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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89915	An exposition vpon the Epistle to the Colossians Wherein, not onely the text is methodically analysed, and the sence of the words, by the help of writers, both ancient and moderne is explayned: but also, by doctrine and vse, the intent of the holy Ghost is in euery place more fully vnfolded and vrged. ... Being, the substance of neare seuen yeeres weeke-dayes sermons, of N. Byfield, late one of the preachers for the citie of Chester.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.	1617 (1617)	STC 4217; ESTC S107140	703,811	512

giue this wide doore of vtterance to their Teachers Before I passe from the matter hee pray●● for I must note a doctrine lies secretly lodged within the same wee may finde in the end of this verse that the Apostle was in prison and yet he doth not desire to haue the doore of the prison open but the doore of his heart open to vtter the mysterie of Christ noting that it is a greater want to want the libertie of his ministerie in respect of vtterance then it is to want the libertie of his body in respect of the prison We should take notice of this for diuers vses 1. For thankfulnesse if there be a doore of vtterance opened in Gods house 2. For preuention of all things as much as lieth in vs that might stop the mouthes of Gods faithfull Ministers There are fiue things that stop the mouthes of Ministers in generall 1. Ignorance and presumptuous sinnes in the Ministers themselues Fiue things stop the mouthes of Gods Ministers for polluted lips are no lips of vtterance the lips of the Minister should be touched with the coales of knowledge zeale and mortification 2. The sinnes of the people many times put the Teachers to silence the rebellion of the house of Israel made Ezechiel dumbe that he could not preach Ezech. 3.26.24.27 3. The violence of persecutors preuailes often to shut the wide and effectuall doores of powerfull preaching 1 Cor. 16.9 and therefore we should pray that God would deliuer his faithfull Ministers from vnreasonable and absurd men 1 Thess 3.2 4. Discouragement and feare silence many a Minister in respect of the life and power of preaching 1 Cor. 16.9.12 Heb. 13.17 Lastly humane wisdome not only lets the people from the profit of hearing but likewise it lets the Minister from the power of preaching God would Doct. 1. The hearts of Ministers yea of the best Ministers are naturally shut they haue no gift to profit withall but they haue receiued it and who is sufficient of himselfe for these things Doct. 2. T is God only that opens vnto men the doore of vtterance t is he that makes the heart of the Priest fat and creates the fruit of the lips to be peace he openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth and it should teach them lesse to feare men and their rebukes and the lesse to care for the rage of the oppressor for if he will giue libertie who can restraine it and if he will silence who can inlarge Euen vnto vs. This manner of speech notes either his humilitie or his restraint in prison or the difficultie of vtterance His humilitie it may note in this sense that howsoeuer he hath beene a blasphemer or a persecutor c. yet that God would be pleased to honour him and his worke so much as giue vtterance euen to him and such as he is His restraint in prison it may import also and so his desire is they should not pray onely for Ministers that were at large and enioyed peace but also euen for him and such others as were in prison for a godly Preacher will not be idle no not if he come into prison and thus also it notes that the wisest men of themselues are not able to teach with power and profit the simplest and meanest men an Apostle cannot teach a prisoner without Gods speciall aid and blessing These words may note also the difficultie of vtterance as if he should say you had need to pray not only for ordinary but extraordinary Ministers Thus of the thing praied for as it is briefly propounded Secondly it is inlarged 1. by the subiect 2. by a reason 3. by the end The subiect of the vtterance is the mysterie of Christ To speake the mysterie of Christ Christ is a mysterie to the Gentiles Hovv Christ is a mysterie to 6. sorts of men to the Iewes to Heretikes to Papists to carnall men yea to godly men It is a mysterie to the Gentiles that there should be a Sauiour To the Iewes that saluation should be in the Carpenters sonne To the Papists that he should be the Sauiour alone To the Heretikes that hee should be a Sauiour in both natures To the carnall man that he should be a Sauiour in particular to him And to the godly man that he should be such a Sauiour But to expresse this more particularly Christ is a mysterie fiue wayes Christ a mysterie 5 vvaies for there are mysteries 1. In the person of Christ for what tongue can describe the supercelestiall vnion of his natures or the treasures of wisdome and knowledge or the fulnesse of the Godhead that dwels in him bodily 2. In his life and death The world could not comprehend the bookes that might be made of the wonders of his birth life and death We may see in that that is written what to adore for in this world a perfect knowledge we shall neuer attaine 3. In his body which is the Church for who can declare his