spirituall man will send his soule to the end of the world and vpon this hee will vtter his care vnto him by his exhortation And this is a token of a greater thing euen of this ioyning of the godly together that one day they shal be together soule and bodie If thou haue a heart and care with the Church of God thou shalt raigne with her in heauen for euer And in deede if thou haue not this it is a venture if euer thou raigne with her Now when he hath set downe this spirituall presence with them he subioynes the effect of it reioycing saith he there is the effect of that spirituall presence his soule was with them Spirituall presence of the faithfull one with another and with ioy hee reioyced to see them So this presence spiritual whē the heart of the faithfull is with others it is no fantacie as a vaine head will thinke but I say thou hadst neuer such ioy as the faithfull will haue with others in a spirituall presence Thou neuer knewest this ioy that hast not this spiritual presence And brethren it is euen with the Church as it is with Christ 1. Pet. 1. 8. he saith you haue not seene Christ with your eyes yet beleeuing in him who is farre from vs in his bodily presence and louing him howbeit he be away ye reioyce with a ioy that is
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
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
they had depriued themselues Ah woe to all false teachers and woe to them that doe depriue themselues of such an head and make the Pope their head But to come to the words he saith He holdeth not the head that is the false Apostle Then he subioynes whereof that is out of the which head the Lord Iesus through ioynts and bands the whole bodie is knit and compacted together and furnished Whereof it importeth not onely that Christ the head is the efficient and worker of all grace that comes to the bodie but more Christ the head of the Church that out of him as out of a storehouse and not elsewhere all grace and vertue doe flow vnto man So the word hath a great force for as out of the head of a man flow all the vertues mouing life and sense that is in the bodie take the head away no vertue is in the bodie euen so from this head the Lord Iesus to his mysticall bodie flow all power and mouing that the bodie that is his Church and euery member thereof hath Thou hast nothing but that that floweth from him Therefore the Apostle saith in him dwelleth all fulnes and againe in him are all treasures and againe in him dwelleth the Godhead bodily and againe in him wee are compleate To let you see that Iesus Christ is the storehouse of graces Goe thy way to heauen thou shalt not finde one iot out of thy head the Lord Iesus Thou shalt seeke all thy time and thou shalt not get a droppe without him Then he saith that by ioynts and bands the whole bodie is furnished not a part but the whole bodie and euery member neuer a one being excepted neither rich nor poore But to insist in the comparison euen as the whole bodie of a man and euery member of the bodie to the finger and toe sucketh vertue from the head and the head is powerfull to cause euery ioynt to liue it is euen so with this mysticall bodie There is neuer a member of this bodie but it receiueth some vertue from the head the Lord Iesus yea the silliest bodie of them all receiueth it owne grace and Iesus Christ is effectuall in euery one from the highest to the lowest If it be in the bodie it cannot want grace It is impossible that any that are in Christ Iesus can want grace but the Lord must be powerfull in them Runne then and ioyne thee with the bodie for if thou be not of this bodie I giue thee this doome thou Ioyne thy selfe with the Church if thou wilt be in Christ shalt neuer see grace nor get the spirit of Iesus which is the worker of this grace in Iesus 1. Cor. chap. 12. 7. he saith To euery one is giuen the manifestation of the spirit to profit withall And Ephes 4. 7. likewise he saith To euery one is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift This importeth that Iesus Christ is not onely full of grace but that there is such a varietie of grace in him that there is not onely one or two graces in him but he is full of varietie of graces There is not a member but he hath gotten a different grace I haue gotten mine thou hast gotten thine and euery one hath gotten his owne different grace So looke what varietie there is of the faces of men Varietie of graces in Christ. as great varietie there is of the graces of Christ and so there is no grace out of Christ seeke grace in him or els thou wilt neuer finde it To goe forward the first thing that euer commeth downe from the head to the bodie what thinke ye it to bee What is the first thing that commeth downe from the head of a man It is yee know the sinewes as the first thing for the head by them is bound to the bodie euen so the first thing that commeth from Christ he calleth it bands or ligaments that goe downe from him as from the head So that there is not a member of the bodie of Christ but there is a sinew a band comming from Iesus Christ the head to it Ye will aske what The bands which knit vs vnto Christ are these mysticall sinewes The first of them is the spirit of Iesus Christ God himselfe is the master sinew without that sinew thou shalt neuer bee conioyned with the head The second band is faith for when that spirit commeth he is not idle in the person in whom he is but hee worketh faith in him There is the other sinew whereby thou takest hold of him he taketh hold first of thee and then thou takest hold of him The third and last band is loue to thy neighbour a branch as it were striken out from faith where faith is loue will strike out from it as a branch striking out from the master sinew so these are the three bands The spirit entring into vs faith rising from vs and our loue rising from our faith whereby we mutually embrace one another I neede not to insist to proue by the Scriptures these points ye see in this Epistle chap. 3. 