were Paul himselfe let him be Anathema This for the commendation of the Gospell preached by Epaphras I shall end Paul at this time lay in Rome in bands and was vnder an heauie affliction Now hee considering his bands might bee offensiue to them in the next verse hee meetes with this slaunder Now saith he I reioyce of those things which I suffer for you As if he would say my afflictions that I lie in let them not offend you It is a marueilous thing how ready men are to offend and to take a slander when it is not giuen These men were before offended with Epaphras because hee was not an Apostle now they are offended with Paul the Apostle himselfe because he is lying in bands O there is neuer a thing but the diuell can make it an offence to the Gospel he knowes how stumbling a heart thou hast and all to hold thee backe from the Gospell Blessed is he that hath not been offended at any thing as Christ saith Matth. 11. 6. How takes he away the offence of his bands The first argument to reuoke it he saith I reioyce for these things Vers 24. which I suffer for you or for your sake as if he would say be not offended at my bands because they are for you If I had not comen out at the commaund of my Lord to preach Christ what needed me to be lying in these fetters and if I had not loued my Lord Iesus and his Church what needed I to be in The afflictions of the Martyrs do serue for the confirmation of the faithfull in all ages these bands Well he suffers for the Colossians and he neuer saw them Epaphras taught them I tell thee looke whatsoeuer Paul suffereth or any of the Apostles or godly Martyrs who suffered count it all for thee It was all to hold in this light which is thy life and if it had not been kept and entertained and holden vp by their preaching and sealed by their bloud thou shouldest neuer haue gotten light And without this Gospell thou shouldest neuer see life This world is blinded they know not this darknes they lie in If the light of this Gospell slide from thee thou blind ignorant that lies now in darknes thou shalt be cast into hell for the end of darknes here is that blacke darknes in hell So hee saith All that I suffer is for you Well if men thought that the sufferings of the seruants of God which they suffer whether it be bands banishment or whatsoeuer it be if they could thinke that all was for them to hold in that light of the Gospell alas they would be so farre from that that the bands and these things should be offensiue to them and so be offended at the Gospell that by the contrarie they would kisse their sufferings and would take as great pleasure in their bands as in their preaching for they serue as well to thy weale as their preaching For by their bands they seale vp in thy heart all that they haue preached to thee O if thou couldst thinke of this well The time will come that these who now preach shall be afflicted and Lord giue them ioy in their affliction Be ye therefore prepared not to be offended at it You shall see some steale downe closely from the Minister when he is caught by the necke howbeit now they will accompanie him Well then be readie to take part of his affliction as Paul saith 2. Tim. 1. 8. Yet to recommend his affliction more I reioyce saith he he suffereth for a good cause for the safetie of the Colossians Besides this hee suffered with ioy 1. Pet. 4. 15. Let no man saith hee suffer as a murtherer a theefe or an euill doer which is now the pleasure of men but let vs make vs readie to suffer for a good cause if thou suffer see thou suffer for Gods cause for this light the best cause that euer thou suffered for Let euery man be prepared to suffer for it otherwise thou shalt haue no good of it It is not the paine will make thee a Martyr but it is the quarrell the good cause that will make thee a Martyr And againe he saith if thou suffer as Christ suffered reioyce As if he would say when thou Ioy in godly afflictions sufferest for a good cause looke thou haue ioy and willingnes No let not the enemie haue greater will to draw thee to the shambles then thou shalt be willing with ioy to suffer So there is another condition requisite in suffering we must not onely be content to suffer for a good cause but wee must be Note willing and ioyfully willing Otherwise the good cause will not make thee a Martyr Thou must haue ioy and patience and willingnes glorifying God Looke how the Martyrs suffered and follow them and then thou shalt dye like a Martyr and blessed shalt thou be The Lord prepare vs for it that we may passe from this miserie to ioy through the Lord Iesus To whom be praise and honour for euer Amen THE TENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 24. 25. 24 Now reioyce I in my suffrings for you and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body sake which is the Church 25 Wherof I am a minister according to the dispensation of God which is giuen me vnto you ward to fulfill the word of God YOu heard the last day beloued brethren how the Apostle hauing ended his doctrine he comes to his exhortation and exhorts the Colossians to perseuer in the faith of Iesus Christ Secondly he exhorts them to perscuere in hope The argument he vseth is from that benefit of their reconciliation with God Now saith he ye are reconciled and hee hath reconciled you but with this condition and restraint if so be that you abide in the faith grounded and stablished and be not moued from the hope of the Gospell Then they might haue said what Gospell meanes thou of is it that gospell that Epaphras hath taught countest thou so much of it This he meetes with and saith yea I meane of that same gospell that you haue heard of that man Epaphras Then he falles out into a cōmendation of that gospell of his And the first argument is taken from this That it is no other gospel but that Coherence that hath been preached to euery creature The second argument is hee hath preached nought at all but that that I haue preached Then they might haue said what haue wee to doe with thee we see nought of thee but a man in bands at Rome The Apostle answeres Now saith he I reioyce in my afflictions for you Well it is true I am afflicted but vnderstand this that my affliction is for you it appertaines to you to esteeme of my affliction I reioyce that I am afflicted for the Gentiles because I am appointed their Apostle You are a part of
the Gentiles therefore in that that I suffer it is for your cause that the Gospell of Iesus Christ may haue place amongst you as among the other Gentiles The second argument In the middest of my afflictions I The second argument The vse of affliction reioyce to testifie my loue towards you for except I had loued you I would not haue suffered with ioy for you Brethren of those that suffer affliction first it is required that it be for a good cause for Gods cause for his truth and for his Church sake Suffer not like a theefe or a murtherer as an harlot or an euill doer in any wise Alas it is a paine yea of all paines in the world the greatest to suffer for euill doing Secondly it is required of him that suffers that he suffer for a good cause with ioy cheerefully and with patience otherwise thou losest thy trauell and praise suffer as thou wilt It is not the good cause onely that makes martyrdome but it is Martyrdome the ioy cheerfulnes and patience ioyned with the good cause that makes thee in suffering to be a Martyr It is hard to flesh to digest this how can there be ioy in the paines of most exquisite torments Brethren Paul at this time is lying in bands at Rome and yet ye see he vtters that in his bands he hath ioy and no question when he came to the very point of death for 2. Tim. 4. 6. 7. 