generation or expresse the secrets of his power and presence in filling her who himselfe is her fulnesse and filleth all in all things or describe the manner of the vnion betweene Christ and his members Is not this a great mysterie 4. In the Sacraments of Christ The holy inuisible presence of God is a mysterie the communion of the body and bloud of Christ not locally or by contact and yet truly is a mysterie the seale of the holy spirit of promise vpon the hearts of beleeuers in the due vse of the Sacraments is a mysterie the spirituall nourishment that comes to the soule by such secret and hidden passages inuisibly is a great mysterie 5. In the Gospell of Christ And by the mysterie of Christ in this place I thinke is meant the Gospell of Christ and it is called a mysterie because of the hiding of it If you aske me where the Gospell hath beene hidden I must answer The Gospell hidden fiue vvayes it hath beene hidden 1. in the breast of God from all eternitie 2. in the shadowes and types of the ceremoniall Law which was the Iewes Gospell 3. in the treasurie of holy Scriptures 4. in the person obedience and passion of Christ who was the substance of the Mosaicall ceremonies and the quintessence of all Euangelicall doctrine 5. in the hearts of Christians If you aske me from whom it was hidden I answer not from the elect for God by preaching reuealed it vnto them in due time but from wicked men but with great difference The Gospell hidden from the vvicked diuersly for to some there is no Gospell at all giuen as to the Gentile to some not giuen plainly as in those congregations of Israel to whom this euangelicall loafe is not diuided though in the whole lumpe it bee giuen to some not giuen in the power of it for though they heare the preaching yet by reason of mixtures carnall wisdome or ignorance and confusednesse in the Teachers there is

of Gods works of old stretch foorth thy hand vnto God and let thy soule desire after him if he shew thee his louing kindnesse thou hast enough hide thee with the Lord by daily and secret praier and he will teach thee his will and his spirit shall leade thee and if he see it meet he will bring thy soule out of aduersitie and execute his righteous iudgement vpon all those that haue oppressed thee T is the Lord that quickneth the dead Rom. 4. and calleth things that are not as if they were Lastly hath the Lord deliuered thee out of desperate and deadly crosses Then let the vowes of God be vpon thee and render thou his praise and confesse his name before the sonnes of men i Ps 56.12.13 Your life is hid Doct. The happinesse and spirituall felicitie of Christians is hid and that vsually from the men of the world and many times from the faithfull First the life of Christians is hid from the world Their life is hid from the men of this world First because God who is their life k Deut. 30. vlt. is hid from them Secondly because the glory of their naturall life is many times buried in the gulfe of outward trouble l 2 Cor. 6.9 Thirdly because the life of grace which is only brought to light by the Gospell m 2 Tim. 1.10 is hid from the perceiuing of the naturall man whom the God of this world hath blinded n 2 Cor. 4.4 Fourthly because the way of holy conuersation is hid from them for carnall men are all strangers from the life of God o Eph. 4.17 It is a narrow way and few there bee that finde it p Mat. 7.14 Fiftly because many of the priuiledges of a gracious life are hid from them As first the inrolling of a Christian in the booke of life q Esay 4.4 Phil. 4.3 Secondly the seale of the spirit of promise r 2 Cor. 1.22 Thirdly pardon of sinne Wicked men perhaps know the faults of Gods children but not the forgiuenesse of those faults Fourthly the power of the meanes The word is a sauour of life ſ 2 Cor. 2.14 and hath spirit and life in it t Ioh. 6. Yet it is as a treasure hid in the field or a little leauen hid in three peckes of meale u Matt. 13. Fiftly comfort in their affliction Wicked men know their afflictions but not their consolations x 2 Cor. 2.9 they seldome or neuer marke the glorious issue and how God compasseth them about with ioyfull deliuerance And generally we may burst out with the Psalmist and say How great is the goodnesse thou hast laid vp for them that trust in thee y Psal 31.19 It is great goodnesse but yet note that hee saith it is laid vp Lastly in respect of the life of glory the world knowes not Christians for it doth not yet appeare what they shall be z 1 Ioh. 3.12 Seeing this is so that the life of Christians is hid from the world as it should inferre the Apostles former exhortation so it should further teach vs not to respect nor care for the iudgement counsell censures c. of carnall men in the whole or any part of Christian life for it is hid from them and they know not of what they speake Yea the life of Christians is hid many times from themselues Nay in the second place sometimes the life of a Christian may bee hid from Christians also themselues so as they cannot discerne their owne happinesse especially in some fits of tentation and seldome or neuer doe they fully discerne in this world so much as the glory of their present estate Dauid thought he was cast out of Gods sight a Psal 31.22 Psal 77. And hee most mournfully makes his mone in the 77. Psalme as if hee were