14. Loue is called the band of perfection Now brethren ye must know this moreouer euery one of these bands must extend to euery member There is not a member of Christs bodie but first he must haue the spirit of Iesus next faith and thirdly loue otherwise thou canst not be a member of Iesus Christ For if thou want but this loue which is the last thou canst not be one of Christs I say and affirme thou hast not the spirit nor faith and so art not conioyned with the head It is true that euery one hath his particular gift different from other but I assure you a man may not want one of these three Thou maist want the gift of tongues miracles and such others but thou must not want the spirit faith nor charitie Want what thou wilt and if thou haue not these three thou canst not stand in the bodie thou hast not to doe neither with Christ nor with his bodie therefore if thou hast the spirit faith and charitie and doest find thy selfe to haue them then thou maist be ioyfull Now to goe thorow after he hath set downe the bands he sets downe three effects that proceede from Christ by these Three effects proceed from Christ to euery member bands downe to the bodie The first effect is a furnishing of the bodie wherewith not with earthly furniture but with spirituall furniture otherwise it cannot stand For as when the bodie is knit with the head by sinewes and then downe through these sinewes as thorough certaine conduits doe flow vertue and power to the bodie cut off thy head thy bodie nor no member thereof hath any power to moue or stirre euen so this mysticall bodie being ioyned to Christ by these spirituall meanes the spirit faith and loue there commeth downe through these conduits to vs that water of life and that is
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
remission Now to speake familiarly wee haue not paid a farthing for it but as it is said in the Ephesians It is the riches of his grace towards vs so it is nothing but mercie and grace to vs. Then to come forward The Apostle when hee hath spoken of the second benefit which we receiued in Christ to let vs see that this bloud is no small thing he passeth out as it were in a description of the Redeemer whose bloud this is That first we may see the worthines of that personage And secondly considering his worthines may see the preciousnes of his bloud by whom wee are redeemed And thirdly that considering these two wee may see how fast and sure our redemption made by that bloud standeth immoueable It is no small matter to know how fast thy redemption stands for if thy redemption were quarrelled or excepted against thou wouldest giue if it were all the world for to know the assurance of thy redemption for Sathan and his instruments are chiefly busied about thee to make thee distrust of thy redemption in the bloud of Christ Therefore the spirit of God in this place and other places is busied to confirme thee of the certaintie of thy redemption that Sathan nor his instruments deceiue thee not Then the first argument of the description is taken from his Discription diuine substance he is the image of the inuisible God that is an essentiall image of God his father and he is one God with the The first part father in number howbeit distinct in persons Then there is the first ground of our redemption in the Mediatour the Lord Iesus to wit the Godhead of Christ It is not vpon the manhood that our redemption is first grounded but vpon Iesus * Yet euer remember he is a Mediatour in respect of both natures and not one only diuine or humane Christ God equal in glorie and maiestie with the father This being the ground then it must follow that his bloud is a most precious bloud as it is called Acts 20. 28 the bloud of God It being so precious of necessitie the redemption of man that is made by that bloud must hold and stand fast And all the world yea all the diuels in hell be not able to shake it nor to moue it out of the place keepe this for a sure ground when thou art tempted about thy redemption and the certaintie of it Now followeth the second part of his description in these The second part words He is the first borne of all creatures This argument is from his eternitie he is without beginning The Redeemer by whose bloud we are redeemed as he is God so he is from all eternitie he hath no beginning So the second ground of our redemption is his eternitie and if hee had been but in time and not from all eternitie the price of his bloud would not haue redeemed thee But the Redeemer being first God and next being from all eternitie the bloud of our redemption must be precious Yet to insist The first borne I seeke no other Commentarie to explane this then the words which hereafter follow vers 17. and he is before all things which is to the same effect and it is that that is written Ioh. 1. In the beginning was the word In these words this his being and substance is set downe by a certaine allusion to those y t were first borne in the families of fathers vnder the old Testament for as they were first borne and the rest borne after them euen so the first borne of God the onely begotten he is not only before all the rest as Rom. 8. 