8. he was martyred he had great ioy And certainly I am compelled to think that there is more shrinking and sadnes at the remembrance of the affliction to come then there is in the More grief in the remembrāce of afflictiō then in suffering it when it comes chiefe time of affliction The minde will be more troubled thinking on it then when the person is afflicted For out of question whē the Lord giues a man cōstancie to suffer he will giue him patience ioy which shall swallow vp all the paine and the experience of Martyrs hath proued this Stir not howbeit thou shrinke at hanging heading scalding burning and whatsoeuer paines most cruell exquisit deuised for thee yet stir not for if the Lord giue thee constancie all the paines shal be swallowed vp and thou shalt be armed to suffer with ioy To goe forward The third argument whereby he remoues the offence they might haue taken at his bands is this I saith he fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ Iesus as if hee would The third argument say mine afflictions are not so much mine as they are my Lords afflictions how can ye then be offended at them You cannot chuse if you bee offended at my afflictions but you must be offended at Christs afflictions because my affliction is nothing else but the afflictions of Christ and the fulfilling of them Then all these afflictions that are laid vpon the members of the bodie of Christ they are all Christs afflictions and when they are afflicted Christ is afflicted And the Lord counts it his owne persecutions when the members of his bodie Christ must suffer in his members which is his Church are persecuted Saul Saul saith hee Acts 9. 4. why persecutest thou me He speakes this to Paul when he was not persecuting him but his members This he calles his persecution for it was ordained from all eternitie that the Lord Iesus who is the head of the Church should not onely suffer in his owne flesh but also that hee should suffer in the members of his bodie which is his Church So that none of that bodie should be free from suffering no not from the greatest to the least yea euen to the little finger all should suffer and the measure hereof was measured and ordained in that counsell from all eternitie Sufferest thou much or little It was measured to thee ere euer the world was It was not appointed that euery particular person should suffer al and euery sort of affliction no no but as the head should suffer one kinde of affliction proper to himselfe so the rest in the bodie should suffer some in one sort and measure and some in another All shall suffer one thing or other prepare thee for it and it is a token that thou art in that bodie if thou suffer something for Christ But to sticke to the words he calles them not simply the sufferings of Christ but the fulfilling or accomplishment of the afflictions of Christ I saith he fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ Marke the word well Euen as the Church of Iesus Christ is the accomplishment and fulfilling of him to make him a perfect man so it is called Ephe. 1. the last verse Euen so the afflictions that the Church and her members suffer they accomplish and fulfill the sufferings of Christ And as the glorie of the head Christ is fulfilled and accomplished in suffering euen so the sufferings of his members they accomplish and fulfill the glorie of Christ Wherein wee haue to marke a loue that Christ beares to vs that cannot bee spoken of The Lord Iesus is perfect in himselfe and he needeth vs not no he hath no neede of me of thee nor of no flesh to make him perfiter The loue of Christ then he is alreadie in himselfe He is full and he fils all in all yet such is his loue to me and thee and to the whole body that he cannot thinke that he is perfect till he haue thee ioyned with him yea the least member of his Church hee will haue to be ioyned with him or els hee counts that his glorie and sufferings are not fulfilled So his afflictions are perfect and hee needes not thee to fulfill any part thereof yet such is his loue that hee will not haue his afflictions perfect without thee He will haue thee made like to himselfe in affliction howbeit his glorie be perfect now at the right hand of the father yet he cannot thinke that he gets the perfection thereof till he get all his members glorified with him in heauen This is his loue Rom. 8. Now let vs see how we account of this We count it a benefit and a grace to be ioyned with him to be the members of his bodie and to be glorified with him but when it comes to the What a great benefit it is to suffer afflictions sufferings there is the shrinking there is none that can accord or be content to be like him in sufferings but they will flye backe there we faile and we cannot thinke that it is a benefit to suffer but rather that it is a curse So ere thou count it a benefit to suffer thou must haue more then flesh and bloud thou must haue the spirit of Iesus It is not onely a benefit to beleeue but also to suffer Philip. 1. 29. And Philip. 3. 10. Paul counts it a blessing to suffer calling it the communion or fellowship of his affliction There he counts it
and goodnes But men are of another minde they think that if now and then they speake well and holily they then haue for a great while after the greater license and libertie in prophane iestings filthie and foolish talkings idle and vnprofitable words For which our Sauiour himselfe and the blessed spirit in the Apostle Paul will haue them to be so farre that Christ telleth vs we shall answere for euery idle word yea the Apostle will haue no filthie speech to come out of our mouth Ephes 4. 29. And in another place of that Epistle will not haue such things to be so much as once named amongst vs but rather giuing of thankes Ephes 5. 3. Hitherto for the exhortation or doctrine Now to come to the end of it That ye may know how to answer euery one By the word answering which is but a part of our speech or words he vnderstandeth all our speech of what sort or nature so euer Properly in our language it implieth a question or demaund going before and shaping an answere therto But here it is put a part for the whole and vsed according to the Hebrue phrase which many times signifieth to begin and to continue speech without any occasion ministred thereof by a precedent demaund And so is it that in the latter end of the 11. of Matthew it is said that Iesus answered and said when yet there went not before any demaund or question But to the poynt The meaning of the Apostle is to shew that by continuall custome and course of speaking holily and graciously men attaine to spirituall wisdome and discretion and thereby are inabled fitly and to good purpose to answere to euery one that should demaund his iudgement in any thing specially appertaining to Gods religion and his Christian profession And whereas he saith euery one wee are to see what he meaneth thereby Men to whom wee direct our speech or with whom wee haue that way to deale may be reduced into two sorts For either they are such as are without or else they are our brethren and of the household of faith And either of these againe are of two sorts The first are either persecutors or such as are not of so cruell a disposition with these we must deale in such sort as if it bee possible wee may winne them to Christ or at the least not giue them occasion to blaspheme by our speech we know that as their hearts are ready to conceiue euill against vs and our cause so vpon any surmise or suspition from vs their mouthes will be open to speake euill also And therefore wee should carefully endeuour to auoyd all occasions and to stop their mouthes if we could tell how On the other side our brethren are either strong or weake For the weake wee must take heede that wee offend them not in our speech because Christ saith Woe be to the man by whom offence commeth but rather wee must doe our best to confirme and strengthen them in the faith as who by reason of weaknes in themselues and bad examples in the world had neede to be animated in all well doing And as for the strong wee must more and more protect them to mutuall comfort and godly edification and the rather because he that knoweth any thing knoweth yet nothing as he ought to know and none is so forward but still he had need to be prouoked and pricked on From which rightly knowne and vnderstood wee may learne two things first that in all our cariages generally and particularly in our speeches wee should haue good respect what when and where it is that we speake For if the light of nature haue taught men to looke to themselues what they