almost resolued that the Lord would not be mercifull to him Iacob cries out My way is hid from the Lord b Esay 40.27 and the people somewhat vehemently say Verily thou O God hidest they selfe O God the Sauiour of Israel c Esay 45.15 Which should comfort afflicted Christians since they may here see that it hath beene an vsuall distresse of Gods deare seruants to haue their life hid in God Vse And withall it may warne vs let him that now standeth in the refreshings of the comforts of Gods presence take heed lest he fall But especially it should quicken vs to a desire to be gone and to be in heauen that we might be past all danger But lest Christians should be discouraged he addeth two comforts First it is with Christ Christs life was hid and in what respects Secondly it is in God With Christ The life of Christ also was hid while hee liued For first the glory of his diuinitie was couered as it were with a vaile in his flesh Secondly his outward glory of his life amongst men was obscured by the many crosses he sustained for our sinnes d Esa 53.7 so as the world did not owne him and hee was without forme and despised among men Thirdly his life was hid in the graue Fourthly it was hid in respect of the horrors he felt in his soule the Lord as it were hiding his louing countenance from him for the time Fiftly his glory in heauen is hid from the world and the Saints on earth haue but a glimpse of it All this may comfort vs seeing nothing can befall vs but what hath befallen our head and if the world will not acknowledge our glory and the beautie of the profession of sinceritie it matters not it could not see the excellencie of Christ when he was on earth In God Our life is hid in God either in respect of obiect Obiectiuè Causaliter because it principally consists in the vision of God or causally as God is the first cause to beget it and still to preserue it or else with Christ in God that is with Christ who incomprehensibly rests in the bosome of the Father or lastly in God that is apud Deum in the power of God to dispose of it at his pleasure Which should comfort vs seeing none hath power ouer our life but God and teach vs to commend our spirits into his hands VERS 4. When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory THese words containe the second motiue to perswade to the meditation of heauenly things The second motiue is taken from the consideration of the appearance of Christ the glory of heauenly minded Christians at the day of Iudgement If men would consider of the certaine and glorious appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ when he shall come to take account of all the actions of all men and put an end to all the earthly felicities which man hath with so many inuentions sought and withall but thinke how vnauailable all earthly things will be

appearing The signes going before are more remote or more neere The more remote signes are these First the vniuersall preaching of the Gospell to all nations Gentiles as well as Iewes Before the end come saith our Sauiour This Gospell of the kingdome shall be preached throughout the whole world for a witnesse to all nations l Matt. 24.14 Secondly most cruell persecution Euen such tribulation as was not from the beginning of the world m Matt. 24.9.10.21.29 Thirdly a generall falling away or apostasie of the Churches in Antichrist n 2 The. 2.2.3 Fourthly warres and rumors of warres famine pestilence and earth-quakes in diuers places Fiftly false Prophets and false Christs which shall deceiue many o Matt. 24.11.24 The signes more neere are First the preaching againe of the euerlasting Gospell p Reuel 14.6 Secondly the detection and fall of Antichrist and the spirituall Babell q Reuel 14.8 Thirdly the calling of the Iewes after the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in r Ro. 11 25.26 Fourthly coldnesse and securitie in the world as in the dayes of Noah ſ Matt. 24.37 Fiftly the shaking of the powers of heauen the darkening of the Sunne and Moone and the falling of the starres c. t Mark 13.14 The signes conioyned are especially two First the wailing of all the kindreds of the earth Secondly the signe of the sonne of man u Matt. 24.30 Which what it shall be I cannot describe And thus wee are come to the very time and execution of the iudgement And therein consider The forme of the iudgment The preparation of the Iudge first the preparation secondly the iudgement it selfe thirdly the consequents of the iudgement The preparation is two-fold First of the Iudge secondly of the iudged Vnto the preparation of the Iudge may bee referred these things First his commission or that singular power giuen him of the Father to execute iudgement vpon all the world x J●h 5.22 Matt. 24.30 and this shall be then made manifest to all men Secondly the cloathing of the humane nature with a most peculiar and vnsearchable maiestie and glory most liuely expressing and resembling the forme and brightnesse of the Father y Mat. 16. v●t Thirdly the attendance of thousand thousands of holy Angels in the perfections of their splendor z Dan. 7.10 Matt 25.31 Reuel 20.11 Fourthly the choice of a place in the clouds of heauen where he will sit Fiftly the erecting of a most glorious white throne which what it shall be who can vtter yet without question it shall visibly