29. but before all creatures men and Angels borne from all eternitie * VVho can declare his generatiō vnspeakeably This would be marked speaking of the eternitie of the Redeemer hee sets it not downe simply saying he is from all eternitie but he sets downe his eternitie in comparison with the creature Wherefore doth he this The eternitie and the glorie of God our Redeemer appeares best by a comparison with the creature All things are euer best seene and knowne of vs by comparing them with the contrary The vilenes and naughtines of the creature appeares best in comparison with the maiestie and excellencie of God Therefore the Scripture when it sets downe the glorie of God it sets it downe in a comparison with the creature and by the contrarie when it sets downe the basenes of the creature it sets it downe by a comparison with the Creator that the basenes of the creature may be the better seene Nay thou who thinkest euer much of thy selfe thou neuer sawest God if thou saw God thou wouldest stinke in thine own eyes All the creatures are but stinke and vanitie in comparison of their maker To goe forward In the verse following when he hath set downe the eternitie of Christ he proues it The argument is because by him all things are made Then neuer any thing escaped his hands all past through his hand the soberest creature in the world past through his hand There is the argument He by whom all things were created he must be before all things but so it is by our Mediatour our Redeemer the Lord Iesus all things were created Ergo the Redeemer must be before all things and consequently eternall There is the argument The manner of speaking imports that the Father is the originall of the creation and it is he who creates and that by his sonne as the dispenser of the creation not that there is difference in creation nay the father and the sonne had one power Ioh. 5. vers 19. What euer the father doth the same doth the sonne But how Equally in power howbeit the father be first in order and then next the sonne and in the third place the holy spirit yet all concurres with one equall power and maiestie Now as this is the reason prouing the eternitie so it is another part of his description and the third argument taken from the creation Then here thou seest the third ground of thy redemption is thy Creator He who redeemes thee created thee thou hast not one Creator and another Redeemer nay hee who redeemes thee is he who created thee Then thy Redeemer being the glorious and omnipotent Creator the bloud wherewith thou art redeemed must be precious Marke it ye who count so little of the bloud of Christ it being so precious a bloud thy redemption must stand sure and fast for it is founded vpon the omnipotent Creator But to goe to the text when hee hath set downe generally this worke of the creation he descends to speake in particular of the creatures and he laies out them as it were abroad and the first difference he makes of them is from the place of their habitation Some are in heauen and othersome in the earth he made all these earthly creatures man and beast yea hee created the Toade it selfe al is made by
as was betwixt God and vs before the reconciler came there was neuer Before the calling of the Gentiles by the Gospell so much bloud shed as was from the time of the fall of Adam to the cōming of Iesus Christ So there is a higher degree of miserie not onely strangers but enemies fighting against heauen with an vplifted hand This degree must follow the former It is not betwixt God and man as it is betwixt man and man One man may be a stranger to another and yet not his enemie but if thou be a stranger to God thou art his enemie A stranger to God is an enemy to him For Christ saith He that is not with me is against me Beware then of the first Turne not so much as thy foote from him but striue to be at home with him and to creepe to his house and to creepe vnder his boord otherwise thou shalt take vp a banner against him Now to goe to the words where begunne this strangenes and enmitie where is the first seate of it which is the fountaine whereof it springs It is not the bodie first it is not in the eye howbeit it be an enemie to God if thou stand in nature thou wilt lift vp a proud eye testifying that thou art an enemie to God it is not in the mouth howbeit thou blaspheme God therewith it is not in thy hand suppose thou fight therewith against the heauens but it begins within thee and the chaire wherein it sits is thy soule If thy soule were not an enemie thy eye and the rest of thy members of thy bodie could not be enemies It comes out of the heart that defiles the man saith Christ Matth. 15. 18. Then againe it begins not at the inferiour powers of thy soule at the sensuall appetite it goes further it begins at the minde of man so saith the Apostle that is to say at the chiefest power of the soule the Ephes 2. 3 minde the eye and the light of thy soule The Mistrisse the Queene that should haue kept all cleane she hath set vp a vile whore and troubles the whole soule This reason which should haue made the soule to see and know God she is the first enemie Very reason in the naturall man an enemie to God of God The very reason whereby thou not onely excels the beast but euen thy selfe is become a whore and greatest foe that God hath in man and abuseth the whole soule of man with her foule cogitation and it defiles the whole parts of the bodie the eye the hand and all the rest with her motion What is the cause of this that the first seate of this enmitie is in the minde and reason of man because all her musing is vpon euill workes she is set vpon them Nay muse what thou wilt if thou bee but in nature all thy musing and thinking shall be but enmitie against God For thou shalt muse nothing but of euill workes Ye know brethren the first deuiser of any mischiefe is the first enemie and not the executor he that abuseth others is the first enemie and lowne and should first dye But so it is the first deuiser of all euill workes is this corrupt minde of man If it come not first in thy mind would thy hand cōmit the euill No no it is first in thy minde and then she puts it out into the inferiour parts of the bodie And therfore if thou gets not grace the first thing that the Lord shall torment shall be thy mind and he shall so torment it y t thou shalt crie would to God when I had had a reasonable minde that I had been a beast Let the Philosophers speake of it as they please as Plato that sets vp the minde as a Queene and the Pope with his philosophicall reason disputing so finely as he troweth extolling nature and free will to good Note That mind of his and his rabble shall one day be wrung and rent in peeces with such torments as the tongue of man and Angell can not expresse And therefore it is that Paul commaunds so earnestly the Ephesians to bee first renued in their minds Eph. 4. 