say and of whom the grace and worke of the spirit should much more not onely inlighten vs herein but inable vs thereto Secondly that if wee speake well there is much power and efficacie in our speech and that not onely as in regard of the hearers heart to haue it affected either to sanctitie and instruction if our words be pure and holy or to corruption and naughtines if they be vnsound and vnsauourie but euen as in respect of the partie speaking whose minde shall be the better framed to and the more plenteously indued with spiritual wisedome if hee can walke well and wisely as in this behalfe both respecting the persons with whom hee talketh or to whom hee speaketh and also in expressing his minde by a good choise of words both which are powerfull meanes to manifest grace in himselfe and to communicate it to others But our age is euery way full of corruption Some care to speake nothing but that which is as themselues corrupt Othersome care not how they vtter any thing so they speake a good matter Othersome haue good words but deliuer vnholesome things And some speake the trueth with such smoothnes that many times it is suspected of falsehood Hee that can auoide these extreames and speake when where and what he should doth not onely shew that hee hath receiued grace from God but that he shall haue growth in this goodnes because the lips of the righteous will euer be speaking of good things and in all other mercies from God through Iesus Christ to whom with the holie Spirit three persons and but one eternall God bee all glorie and praise with thankes and power both now and for euermore So be it THE XXXVIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 7. 8. 9. 7 Tychicus our beloued brother and faithfull minister and fellow seruant in the Lord shall make knowne vnto you all my matters 8 Whom I haue sent vnto you for this very purpose that he might know your matters and might comfort your hearts 9 With Onesimus a faithfull and a beloued brother who is one of you Therefore they shall declare vnto you all things that are done here THe Apostle passeth from generall matters vnto particular things that is from those duties which indifferently concerned the whole Church and euery particular sound member of it to such as did belong to himselfe and others in speciall And in these three verses is contained if you remember it the third part of the chapter and the sixt part of the whole Epistle In which hee handleth both his owne priuate affaires assuring himselfe that the Colossians were desirous to know and vnderstand the same and also testifieth his desire to know and vnderstand how matters went with them For the better declaration whereof hee had sent some to see in what condition they were and to certifie them also in what condition his busines stood He herein expresseth both his great loue and care to them and also sheweth that as he would not haue them to beleeue vncertaine rumours and reports touching his owne estate so he would not credit euery flying tale concerning their condition for fame as he well knew and we finde by daily experience increaseth by going and as men
are minded either in good will or euil will so they adde too and diminish as they either loue or hate And therefore for the auoyding of these inconueniences and the more full vnderstanding of the truth in these causes he sendeth Tychicus and some other with him in presence faithfully to relate all things on both sides that is both to cause the Colossians to conceiue in what case Paul and his affaires were and to certifie the Apostle how things went with the Church there and more particularly that by these faithfull and honest messengers hee might comfort and confirme the Colossians hearts The first of these is called Tychicus who being borne in Asia willingly accompanied Paul going thither to preach the Gospell there as you may reade Acts 20. 4. Neither followed he him in that labour of the Ministerie alone as a thing very profitable for himselfe but euen then when Paul was prisoner at Rome for the Gospel he was with him there and ministred vnto him and was sent from thence by Paul as with this Epistle to the Colossians so with that which hee wrote to the Ephesians as appeareth chap. 6. 21. 22. and also 2. Tim. 4. 10. where he saith that he sent Tychicus to Ephesus Another of thē is named Onesimus who is the very same that Paul cōmendeth to Philemon in the epistle he wrote vnto him where we shall finde that he was Philemons vnthriftie seruant and did runne away from his master for some great offence but yet being touched with conscience for that sinne and vnfainedly turned vnto God euen by Paul himselfe whilest hee was prisoner at Rome Paul thought it meete vpon his vnfained amendment to commend him to his master againe And he ioyneth them both together as it were in commission in this cause that in the mouth of two or three witnesses al truth concerning causes on both sides might bee established For further credit whereof also hee doth adorne them with good and gracious titles And first for Tychicus to the end that the dignitie of the person might procure more authoritie and credit to his testimonie among the Colossians and from them to the Apostle himselfe he describeth him by three titles or adiuncts but they may be reduced vnder two sorts or kinds The one such as is common to all Christians when hee termeth him beloued brother the other peculiar to them that trauaile in the Church causes as Ministers and such like And these are two in number the first is faithfull minister the second is fellow seruant in the Lord. From all which there are many good instructions affoorded vnto vs as in the first that if any man be a true Christian and therefore our brother wee are bound euen in that respect so much the more tenderly to imbrace and loue him For though euery one yea that is not a Christian must be loued in his measure and manner because he is the creature of God and the excellent workmanship of his owne hands and the rather because he is indued in some sort and sense with the image of God yet there is a speciall loue due to such a sound hearted Christian as is a member with vs of the selfesame holie bodie Neither indeed specially in spirituall consideration is he so much another man differing from vs as one and the selfesame with vs. For all true Christians are members of one and the selfesame bodie growing vp together with vs to the constituting of that blessed bodie of our Sauiour Christ and to the framing and fashioning yea making vp of that very man the head whereof is Christ and the bodie are all faithfull Christians Concerning which see what the Spirit saith Eph. 2. 15. Hitherto for his generall or common title Now he describeth him by his specially calling in which if we respect Christ he was his minister and seruant in the work ministerie and preaching of the Gospell and seruing him therin not in outward shew onely or for filthie luere sake but in all fidelitie and syncere vprightnes and therefore he is called in this place not onely a minister but a faithfull minister And if we consider or respect the Apostle he was his fellow-seruant in the Lord because both the one and the other of them Paul I meane and Tychicus did serue the selfesame God euen the father and the selfesame Lord Iesus Christ in the holie ministerie walking in it with all fidelitie as became them that had receiued grace from God not onely to beleeue his trueth but to walke in the obedience of it that way especially And this doth teach vs that by example which the Apostle prescribeth in an other place by precept and rule Let him that hath an office attend vpon his office Rom. 12. And againe What is required of stewards which al Gods ministers are but that they should be found faithfull And Christ saith Who is a faithfull and wise seruant euen such a one as his master setteth ouer his household to giue them their iust proportion of meate in due season Matth. 