then appeare And thus of the preparation of the Iudge The iudged shall be prepared foure wayes First by citation Secondly The preparation of the iudged First by citation by resurrection Thirdly by collection Fourthly by separation First they shall be cited to appeare The world is three times cited First by the Prophets and Fathers before Christ Secondly by the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospell since Christ And the last summons is this here meant which shall be performed by a shout from heauen and the voice of the last trumpe and this shall be the voice of Christ the Archangell of God and ministred by Angels For that it shall be Christ voice is plaine The dead shall heare his voice as hee saith in Iohn a Ioh. 5.28 And the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shout with the voice of the Archangell and with the trumpe of God b 1 Thes 4.16 That the ministerie of Angels shall be vsed is manifest by the Euangelist S. Matthew who reporteth Christs words thus And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet c Matt. 24.31 Secondly by resurrection Secondly vpon this voice shall a resurrection follow which may be two wayes considered First euery man in his owne body whether hee hath done good or euill shall reuiue and rise vp out of the graue or other places of the earth or sea or aire d Reuel 20.13 without any losse of any part that so euery man may in his very body receiue what hee hath done whether good or euill Secondly e 2 Cor. 5.13 the liuing shall be all changed in a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the last trumpet f 1 Cor. 15.52 And this change shall be in stead of death and a kinde of resurrection Not a change of substance but of qualities Our corruptible shall put on incorruption Thirdly then shall the Angels gather and collect and bring into one place g 1 Cor. 15.53 Thirdly by collection from the foure windes of heauen that is from all the foure parts of the world all that are quicke or dead now raised or changed elect h Matt. 24.31 or reprobate i Matt. 25.32 and such is their power that they will be able to driue in the mightiest wickedest vnwillingest yea though they were neuer so many millions of them Lastly when they are thus brought together Fourthly by separation there shall be made a separation for the sheepe Gods elect shall all be put on Christs right hand and the reprobate or goats shall be compelled to his left hand k Matt. 25.32 And thus of the preparation The iudgement it selfe followeth In the iudgement it selfe I consider three things First The iudgement it selfe by what law man shall be tried and iudged Secondly by what euidence Thirdly what the sentence shall be For the first the Gentiles shall be iudged by the law of nature First by vvhat lavv man shall be tried The vnbeleeuing Christians in the visible Church shall be iudged by the word or Law writ or preached to them according to that of the Apostle They that haue sinned without the law shall perish without the law and they that haue sinned vnder the law shall be iudged by the law l Rom. 2.12 And our Sauiour saith He that refuseth mee and receiueth not my words hath one that iudgeth him the word that I haue spoken it shall iudge him in the last day m Ioh. 12.48 And the faithfull shall be iudged by the Gospell euen by all those comforts and promises contained in or belonging to the couenant of grace applied to them in this life and must fully then be confirmed and accomplished For the sentence at the last day shall bee but a more manifest declaration of that iudgement the Lord in this life most an end by his word hath past vpon man Secondly by vvhat eu●d●nce man ●●●lb● iudged For the second the euidence shall be giuen in principally by the opening of three bookes The one is the booke of conscience and the other the booke of life n ●euel 20.12 and the third the booke of Gods remembrance o M●● 3.16 The booke of conscience p 〈◊〉 20 12. is that word which is kept within euery man of all sorts of actions And that conscience may at that

day giue in fuller euidence it is certaine that after the resurrection it shall be almost infinitely extended by the power of God to expresse this last testimony both in the good and in the euill The booke of life is Gods sacred and eternall record of all those persons that were fore ordained into life of all ages and nations The booke of remembrance will exactly expresse without all failing or mistaking all the inclinations thoughts affections words and deeds with all circumstances or occasions and whatsoeuer else may illustrate either the goodnesse of good men or the transgression of the wicked What the sentence vvill containe For the third The sentence will bee vpon either the godly or the wicked The sentence vpon the godly will containe first the opening of Gods eternall counsell and his vnsearchable loue wherein he hath resolued and begunne to declare his will to blesse euery one of the Elect q Matt. 25.34 Secondly a manifestation of all the righteousnes desired thought vpon spoken or done by the godly r 2 Cor. 5.10 and that with such feruency of affection in Christ that he will see and remember nothing but goodnesse in good men Å¿ Matt 5.34 to 41. Thirdly a finall and generall absoluing and redeeming of them from the guilt and power of all sinne