23. The greater reason not sanctified an argument of greater damnatiō It is the mother of all mischiefe and Idolatrie thou hast not to glorie in thy reason if so be it be not sanctified yea the greater conceit thou hast in reasoning the greater damnatiō except it be sanctified in that spirit of Iesus Christ This is the estate they were in before they were reconciled which the Apostle remembers them of that it should neuer go out of their minde Let neuer the stinke of nature goe out of thy mind but Let neuer the soule sent of thy naturall corruption goe out of thy minde weigh it diligently that thou maist giue thankes and praises to God for his grace and deliuerie Next he sheweth the manner how he reconciled them to himselfe and his father for all is alike marke the manner It is two-fold First in that bodie with an emphasis of his flesh The meaning is this he reconciled you by assuming and taking to him a true fleshy bodie hee calles it The bodie of the flesh to let vs see that the bodie which Iesus Christ bare in the world and that hee beares now in glorie at the right hand of the father is not a phantasticall bodie or an appearance of a bodie without soliditie as the Heretikes called it a mathematicall bodie a maiestaticke bodie All is but vanitie but it is a reall bodie as reall as euer the bodie of man was or is of flesh bloud and bones otherwise The bodie of Christ a reall bodie hee could neuer haue been a Mediatour to vs and wee could neuer haue been the better for him either in his death or life Then the first manner of our reconciliation is the assuming of this flesh of this bodie of man hee is first the sonne of God Bodie and soule then he takes to him the bodie the flesh and the soule of man The next word is by death that is by becomming a sacrifice in that bodie which he tooke to him For otherwise if hee had not offred vp his bodie he could haue done vs no good for it is the pearced bodie the shed bloud the vexed soule the tormenting of the man that redeemes and saues thee And therefore Christ suffered in soule when thou hast recourse to Christ goe not to him as hee is in heauen or as he was going vp and downe in Iewrie but goe to him hanging on the Crosse that is to his bloud to sprinkle thy soule otherwise he shall neuer profit thee The Father was not appeased in his wrath vntill hee got his bloud nothing will pacifie the conscience but onely this bloud of Iesus Now marke the Father reconciles vs to himselfe the Sonne againe he reconciles vs to himselfe This is common but in this worke there is a great
if faith ioyne them not if thou wert all my kinne if thou haue not one faith with me we cannot be ioyned together And therefore considering this whatsoeuer thou bee that wouldest labour to conioyne a bodie with the Church striue day and night to bring that person to the faith of the Church For he will neuer be conioyned with the body that hath not this faith of the body But let vs marke the words All riches a high word of the full assurance of vnderstanding To begin at this hee calles faith Faith is an vnderstanding The wofull state of such as be ignorant of the Gospell an vnderstanding Faith is not ignorance and blindnes but it is an vnderstanding and thou that art altogether ignorant of God and of Iesus Christ thou hast no more faith then a dogge Bragge as thou wilt of it ignorant men will begin to crake of faith as though they knew it Faith is an eye that seeth more cleerely then all the eyes of the world It is a light Faith is an eye and vnderstanding the eye of the soule whereby we see God and his sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour yea faith is more then an vnderstanding it is a certaintie of the whole truth of God especially of the promises in Iesus Christ When thou art sure that euery word of the Gospell is true that is the assurance of faith and with this there is conioyned a heartie imbracing of the heart for when thou art sure of the promises O how the heart wil fold about y e promises of God! Haue you not assaied it yet Whē the heart hath assurance of the truth O how it wil cleaue to it For as it is said A true saying is worthie to be imbraced Now faith is not onely this full assurance but it is a riches The beleeuer most rich and most ioyfull Ye that would be rich take heede faith is not a poore thing a beggerly thing A faithfull bodie is no begger but he is rich But yet more he calles it not only riches but he calles it all riches So there is no riches without it thou that hast not faith hast no riches for howbeit thy hand be full yet if thou want faith thy hand is emptie He that hath not faith is euer poore and the beggerliest creature that is but he that hath faith giue him but a coate on his backe he is rich enough and he is the ioyfullest body that euer was ioyfuller by ten thousand times then these worldlings that gruntle on this pelfe of this world Well well then get faith and thinke that without it thou art not rich for if thou haue an emptie bag in thy hart thou art but a poore miserable creature Brethren ye heard how Paul speaking of this mysterie of the Gospel he called it the riches of God hid now speaking of faith he calles it riches also and all riches So I see all is riches Iesus is riches all things concerning Iesus be riches