24. What carelesnes yea what vnfaithfulnes is there in all callings yea Ecclesiasticall as well as ciuill Who thinketh that the place he hath is from God or that he must render an account vnto him If Magistrates considered this they would not be so furious and cruell as many of them are If Preachers did weigh it they would not be so cold and carelesse so negligent and idle in the execution of their duties and in gaining men to God as commonly they are I will tell you my mind there are few found in this function to whom we may rightly attribute the adiuncts and titles that the Apostle giueth here to Tychicus that they are faithful ministers and fellow seruants in the Lords worke for feare many times and flatterie bleareth out if it doe not vtterly kill their fidelitie and integritie and corrupt respects of priuate profit honour and such like maketh them goe a way by themselues and to withdraw from the rest of their brethren Wee haue too much experience of this in the Courtlike preachers of our kingdome here and other reformed Churches abroad taste and smacke too much of it this being one bitter fruite that the Hierarchie hath left behinde it amongst vs. And thus farre for Tychicus and his titles Now concerning Onesimus Paul setteth him out and commendeth him to the Colossians first by his common calling by which being through faith grafted into Christ he became a faithfull and beloued brother vnto him in Christ The selfesame man that is here termed a faithfull beloued brother is named in the Epistle to Philemon vers 10. his son whom he begot in his bonds How can this be can one man haue two titles Yea wel enough if we consider diuers respects and states wherein they are through Gods grace and goodnes Such as the Ministers beget by the Gospell and bring vnto Christ and his Church they are as in regard of that worke of begetting them
in the faith and may be iustly called sonnes and this is that which the Apostle saith in the Corinthians that though they had many teachers yet they had but one father which was himselfe who also had begotten them vnto God through the Gospell 1. Cor. 4. 14. But when that worke hath increased in them and that they are become strong men in Christ then hee doth euery where and so may wee acknowledge all sound beleeuers to be our brethren as who are indeede the sonnes of one and the selfesame father to wit God in and by Christ the first begotten brother of vs all and in whom the whole familie is named both in heauen and earth Secondly he commendeth Onesimus vnto them by these termes that he was one of them that is as wee would say their countriman and had the fellowship of the same countrey or nation with them and that not onely generally as Grecians neither yet more particularly as people of Phrygia wherein Colosse stood but it may be of the selfesame towne and citie Whatsoeuer it be we may learne here many good lessons and doctrines And first that no mans sinne which hee hath truly repented of before God and the Church should be any disparagement to him in subsequent times no more then Onesimus fraud and flying from his master was to him nor wee thinke neuer a whit the worse of him nor haue him in lesse esteeme then Paul had Onesimus for seeing God hath forgiuen it as repentance is a true pledge thereof and the Church hath receiued him as it ought vpon vnfained amendment what reason that priuate and particular persons should refuse them or thinke euill of them vnlesse they will be more wise and iust then God or more seuere then the Church and I think neither the one nor the other is fit for priuate men And yet we see amongst vs men so peeuishly pettish and wayward towards I will not say offending parties howsoeuer they offended but repenting persons that after a sinne is once discouered they will neuer be satisfied but alwaies suspicious hauing for a ground of their surmises a maxime of the Ciuil law He that is once found to be euill is alwaies supposed to be euill but forgetting the rule of the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. that charitie is not suspicious and that they proceede by another rule towards offending yea repenting persons then Iwis they would haue practised towards them if they were in the like case But let vs cast away from vs this and all other corruptions that so wee may walke more religiously towards God and more charitably towards his seruants Secondly obserue that Paul not thinking it enough to haue commended Onesimus for his brotherly loue and coniunction that he had with him in Christ but adding also that hee was of the same nation countrey yea it may be citie with them in which respect also he speaketh afterwards of Epaphras vers 12. of this chapter and of this very Onesimus in his Epistle to Philemon vers 16. he declareth that hee should be so much the more deare to Philemon because he had been his seruant Obserue I say and gather from hence that these naturall and ciuill familiarities and friendships in which men partake one of them with another as for example consanguinitie affinitie nation countrey citie c. should be vnto them which through faith are ingrafted into Christ more strict causes and occasions of mutuall loue one of them towards another in the Lord. We denie not but that that spirituall fellowship and communion which we haue in Christ is indeed very necessarie because by it wee are all in him made brethren one with another yea that without it there can be no true or sound loue although men otherwise may be very strictly ioyned together The reason is that whatsoeuer is in men without him is but naturall and humane And indeede to say truth there cannot be any synceritie of the heart without Christ and yet notwithstanding if vnto that spirituall coniunction there be added some naturall or politicall coniunction there will also be a greater degree and further step of loue in so much that the faithful people may more tenderly loue and regard them which both in faith and flesh are linked to them then those that are knit to them onely in the fellowship of the same religion Which as the Apostle himselfe meaneth 1. Timoth. 5. 8. saying If any man prouide not for his owne and specially for them that are of his household he hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidell so it is not obscurely signified in that rule Galat. 6. Do good vnto all specially to those that are of the household of faith And if nature must giue place to religion then religion and it being ioyned together men are and must be more strictly tyed And yet we see that vnder the colour of kinred religion is destitute and some vnder pretext of relieuing the religious destitute their owne flesh The truth is that both must be performed if God himselfe giue abilitie and when we lack power to doe to all alike then to preferre them that concerne vs in flesh and faith And let this suffice for the persons as they are distinctly commended to the Colossians Now a little of them coniunctly He saith that he sent Tychicus to them and with him Onesimus There are two causes as it should seeme for which hee sent them For though vers 8. hee seemeth to speake of Tychicus onely yet he expressely mentioneth Onesimus vers 9 and laieth almost the same burthen vpon him specially as in regard of priuate affaires that he doth vpon Tychicus I say therefore as I said there are two causes of this mission or legation One that hee might by them vnderstand in what termes the affaires of the Colossians stood specially for their Church causes for otherwise though hee wished them well in the world yet he medled not much with their worldly busines The other that knowing how weake and faint good mens hearts be he might by the comming and presence of these two comfort and incourage the Colossians Which though most properly it were the worke of Tychicus as of the minister of the word yet no doubt Onesimus as a particular member of the Church might in his measure performe it yea and did in his measure To these two causes he addeth a third and the same of no lesse moment then the former namely to cause the Colossians to vnderstand in what state he and his matters were Because as the good condition of the Colossians would make the Apostles heart glad so the Apostle being well who had been their gracious and good teacher they could not but reioyce From all which wee may obserue that though Paul were in his enemies hands and were fast bound in chaines as we say yet he thought it not enough by writing this present Epistle to the Colossians to confirme and strengthen them in the faith but also sendeth