from the beginning of the world t 1 Cor. 1.30 in Adam or themselues So as there shall neuer be either sinne in them or accusation of sinne against them Fourthly ordination to glory by appointing euery one of them to inherit the kingdome prepared for them before the foundation of the world Contrariwise the sentence of the wicked shall containe first a declaration of Gods eternall and iust hatred of them u Matt. 25.41 Secondly a full manifestation and ripping vp before all men and Angels of all their sinnes both of nature and action both against God or men or their owne bodies and soules secret and open of what kinde soeuer x Rom. 2.15 Thirdly a most terrible denunciation of Gods eternall curse and horrible ordination to those eternall torments prepared for them 2 Cor. 5.10 together with the deuill and his Angels Hitherto of the iudgement it selfe The consequents of the iudgement follow and they are fiue first the firing of the world that is the dissolution of the world by a wonderfull fire that shall inclose all so as the world shall not appeare till it be renewed againe and come out of that fire as out of a fornace for as the Apostle Peter saith The heauens being on fire shall passe away and be dissolued with a noise and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the works thereof shall be burnt vp y 2 Pet. 3.10.12 And there shall be then new heauens and new earth that is as it were a new refined And the Apostle Iohn saith the heauens and the earth shall flie away from the face of him that sitteth on the throne z Reuel 20.11 21.1 The second consequent shall be the chasing of the wicked to hell execution being speedily and fearefully done vpon them with all horror and haste by the Angells Rom. 8.19 to 23. The third shall be the libertie of the creatures I meane the rest of the creatures besides men and Angels But because this is a point somewhat obscure I will Quest 1 endeauour in a few words to resolue a doubt or two Que. First how are the creatures now in bondage that they shall need then any liberty Ans Answ They are in bondage in diuers respects The creatures in bondage in seuen respects For first they are fraile and corruptible and so in bondage to corruption Secondly they are subiect to confusions and inconstancy as may appeare by the almost infinit mutations in the ayre earth seas fire Thirdly they are now forced to serue wicked men The sunne shines vpon the vniust as well as the iust The heauen makes fruitfull with her shewers and influence the field of the wicked as well as the iust The earth is driuen to feed and to receiue into her bosome the vngodly as well as the godly and this is a bondage Fourthly the visible creatures are Gods greate booke to proclaime the inuisible things of God now they stand alwaies ready and reading too and men will not learne by them And so these good masters lose all their labour and this is a bondage to bee tied to teach such as will not learne Fiftly the creature is made not only the instrument but many times the subiect of mans punishment for his sinnes As the earth is made iron and the heauens brasse for mans sake and this is a great bondage Sixtly the creature intends immortalitie which while it failes of in the dying or expiring of the particulars of euery sort it would supply for the preseruation at least of the kindes by a perenniall substitution of new particulars in euery kinde and yet loseth all this labour because all things must be dissolued and must be restored by another way knowne to God and not now to nature But especially the creatures may be said to be in bondage because since the fall the more illustrious instincts and vigors of the most of the creatures are darkned decaied dulled and distempered in them Oh but might some one say Ob. how can this bondage be ascribed vnto the heauens Sol. Sol. The heauens are not so perfect but they may admit enlargement of their excellencie Besides they serue now promiscuously to the vse of bad as well as good neither are the very heauens without their feeblenesse and the manifest effects of fainting old age And therefore by a prosopopoeia they may be said to groane together with the rest of the creatures vnder the common burden and vanitie vnto which they are subdued It is obserued that since the dayes of Ptolomy the Sunne runnes neerer the earth by 9976. Germane miles and therefore the heauens haue not kept their first perfection Ob. Ob. But how can this vanitie or bondage bee in any sense ascribed to the Angels Sol. Sol. There is no necessitie to include the Angels in the number of the groaning creatures and yet it will bee easie to shew that they sustaine a kinde of bondage for they are now made to serue earthly things men haue their Angels to attend on them And it is thought they haue a kinde of regencie or presidencie either ouer nations or in mouing the orbes of heauen Besides they are put to inflict punishments on wicked men as on Sodome Further they performe seruice sometimes not attaining their owne ends And lastly comparatiuely at least their felicitie in the creation was not so absolute as it shall be in Christ for if his comming adde not vnto them a more excellent condition of nature yet out of all question it addes a fuller measure both of knowledge and ioy Qu. 2. But what shall the creatures haue in the