That mysterie of him is the riches of glorie This faith and full perswasion is riches And therefore wilt thou be rich seeke to Christ seeke to this Gospell swallow it vp seeke to faith And be not content till thou hast got a heartfull of this faith of Iesus Christ and then I promise thee thou shalt be rich and more ioyfull then if thou hadst all the world howbeit thou leaue not a peny behind thee Now to come to the rest of the words that I haue read they tend to the declaration of that that is spoken especially of the riches of faith Defining first the riches of faith hee cals it the knowledge that was hid vp in a mysterie and at last reuealed to the world to the euerlasting consolation of the world Then I see this faith is a relatiue to the mysterie that is to the Gospel and to speake it so the obiect of faith which faith seeth and vnderstandeth is the Gospell Now concerning this mysterie you heard before it was the riches of glorie Well if the obiect of faith bee the riches of glorie of necessitie thy faith must be glorious rich For a rich obiect makes a rich knowledge The Gospel the obiect of faith Knowest thou all the Sciences in the world all is but beggerly knowledge if thou want the knowledge of faith Therefore thou who wouldest know striue to know this rich mysterie for it shall giue theefull riches Now in the words God the subiect of the Gospel following he insists vpon this subiect of faith It is the mysterie of God then the subiect of it is God O that is a faire science that speakes of God! All other sciences that speake of the creatures it is but of dirt they speake of in respect of him who made them all One will come of and speake of the earth of fishes and paint out a faire storie of this King or that King of cornes of lands and that will be his subiect Another will goe vpward and speake of the heauen and starres but what is all that in respect of that glorious Creator but dirt So this Gospell of Iesus Christ is onely the eminent science that mounts The Gospel the science of sciences vp aboue all sciences And therefore this mysterie and this Gospell that speakes of this subiect must be glorious albeit the coate of it be but sober and simple howbeit it be preached by simple men and therefore our great men thinke nothing of it But if thou saw the glorie and riches that is in this Gospell O thou wouldest seeke it before all riches and all glorie It would be thy ioy day night teach it who will Well then take the Lord Iesus who is offred to thee in this base clothing as thou wouldest be partaker of him in glorie when this coate shall be shaken off The Apostle hauing made mention of God he leaues not off so but laies him out in two glorious personages and saith God euen the father and of Christ. God saith he that stands in these two personages glorious and equall in glorie the Father and the Sonne So what place would ye haue to know the Christ proued very God Godhead of the Lord our Sauiour if this place will not tell you For when hee hath set downe the Father to be the onely true God he sets down his sone Iesus Christ to be God equall with him in all things euery way So that Iesus thy redeemer he is so man that he is God glorious for euer I see againe there is no true vnderstanding of God but that whereby hee is knowne distinct in persons It is not enough to know that he The true knowledge of God is one in essence but if thou know him well thou must know him distinguished in three persons the Father Sonne and holy Spirit all eternall all equall in power glorie and maiestie onely one true and euerliuing God If this brethren be the true knowledge of God as
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
but slaues and vessels of earth and not of gold let them cloathe themselues with gold as they will So behold the seueritie and mercie of God seueritie for the reprobate and mercie for the elect Ye will aske makes not God the chosen sometime a spectacle of his wrath was not Dauid in a miserable case and a fearefull spectacle of Gods wrath when as the sword went neuer out of his house all his daies and are there not many daily that are made fearefull spectacles and yet no doubt there are many of them that are of the chosen of God I answere indeede it is true the Lord will chastise his very sore here but all is in this world hang him head him burne him all is nought and that that is is euer conioyned with the mercie of God and his paine hath an end But the Apostle speaketh here of an eternall wrath The elect incurre not this wrath it is proper to the sonnes of infidelitie And therfore I say the elect are neuer made spectacles of Gods Gods punishments in this world on his are but chastisements wrath whatsoeuer the chastisement be that fals vpon them Ye will aske againe where was there euer such a spectacle seene In hell Saw you euer one tormented in hell with this wrath saw you euer one tormented in this world with this wrath God forbid I will not iudge so hardly of any that suffereth or are visited by the hand of God How is it then that the reprobate are made the spectacles of Gods wrath I say albeit thou neither see it nor thou heare it yet there are infinite numbers tormented in hell But there are some so pitifull hearted bodies who cannot heare tell that one goeth to hell O foolish pitifull hearted bodie I tell thee infinite numbers go to hell and shall goe and thou if thou beleeue not this shalt go with Hell the rest to hell For if this word will not serue to confirme thee in this truth that the reprobates shall be made spectacles of Gods wrath the wrath of God shall serue one day when it shall light on thee and them both as infidels to your vtter destruction Now to goe forward ye haue heard two arguments seruing to mortification The first was taken from heauen the second from hell as ye heard The last