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
to speake of Angels and of their orders and tell you there bee so many orders of them Who told you that and then he will begin to speake of Saints and he will bid you call on them Did God commaund him to bid thee doe so and when hee hath done with heauen he will goe downe to hell and will tell you of all the chambers and places there of Limbus Patrum Purgatorie with the rest as though he had bin there And againe with such confidence he will speak of these things as if he had seene thē with his eyes This then tels vs y t this doctrine of the Papists is not a new but an old heresie and how like is a new heretike to an old heretike Well to be short let neuer man be curious in that which God hath neuer reuealed If God Curiositie hath not reuealed what the Angels be doing in heauen what the Saints be doing question not of it where hell is and what parts are in hell if God haue not reuealed it be not curious to search it let it be leaue off questioning of things that God hath not reuealed seeing there are so many things reuealed which thou canst not attaine vnto if thou shouldest sit night and day meditating vpon them Againe let no man bee bold to affirme the thing that hee knoweth not whether it be true or not if thou vse thy selfe to shamelesse pertnes thou wilt come in the end to confirme lyes Euer keepe a moderation and speake according to thy knowledge that that thou hast seene and heard And speake seeing it is the office of the Pastor to speake speake assuredly of saluation for surely thou must be studious to get the truth and to speak boldly of it and to die in the truth of God There is the first argument why the Apostle wils the Colossians that no man condemne them for meate and drinke learne of it to answere the Papists after this manner Thou art a pert and shamelesse bodie to intrude thy selfe into this point and that point of religion whereof thou hast no sure warrant and in that thou neuer sawest heardest nor was neuer reuealed to thee The second argument is from as euill a ground euen from pride and a poore pride as the words import for so the Apostle speaketh blowne vp as a bagge with winde no solide stuffe Now after what manner is he puft vp Rashly that is without cause hauing no matter but onely winde For ye shall vnderstand that there is but two sorts of pride There is one that is called a poore pride as we say A proud heart in a poore Two sorts of pride breast whē vpon a vaine conceit men are proud of that which they haue not Such was the pride of the Pharisie vpon the conceit of his righteousnes through it he scornes the poore man besides him who was notwithstanding more iustified then he was The second sort of pride is when one is proud but hath some matter of it as a rich man for his riches a man of science for his science whether the matter of it be outward or inward Of this the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued why then boastest thou as though thou haddest not receiued it Alas no gift should make one proud For where that is it is a tokē that thou misknowest the giuer If a man haue pride with his graces all his graces are poyson for pride is a poysonable seasoning of them so that they shall neuer doe thee good As for example hee that hath grace to speake well if he be proud he may well doe the people good but he shall neuer be able to doe himselfe good A man of law Pride poysons all gifts that is full of law euen to the throte if he haue pride with it he may doe thee and the people good with it but not himself yea it is a curse to him A Preacher that hath knowledge in the Scriptures and can discourse vpon them finely if hee haue pride with his gift all is poyson he may well doe the auditorie good but hee shall neuer be able to doe his owne soule good So it is no small grace of God with thy gifts to haue humilitie and grace with humilitie is more worth then many graces that are conioyned with pride Now to goe to the words Where from commeth this pride this mischieuous pride that hath no matter to be proud for nothing it is a thing which is intolerable Hee sets downe the ground of it It comes from the minde there is the mother of it It is not without thee it is not riches honour and what euer thou hast that will make thee to haue a conceit of thy selfe it is not these things outward Pride whence it comes howbeit they will greatly further thee and helpe thy pride as ye may see this day in the persons of rich and honourable men What is it then euen the best thing of nature giuen to thee euen thy minde the reason that is within thee it poysoneth al thy gifts A natural mā wil make a faire discourse in reasoning yet with such a pride that he will not yeeld to any that saith against him and his reason So the best thing in man is his greatest enemie Man hath reason a reasonable minde and that is his preferment aboue the beast but I say to thee if that reason be not sanctified by the spirit of Christ Iesus if thou werst a King well had it been to thee that thou haddest bin borne a dog yea that thou haddest bin created a stocke or a stone if thou be not sanctified in thy reason This reason in the minde hauing pride conioyned with it beguiled all the Philosophers Rom. 1. 21. What a minde is that a fleshly minde saith the Apostle If there be any pure thing in man it must be the minde Yet the Apostle calleth it fleshly and Roman 8. vers 7. The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God I say to thee as the bodie is grosse and corrupt so the minde is as grosse and corrupt by nature So that as the bodie can feele nothing but that that is grosse no more can thy soule apprehend spirituall things but grosse things So there is the mother of all mischiefe That that Paul calleth flesh the canker of nature will ye see her daughters she begetteth vaine discoursing Then when she is in conceit of wisedome followeth false The daughters of reason not sanctified opinions of doctrines as this that Angels should be worshipped and then followeth the last childe Pride So all tends to this seeke mortification the slaughter of this mother the flesh or els she will destroy thee I say if she be not mortified thou shalt die euerlastingly For she shall fill thee so with wind and puffe thee vp so that when the iudgement commeth thou shalt be burnt vp like stubble Alas hast thou not thought of mortification
before Christs comming but now Coherence are so abolished that they become not the tradition and doctrine of God but of men His argument was Ye are dead with Christ from all these things by your death ye are freed Therefore why should ye be burthened with ordinances I insist not vpon that which was spoken but I goe to the verse that followeth wherein he setteth downe a certaine kinde of rite whereunto the false teachers presseth them to wit concerning meates and hee bringeth in this matter by counterfaiting of the voyce of the false teacher O saith the false teacher Touch not taste not handle not there is the doctrine of the deceiuer ye heard when hee admonished them to beware of these ceremonies The first sort was concerning rites from that he past to daies Now againe the onely sort of ceremonies which here he expresseth is the same concerning meates This importeth something that he sticketh so vpon this ceremonie of meates Wherfore the Apostle specifieth the Iudaicall ceremonie concerning meates It teacheth vs this that the diuell the enemie of man specially tempteth men about meate He begun betimes Our first parents were not so soone created and placed in Eden but he begun to tempt them about meate and from that houre to this houre he neuer resteth to tempt men about meate either after one manner or other either to abstaine or else to exceede He hath thus tempted the world in this subiect of meates VVhat is the cause of this He seeth not a meeter subiect to tempt men with then meate drink It is the thing that we vse and must vse daily therefore he setteth his engine to tempt men in this Yet to open this matter better there are two things especially wherein the Lord hath giuen men libertie meate and mariage In these two the Lord hath giuen vs libertie And this hath euer been the craft of Sathan to restraine this libertie giuen by the Lord. The Apostle foresaw this in the 1. Tim. 4. 1. and foretold that in the latter daies men should arise with a lying spirit and should deliuer the doctrine of diuels And then he nameth these two points of their doctrine forbidding saith he meates and mariage Now there must be some cause of this temptation of Sathan he knoweth well enough there is a faire The pretence of hypocrites pretence for restraining of mens libertie to wit the mortification of the flesh Abstaine say they from meate abstaine from mariage because it mortifieth the flesh So hauing a faire pretence he tempteth men in these things and restraineth the libertie that the Lord hath graunted This pretence is friuolous because there is no meane of mortifying but that that God hath commanded Therefore if thou shouldest pine and famish thy selfe to death thou shalt not be mortified but the more thou vsest that dealing without the spirit of Iesus thou shalt be the more puffed vp in the vanitie of thy minde for it is a meane to pride to vse that which the Lord hath not commaunded thee It is true that Paul said 1. Cor. 9. 27. he held his bodie vnder at a straite diet and so doe all godly men this is a good meane and the Lord hath commaunded a diet to be kept but to abstaine frō meat as an vncleane thing thou hast no warrant neither oughtest thou to follow such as would perswade thee to the same Therfore follow no meane to mortification but that which the Lord commaundeth thee And as for that which Paul did hee had the warrant of the spirit of Iesus but yet ye shall see there that he placeth no merit in it But the false teacher as the Pope and his Clergie they place a merit and necessitie in these things But to come to the words of the Apostle he counterfaiteth the voyce of the false teacher and speaketh as they doe and that with bitternes of heart O saith the deceiuer Touch not taste not handle not which testifieth plainly that in the heart of the spirit of God there is a bitternes against the hypocrite yea a bitternes like gall especially against the false teacher O thou shalt finde one day a bitter voyce vttered against thee Touch not saith hee that is lay not thy fingers end vpon such meate hold backe thy hand from it Taste not that is bring it not to thy mouth let not the tip of thy tongue taste it Handle not that is lay not thy hand grosly vpon it nor meddle not with it in any wise handle not such vncleane and forbidden meates Brethren these commandements that are so streight import that these false teachers thought there were in certaine meates vncleannes and that they were poysonable and had force to infect and make a man vncleane this was their mind concerning meates and therefore their sinne was manifolde For first they are iniurious to the meate in accounting the creature vncleane which was cleane In 1. Tim. 4. 4. it is said the creature is cleane And Rom. 14. 14. that there is no meate vncleane So they were very iniurious against the creature the meate And then that which is more they were iniurious to the Colossians in taking their libertie from them and in burdening them with an vnnecessarie burden To bind a man to this meate or that meate thou snarest the conscience and doest worse then if thou shouldest strangle that man whom thou thus entrappest What God commaundeth that thou countermandest Lastly they were iniurious to God who created althings cleane especially to them that are in Iesus Christ who sanctified althings and gaue libertie to man to eate what it liked him as wee see in the Acts 10. 15. when all sort of meate was offered to Peter and he being commaunded to eate indifferently of all refused Then the voyce commeth to him halfe in anger and saith to him that which God hath made cleane make not thou vncleane O Papist God hath not made the meate foule but it is thou that defilest thy selfe and the meate both the Lord hath cleansed it in the bloud of Iesus and thou deceiuer shouldest thou stand vp and say it is vncleane O deceiuer thou art vnworthie of meate Yet more ye see in these words the nature of an hypocrite A false The marke of a false teacher Doctor he is the strictest y t euer was in that that auaileth not in a trifle he will be wondrous precise in the things wherein the Lord hath giuen libertie he will be a niggard and close the hand of him And by the contrarie in that which the Lord hath forbidden he will be liberall Come to murther he will giue thee a pardon before hand hee reckoneth not of adulterie and oppression and such grosse sinnes Paul 2. Thess 2. 4. giueth this as a note of the Antichrist that he shal oppose himselfe to euery thing diuine he shall be euer in a contradiction to God So where ye find this opposition say here sitteth Antichrist Therfore I say
cause thou shalt haue great aduantage The first aduantage is thou shalt not obey thy husband but in things lawfull honest agreeable to the will of the Lord though he should commaund thee neuer Note well two aduantages by obeying in the Lord first they shall obey but in that the Lord commands secondly the seruice Christ accepts as done to himselfe so much And if thou obey him in things vnlawfull thou shalt deerely buy it And indeede a faire aduantage to do nothing but that that is lawfull honest and agreeable to the Lords will The second aduantage is Obeying in the Lord all the seruice thou shalt doe to thy husband thou shalt doe it to Iesus Christ Ephes 6. 5. Where there is another doing in the Lord set downe what euer thou shalt do do it in singlenes of heart and not in doublenes As there be many false wiues who in obeying their husbands haue a double heart obeying them outwardly not for any good will or liking they haue to them but for some other cause and respect while as in the meane time she wil haue in her mind one euill or other against him Yea while she is shewing her selfe obedient to her husband outwardly her minde will be occupied on her harlotrie with another this is no single obedience and the cause is for as much as thine eye is not vpon the Lord and it is impossible that thou canst be sincere in thy doing except thine eye be vpon the Lord. Lastly doing all for his sake and in sinceritie Who shall reward thee what benefit shalt thou get shall it be a temporall thing that he can bestow vpon thee No no the Lord Iesus whom thou preferrest in the obeying of thy Great reward for seruing Christ husband and seruice doing to him he shall meete thee and reward thee with a crown of glorie Woe were it for me thee if in his seruice done in his name and for his sake wee looked for no more but for these earthly rewards though it were to be made a King or a Queene for wee and they both shall vanish away for nothing is permanent here vnder the Sunne Well doe nothing but for the Lord Iesus sake and that that is agreeable to his will say All that I do to my husband O Lord all is for thy sake otherwise all thy seruice stinkes thou shalt lose thy labour for thou shalt receiue no reward of him This for the manner of subiection and obedience vnto your husbands Now followes the fourth thing to be considered the argument to moue them to this dutie In a word It is comely It is reasonable it is iust Would you see this It leanes vpon good grounds neuer action had better First it is grounded vpon the ordinance of God first made before the fall and after the The argument of subiection fall renewed againe Secondly it is grounded vpon the law of nature the Lord hath written it in thy heart at the first creation Thou shalt be subiect to thy husband Besides this ye that are wiues you haue this conscience of your owne infirmitie you are the weaker vessels and therefore ye craue a head ye craue to be vnder a Superiour Thou who art disobedient who is it that thou hast to doe with Is it a