followeth and it is taken from these same sinnes in the which the Colossians sometimes walked as if he would say ye were such men sometime these sins all raigned in you before ye came to Christ ye were fornicators idolators couetous c. all these raigned in you as they did in any infidell Therefore let the remembrance of these sins be matter of mortification to you This is the argument briefly Of the which yee may gather that men should not looke How to remember our old sins idly on their sinnes wherein sometime they walked for when thou remembrest thou wast an harlot murtherer an oppressor and an auaricious man let that remembrance serue to an earnest slaying of sinne to come and mourning for thy sinnes past continually Fie on thee for euermore if this be not the effect of the remembrance of thy sinnes and so slay that foule affectiō that made thee an harlot and crie for that bloud of Iesus that washeth it away And certaine it is as all things that befall the elect are for their good euen so are their sinnes Rom. 8. for their good when they begin to repent them of their sinne and to slay it Dauid was better after his adulterie then he was before and he neuer remembred his sinnes as he euer remembred them without mortification For this is the nature of a sanctified remembrance it euer worketh sorrow in the heart and a mortification of the sinne O fie on thee when thou remembrest thy harlotrie and wilt not haue sorrow in thy heart for it nor mortifie it Well Paul saith Godly sorrow bringeth foorth repentance which is nothing else but a mortification of thy sinne sorrowing that thou hast done it and brethren sanctified remembrance maketh a fresh wound in the heart If thou stand in the grace of Iesus Christ thou wilt not so soone remember thy sins but as soone thou shalt be wounded with sorrow and griefe for them and thou shalt not so soone bee wounded but so soone that oyle of gladnes shall be powred into thy heart to comfort thee in Iesus and his grace and shall bring to thee a ioy vnspeakable Therefore this is my minde and it is true the ioyfullest bodie that euer was or is is a penitent The ioy of a penitent sinner sinner who with sighes vnspeakable groanes for sinne O then there is ioy vnspeakable and glorious in that heart 1. Pet. chap. 1. it refresheth the hart so sweetly that the mourning sinner is swallowed vp with ioy and blesseth the time that euer he mourned for sinne Come to the words of the text there are three things he noteth Three points in them First he saith they walked in them that is in these sinnes Secondly he setteth downe their manner of walking And thirdly the time when they walked in them As to the first ye walked that is in fornication and vncleannes and the rest ye walked in them as men are wont to goe from morning to euening The word teacheth vs this that a sinner cannot sit idle if sinne raigne in thee thou canst not sit idle but he must be euer going on yea and running on to sinne It is said in the epistle to the Ephesians that they gaue themselues to wantonnes with greedines striuing who should be formost There Eph. 4. 19. 20. was neuer two in a course of running striuing who should be formost and formost as a sinner in whom sinne raigneth will striue to be formost in sinne before all others There is none that went to hell nor none goe or shall goe but their owne Sinners walke to hell they neede no horse foote carieth them thither they neede not a horse to ride on and gallop thither There was neuer none so readie to goe to heauen as the reprobates are to goe to hell Would to God we could make as good speede in the way to heauen as they doe in the way to hell And so there is none that dieth that euerlasting death but it is according to his owne will Thy perdition is of thy selfe O Israel but thy saluation is of me saith the Lord. Thou wilt runne of thine owne will to hell except the Lord meete thee and hinder thy course The second thing he marketh in them is the manner of their walking Ye also that is euen ye walked after the same manner as the children of infidelitie did Looke as they walked so yee walked as they ranne ye ranne no difference betwixt you So the lesson is before the effectuall calling of God by his spirit and faith there is no difference betwixt the elect and the reprobate the soule of the elect
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
in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise now and for euer Amen THE XXXIIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 22. 23. 24. 25. and Chap. 4. vers 1. 22 Seruants be obndient vnto them that are your masters according to the flesh in all things not with eye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of heart fearing God 23 And what soeuer ye doe doe it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for ye serue the Lord Christ 25 But he that doth wrong shall receiue for the wrong that hee hath done and there is no respect of persons 1 Ye masters doe vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that ye also haue a master in heauen THese last daies welbeloued brethren we entred into the particular precepts exhortations concerning particular estates of men and women And first we spake of the dutie of wiues to their husbands and againe of the dutie of husbands to their wiues Next we spake of the dutie of children to their parents and againe of the dutie of parents to their children Now the last estate in a familie is the estate of masters and seruants Therefore wee haue to speake of the dutie of the seruant to the master and againe of the master to the seruant because there is a mutual dutie required and they are so bound the one to the other that they cannot be separate To come then to the words There is one precept giuen to seruants Seruants saith he obey your masters Then after hee insists