man Looke what breach of law is here First thou breakest Gods law Secondly thou breakest the law of nature And thirdly thou doest against thy owne conscience Doubt yee that all these bands lies on you I tell you Eue fell not so soone but all these bands were laid on her In the third chapter of Genesis verse 16. Thy appetite shall be toward him c. And therefore marke it This rebellion and wantonnesse in many wiues it is not so small a sinne as you thinke It is a sinne against God and his law Secondly it is against nature Thirdly it is against thy conscience This is not well knowne by many therefore learne to know it in time Ye haue now heard the wiues part Now I come to the men Husbands loue your wiues that is the thing he charges them to doe then he saies Be not bitter vnto them that he forbids The thing then he bids them doe is Loue. So subiection in the wife should be met with loue and care in things spirituall and temporall this is generall subiection in the inferiour should be met with loue and care of the superiour in things earthly and temporall and in things spirituall Superiours bound to duties as well as inferiours For it is not the Lords will that the inferiour should be bound to a dutie and the superiour should goe free but he is as fast fastened to doe a dutie to his inferiour and more the greater preferment the greater burthen all the honours men get are the greater burthens to them Vnder the tearme of loue is vnderstood all kind of dutie belonging to the wife prouiding it begin at the heart and not at the mouth nor hand And therefore the word loue comprehends the most intire affection wey it well it is not a slender loue Loue. For first it imports a great affection in the heart and not a superficiall affection Secondly it imports such an affection as onely rests vpon the wife not a wandring lust for many esteeme any woman alike to them in filthy lust Thirdly this word imports an affection of loue that is holy and chast not a harlots loue If thou haue a harlots heart thou defilest thy selfe and thy wife both These are the three properties of this loue first it is a deepe loue in the heart Secondly it must rest only on thy wife And thirdly it must be chast Ephes 5. 25. Paul saith Husbands loue your wiues How shall ye loue them He saith As Christ loued his Church Albeit he cannot attaine to the greatnesse and quantitie of this loue yet keepe the qualitie of it How loues Christ the Church Vnspeakably O the chastnes of the loue of Christ that he keepes to his Church He loues his owne Church and he loues not an harlot Idolater She is set vp before him as a chast virgin Then take thy example of thy spouse Christ Looke how he loues thee after the same manner loue thou thy wife Whom should they loue Their owne proper wiues no strange woman cast not your fansie vpon them Ye know we are set to loue that that properly pertaines to vs but I say to you who are Husbands ye haue not such a property to any thing as to your wiues yea your heritage though you had a kingdome is not so properly yours as they are And therefore seeing it is naturall to euery man to loue his owne though it were so abiect why shouldest thou not loue that that is most proper to thee I see a kind of meeting here before he made men proper to their wiues now he makes the wiues proper to the husbands so that the man may say thou art my proper portion
for nought It is impossible that he who serues Christ can want a reward thou who caust serue Christ with many crosses it is the very way to bring thee to a kingdome So blessed is that feruant that serues Christ Iesus if thou get not this benefit to be a seruant in his house though it were to be but a porter for the vilest seruant that serues Christ shall get a hire euen a kingdome woe shall be to thee Therefore seeing now is the time to serue him shew your selues faithfull seruants to Iesus for when all vantage failes thee the Lord Iesus will be thine aduantage and therefore serue the Lord and thou shalt not want a reward And thou must not thinke that this rewarde comes vnto thee through merit it comes of grace for when thou hast done all that is commaunded thee say I am an vnprofitable seruant Luk. 17. 10. And so fie on the Papists that thinke their seruice shall merit such an hire as is the inheritance of heauen This reward comes of grace onely and of his faithfulnes that hath promised otherwise hell would be thy reward Therfore thou who lookes for a reward of thy seruice thinke thou art seruing Christ thinke againe thou shalt get a reward but beware of presumption to thinke this turne shall merit heauen No but the thing I doe shall not be the cause of my saluation no I am but an vnprofitable seruant and in the meane time looke for a reward of mercie and grace because he is a faithful Lord that hath promised thee a reward and in the end thou shalt get a kingdome purchased by the bloud of the Lord Iesus Now I come to the second argument to moue seruants to The second argument doe their dutie contained in the last verses of this chapter These seruants in old time were in hard condition for they were slaues liuing to the appetites of men bought sold beaten and slame at their pleasure for looke what power men had ouer beasts the like had they ouer their seruants Therefore these seruants might haue said there is a faire reward abiding vs but yet our present estate is intolerable wee are intreated as beasts and we sustaine great iniurie he meetes with this and in a word promiseth a iust amends and reuenge of the wrong done to them Let no man abuse his power ouer poore ones what euer wrong is done to them it shall be repayed So the lesson pertaining to the inferiour and opprest by the mightie ones in this world Masters and Lords especially is this Art thou a seruant doest thou well seruest thou the Lord Iesus Christ in thy seruice is thine eye set to please him thou shalt receiue the reward of thy weldoing that of an inheritance in heauen In well doing sufferest thou gettest thou wrong art thou opprest roughly handled with crueltie and seueritie The Apostle answers thou shalt haue an assisement beside the reward What wouldest thou haue The Lord shall oppresse them that oppresse thee This generally appertaines to all estates Doest thou well Thy reward shall be an eternal heritage In well doing sufferest thou wrong The Lord promiseth thee an assisement and an acquittance of them that doe thee wrong Brethren it is marueilous to see the care and regard the Lord hath to his owne if they were neuer so poore wormes that the great folke will not vouchsafe themselues once to looke to it would seeme enough that a poore seruant should get such an heritage howbeit his iniuries hee suffered were neuer reuenged Who would thinke otherwise O but the Apostle answers not after this manner It may suffice that you shall get a faire reward for the seruice ye doe as for the rest what matters it No but hee saith in effect as for the wrong done to you it shal be auenged So the Lord is not content to giue them a reward but for the wrong they suffer the Lord will be auenged on them that wrongs them if they were the greatest Monarchs in the world Howbeit thou wouldest forgiue them as Steuen did Act. 7. and say Lord lay not this to their charge yet the Lords iustice will not suffer thee vnreuenged the Lord shal take them that oppresse thee and throw them into hell if they continue impenitent yea it comes to passe oft times that oppressors of the poore and Church before they goe out of the world that the Lord in the sight of the poore and oppressed takes them and rents and riues them in such sort as they are compelled to pitie them O then how terrible is the iudgement that abides oppressors and abusers of their seruants whatsoeuer Well then there are two things well doing and suffering of wrong well doing shall receiue an inheritance suffering shall receiue a reuenge vengeance shall come vpon the oppressour So let none be wearie in well doing in this world nor be impatient in suffering for it is all but for a moment we doe and suffer in respect of that eternitie The second thing to bee marked is this Who