vpon this obedience and describes it largely First hee sets downe the matter of it in what things they should obey Secondly he comes to the forme of obedience and describeth it Thirdly he goes to the fountaine and ground of all dutie which is the heart Then lastly to moue seruants to this obedience hee brings in two arguments The first is for that rich is the reward in heauen And the second is for that recompence that God shall giue to masters who doe not their dutie to their seruants To the words Seruants saith hee In these daies when the Apostle directed this precept properly here by seruants is vnderstood such as were in a hard estate slaues bought and sold like beasts ouer whom the masters had power Seruants in the Apostles time permitted by lawes to slay and saue them as ouer beasts so their estate was hard and heauie Secondly you must vnderstand they were seruants conuerted to Christ and their estate in that case was blessed Thirdly they were for the most part such as had to their masters Infidels not yet conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ and so were the more rigorous For oh the crueltie of the Infidell ouer the Christian Now in respect of their estate hearing of the libertie of the Gospell they mistooke it and began to think that Christ and his Gospell came to destroy policie and lawes that binds vp Common-weales And therefore many of them began to turne grace into wantonnes and began to leaue their masters thinking that the Gospel made an equalitie of persons as the Anabaptists teach at this day Therefore the Apostle perceiuing this hee directs this precept to them recommending obedience notwithstanding of the Gospell Thou art a brother and a sister and yet a seruant therefore obey Now howbeit properly and in the first roome this precept bee directed to seruants that were slaues bought and sold yet it is extended also to all kinde of seruants It pertaines to you as well as to them Come to the next what is commaunded them The dutie is obedience Obey saith he Hee that is a seruant should not rule but obey The whole dutie of the inferiour to the superiour is called in one word Honour so the Lord termes it And it hath two speciall parts First reuerence in words The inferiour is bound to reuerence the superiour in his talke The second Honour hath two parts part is obedience in deede he is bound not onely to reuerence him in words but also to obey that hee commaunds Both these must begin at the heart otherwise thy reuerence and obedience auailes not Now the Apostle especially insists vpon obedience The dutie recommended to children is obedience and the like is recommended here because of the two duties obedience is the hardest It is an easie thing to doe curtesie to thy master to put off thy cap and becke but here is al the grauitie and weight of the matter to obey This the Apostle considering he stickes most on it howbeit vnder it all poynts of dutie be comprehended This for the dutie Now followes the persons to whom it appertaines Obey Whom not euery one but your Lords and masters Those that God hath set ouer you It pleases him to make thē superiours you inferiours therefore obey them Yea the name it selfe containes an argument to moue thee to do thy dutie he is thy Lord and master and thou shouldest thinke with thy selfe he is my master therefore I should obey I am bound to doe it Let euery soule saith Paul be subiect to the superiour powers There is the commandement The words that follow be to the consolation of Rom. 13. 1 the seruant your master saith he but how according to the flesh That is according to things bodily not according to the spirit and soule This is thy comfort that art a seruant there is no master that is set ouer thy soule no not a King is set ouer thy soule to sit on thy conscience for that were an absolute power that commaunds as well the soule as the bodie Now brethren there is not a Lord that may commaund so but onely the Lord of heauen and earth that is none that hath an absolute power but onely the Lord Iesus Christ It is shame to Christ the only Lord of the conscience the Monarch to take this name to him It is a blasphemie and a derogation to the name of Iesus no there is none hath power ouer my conscience or thine but onely he So if ye marke narrowly ye may see that as there is one thing commaunded so there is another thing forbidden them Obey them in thy bodie though it were to suffer iniurie but as for thy soule and conscience it is forbidden thee to subiect it to their appetite if thou doe it thou bereaues Christ of his right Therefore Galath 5. it is said be not made the seruants of men if thou doe it thou makes thy selfe a slaue to the foule appetite of flesh and bloud To be short there be two vices in seruice and obediēce that is done to the superiour whatsoeuer which should be eschued Two vices in seruice to be eschued and they are both in extremities and betwixt them there is a gracious vertue The one is when the subiect refuseth obedience in