is this that shall reuenge the cause of the poore seruants Hee saies not your masters haue masters aboue them as no doubt they had for all superiours haue Magistrates aboue them to take order with them if they doe wrong alas if hee had answered so it had been little comfort to them as they found by experience for they accepted of the persons of men they accounted of the master not of the seruant they permitted thē by their lawes to abuse their seruants The Apostle knew how slacke the Iustices are to reuenge the cause of seruants and therefore he promiseth no amends at their hands but at the hands of the Lord. So now speaking of reuenge he promiseth it not to come of the Magistrate but from the Lord for hee knew the Lord would not beguile him Ye may then see he hath trusted much to God and depending on him he promiseth much in his name What wouldest thou haue a reward a reuenge the Apostle promiseth both to thee but at the Lords hand The lesson then is the man that knowes God well and is well acquainted with his mercie with his iustice with his power and his wisedom it is wonderful what he will promise in his name flesh and bloud scarsely will beleeue it Note Againe a poore bodie and one opprest one that knowes not this when he heares of this it is wonderfull how he will swallow vp these promises nay thou neuer didst eate meate with such pleasure as this poore one will swallow them vp And I say a Pastor should not promise ought of God except he knew him thou that art an hearer if thou know him in his power iustice and the rest in despite of all the world thy heart will rest on him Therefore know him in Iesus Christ and pray night and day O Lord I lie in darknes let me see thee in Iesus Christ and the glorie that is in thee
nature of men they cannot beare superioritie make thee a King thou shalt be a slaue to thy affections So it is profitable to them to be threatned that they may keepe them within the bounds of their dutie And I say they that would euer giue them faire words they are but flatterers and if they would haue them wracked or vndone let them euer speake faire to them Therefore let the Gospell haue it owne freedome Binde men as yee will but binde not the word if thou binde the Gospell O the band thou shalt finde in that day Let euery man be contained within a dutie to other that we may be partakers of the eternall kingdome where there is onely true libertie in Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honor and glorie now and for euer Amen THE XXXV LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 2. 3. 4. 2 Continue in prayer watch in the same with thanke sgiuing 3 Praying for vs that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtterance to speake the mysterie of Christ wherfore I am also in bands 4 That I may vtter it as it becommeth me to speake WE heard brethren the last day as God gaue the grace certaine speciall precepts of manners that were directed to particular estates of men as to Husbands and Wiues Parents and Children Masters and Seruants now in this text we returne to the generall exhortations that generally concernes euery estate in this world whereof the first set downe here is concerning prayer which is a common dutie that euery one that is borne oweth to God in Iesus Christ To come to the words Continue in prayer be instant in Prayer a common dutie prayer pray continually all is one thing To speake of prayer because it is a common place I will not insist but only so farre as the text will furnish me for the matter is ample and therefore I will bound me within the text As for the causes and necessitie of praier I need not to speake much ye know the Lord giues a commaundement that we should pray and that in the name of Iesus Christ and if there were no more but this it is a Motiues to prayer cause sufficient to moue thee to pray The Lord commaunds thee But there is more to wit a promise the Lord hath promised 1. Charge 2. Promise to euery one that prayeth in faith Aske and ye shall receiue Luk. 11. c. this promise may allure the heart of euery one to pray There is yet more who is he that feeles not the necessitie 3. Necessitie and wants that be in euery one of vs so long as we liue who is he that hath so much that he needes no more Yea though he were a Monarch hath he such sufficiencie that he needs not to seeke more at God Besides this there be such riches plentie and aboundance in God through Iesus Christ that it is able to fill vp all the wants that be in vs. Therefore the very 4. Gods riches riches that be in him should driue vs to desire a portion of that fulnes which is in him But brethren to leaue this and to come to the words If there were no more but this that wee are commaunded to pray it is a sufficient argument to euery one to assure them that there is no merit in vs. Wee deserue nothing of God but all that wee get we get it of free mercie and grace and that in Iesus Christ If thou come on with a deseruing and a merit of thy righteousnes thou shalt neuer get mercie I seclude thee from God for what is praying but begging not of worthines but of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ And when thou hast done all say fie on my workes and aske mercie for that bloud of Iesus Christs sake In the text there be two qualities of prayer set downe The first is an instātnes without tyring The second is watchfulnes Two things in prayer first constancie secondly watchfulnes For he who praieth should not be a sleeper but watchfull both night and day To come then to the first hee saith Be instant perseuer continue all is one thing The thing that he requires is perseuerance ardentnes continuance I neede not to insist vpon the causes of this Needest thou not continually Findest thou not that there is not an houre wherein thou wantest not either things heauenly or earthly if thou wantest not earthly indeede it may be that thou knowest not the want of heauenly things but woe is that soule that findeth not the want of heauenly food and so if thou needest continually why should not thy prayer be continuall for it is prayer that supplies that want Moreouer there is none of you but ye finde this by experience God will not heare a man at the first but crie as thou wilt he will not seeme to heare he will seeme to haue a Luk. 18. 1. 2. 3 deafe eare and all to this end that thou shouldest perseuere in prayer For hee hath pleasure to trie thy patience faith and prayer which is the best exercise And so supposing that thou get not that that thou askest yet if thou get perseuerance Perseuerance Whatsoeuer thou gettest without prayer is but stolen and an argument of wrath thou gettest a greater gift then if thou hadst that that thou askedst at the first yea if thou get all the world without prayer for all is giuen in wrath if he should aduance thee to a kingdome it is but a bait to thy damnation except thou get a heart to pray and to continue in prayer Of all graces a spirituall grace is best a little bit of regeneration is better then all the kingdomes in the earth howbeit thou set light by it now yet when thou art driuen to the vtmost point or at the last gaspe thou wouldest giue all the world to haue a bit of it There is the first qualitie in prayer perseuerance The second is watchfulnes watching in it Watchfulnes is feruencie in prayer when not the bodie onely but when the soule and all the affections are waking and bent to heauen when the Spirit is instant with God in Iesus Christ It is opposed to this coldnes that ouergoes vs all Our prayer is in sleeping and when we are sleeping we are praying and so comes out a cold prayer out of a cold heart and it is opposed to this sluggishnes and deadnes in prayer with yawning and gaping halfe sleeping and halfe waking Alas our necessitie requires another earnestnes it stands vs in the losing of heauen and shutting of vs in hell and damnation The diuell stands to catch vs if wee could see our danger and when thou thinkest thou art most sure he is busiest about thee if thou knew this thou wouldest watch better and wouldest seek more feruently to God to keepe thee But alas all are so blinded and all are