and armed with the weapons of the holy Ghost that is with faith and hope and other good graces expressed and plainly put downe Ephes 6. Neither may we at any hand suffer our enemies to be more powerfull in hindring our praiers then the might of the spirit to further them in vs. For the first of these is to giue place vnto Satan and the latter were to quench and coole the spirit and both be euill and therefore wee should auoidthem But he addeth in the doing of this dutie alwaies in sinuating thereby that as he did it often and earnestly so we should not doe it for a time onely as many doe but that this combate and conflict of ours in and about prayer must bee perpetuall and continuall euen as our prayers themselues ought so to be Whereunto the better to bee prouoked wee must remember these two things first that whether we pray for our selues or Two things furthering perseuevance in prayer for others wee haue daily need of some new benefit and increase of Gods grace in vs. Secondly that wee should euery moment and minute forgoe the grace that we haue receiued from God except God who hath giuen it vs did preserue the same both in our selues and in others To which we may adde the third that we can neuer come to praier but that Satan our common aduersarie will set himselfe against vs and do what hee can to hinder our prayers and that therefore he being alwaies opposite we should alwaies pray The next thing he telleth vs of in this seruice of prayer is the parties for whom we must pray for you True it is that we must powre foorth prayers and striue in our supplication for all men according to which the Apostle saith 1. Timoth. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that aboue all things supplications prayers intercessions and thankesgiuings be made for all men yet we are more specially bound to pray for them that are linked vnto vs in Whom we should chiefly pray for the same fellowship of the bodie of the Church then for others not so straitly ioyned with vs. Again amongst the faithfull we are more obliged to pray for them that are of kin vnto vs in the flesh and touch vs in our bloud then those that are further remoued For euen this naturall coniunction worketh in them that otherwise are ioyned together in Christ some more great and excellent degree of loue The reason is because the more bands we haue to tye vs together so much the more great ought to be our loue and care for our and others saluation And this doth Paul professe Rom. 9. 2. 3. saying that he was especially carefull for the Israelites his kinsmen according to the flesh And Philip. 2. 26. he commendeth Epaphroditus that he was much troubled and grieued by reason of the sorrow of the Philippians from whom he was sent as it should seeme to the Apostle Now wee come to the matter for which he prayeth as on the behalfe of the Colossians in these words that ye may stand perfect and complet c. He doth not pray for this onely that they might be perfect but that they might stand perfect that What it is to stand perfect is that they might constantly perseuere and goe forward in that perfection which God had vouchsafed vnto them For the word of standing signifieth constancie and perseuerance yea such a constancie and perseuerance as hath courage of heart ioyned therewithall Our perfection standeth in the knowledge of God in righteousnesse holines c. And this is two-fold One imputed vnto vs that is that perfect righteousnesse Two sorts of perfection and satisfaction of Christ which God imputeth vnto vs that through faith beleeue in Christ and in which hee doth euen think vs as perfect as if we were altogether iust and holie in our selues The other is inherent in vs when the holie Ghost worketh in our mindes the knowledge of God and of his will and in our hearts holines and righteousnes and wholy purgeth vs in the inward man from sinne and natural corruption The first of these is wholy and altogether perfect and that euen in this life and indeed is the true cause of that perfection that is inherent in vs which wholy floweth from or consisteth in our coniunction and fellowship with Christ without which indeede there could be no perfection at all in vs. But as for that other namely that inherent perfection which is wrought in vs by the holie Ghost regenerating vs it cannot be absolute and in euery respect perfect in vs in this life by reason of some darknesses that we carrie about with vs in our minds for we know in part and prophecie in part as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 13. 9. and by reason of the remainders of sinne and filthines of corruption which shall neuer be vtterly and altogether abolished in vs vntill that by the spirit of Christ dwelling fully in vs we be perfectly freed from impuritie and all manner of pollution which shall be brought to passe in that other life that is to come when wee shall be altogether present with the Lord. Notwithstanding wee must endeuour and striue continually that we may be comefully perfect and daily attaine to greater perfection Christ so commanding vs Matth. 5. 48. Be ye perfect for vnlesse wee daily proceed in perfection in this life wee shall neuer haue it altogether perfect and absolute in that which is to come And this indeed is it which the Apostle saith Epaphras prayed for as on the behalfe of the Colossians that they might in an vnwearied course perseuere and hold on till they came to be perfect He addeth In all the will of God In which words he doth after a sort as it were limit this perfection And it is the same with that which he wisheth to the Ephesians that they might be filled with all that fulnes of God Ephes 3. 19. for all that fulnes of God which he mentioneth there is nothing else but al that fulfilling in all the will of God which he speaketh of here And in both places the Apostle adding an vniuersall terme he thereby declareth that it is not enough for perfection and filling that in some one or sundrie things wee studie to please God but that it is necessarie that in all things we should be conformed In all things we must siudie to please God to his will which then is brought to passe when the eyes of our minds are inlightened that we may both know and acknowledge him and his will and that our hearts and all the affections thereof are sanctified vnto his obedience and all our actions both outward and inward are framed according to his law which is the most exact rule of righteousnes religion and whatsoeuer else In the next verse to wit the 13. the Apostle declareth that these earnest prayers which the Apostle sheweth Epaphras made for the Colossians did proceede not onely from a great care