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
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
Epistle chap. 2. 15. presently in the beginning of the fourth chapter with a graue obtestation vrgeth Timothie that in all these things hee would be earnest and vigilant saying I beseech thee therefore before the Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge the quicke and the dead in that his glorious appearance and in his kingdome preach the word be earnest in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine And afterwards vers 15. But watch thou in all things But what shall we thinke of these carelesse men that will not labour in any part much lesse in euery part carefully to discharge their dutie or those that thinke labouring now and then in some peece of their calling the same to bee more then a sufficient discharge of it before God or of othersome who as though their generall and particular vocation in the Ministerie and parts thereof were not troublesome and burthensome enough doe take and lay burthens vpon them in Magistracie in policie and I cannot tell what But wee leaue them to God to whom they must one day answere for al these corruptions and will goe forward in that which followeth which is the last verse both of this chapter and of the whole Epistle The salutation by the hand of me Paul After he had put down other mens salutations to the Church he doth in the last place mention his owne adding thereto that as he desireth them to be mindfull of his bands so he cannot but wish them all grace and goodnes from God Concerning this and such like salutations the Apostle vseth them for two speciall respects first to testifie vnto them his great care loue and good will that he caried to them being alwaies mindfull of them for good then to expresse the prayers and the wishes he made for them by which hee desired grace and all good things to bee vouchsafed vnto them for whom he prayed And concerning the salutation hee protesteth that hee wrote it with his owne Pauls care to preuent counterfeit writings hand and that to this end and purpose that it might be as a signe and seale with which he shut vp after his vsuall manner all his Epistles as he professeth 2. Thessal 3. 17. for it seemeth that Paul in writing of all his Epistles at the least in most of them did vse the helpe of a Scribe or Secretarie till such time as he came towards the end or shutting of them vp or as wee may say the greetings in the end but that hee wrote with his owne hand and that to this end that all might know by that his handwriting that it was Pauls owne Epistle and not one that was adulterous or foysted in in steed thereof For there were euen in the Apostles time some as appeareth 2. Thess 2. 2 who dissembling Pauls name spread many errors abroad and all for the corrupting of that sound and holesome doctrine which he had deliuered And should wee marueile at this seeing wee know that this is an old sleight of Satan to obtrude vnto the Church forged and bastardly writings in steede of true and all that he might corrupt the Church But as Satans malice was great herein so did Gods care and loue to his Church appeare in prouiding so for his Church that he hath by certaine infallible notes distinguished the writings of the Prophets and Apostles from all other writings of men whatsoeuer And though it be certaine that Pauls naturall and true Epistles be to be discerned from all bastardly and counterfeite ones by setting thereto his owne hand yet the authenticall Scriptures of God haue certaine other notes and marks more sure in my minde and the same also perpetuall As for example the diuine maiestie that shineth therein though otherwise the speech vsed in it be very simple and plaine Againe the heauenly puritie and sanctimonie that euery where is manifested in it the spiritual grace that appeareth therein as well in the words as in the matters thereof the certaintie of the things being before foretold and accomplished in their times the inward reuerence that is in mans heart towards them aboue all writings whatsoeuer with sundrie such like of Should be strong in vs to detest popish perswasiōs and Atheisticall opinions which we may not speake at this present Onely this wee are to know that if we feele this in truth and peace it will effectually arme vs against Papists Atheists and other corrupters some not onely deprauing the credit of the word and bringing in many bastardly writings besides to the end they might equall with or aduaunce their traditions before Gods word which is the sinne of the Romish Catholikes and othersome disgracing and discrediting the same that they might perswade men there is no heauen or hell God diuell word c. and prouoke them to liue as bruit beasts and these are Atheists but both lie vnder iudgement the first for their grosse superstition and idolatrie and the latter for their horrible blasphemie But to go from this point to some other following The Apostle addeth Remember my bands Before he come to put downe his wish or prayer for them he commendeth vnto them the memorie of his bands or imprisonment which he suffered for the defence of the Gospell And of this one precept Three respected in one precept there are many vses and that both as in regard of Paul himselfe the Colossians and others For it behoueth them in respect of Paul to thinke vpon them and him in them that so they might in earnest prayer commend him and the cause for which he suffered into Gods hand and that not onely for his owne sake that he might stand fast notwithstanding all his troubles but that the Gospell also might flourish more and more thereby And as in regard of themselues it was meete they should doe it not onely that by his example of patience they might bee the more incouraged valiantly and comfortably to beare all persecution for the truth of the Gospell but also for this that they commed him earnestly in their praiers to God and that not only for his owne cause but for the Gospels for which he was bound as appeareth both in the third verse of this present chapter and also Ephes 6. 19. And if we respect others we shal see there was good cause to moue them to doe this dutie and namely their testification of their care and loue for their brethren and their earnest desire for the glorie of God both which were much to be aduaunced in the Apostles patient carying of himselfe in his imprisonment and in his constant vndergoing and ouercomming of the same There remaineth the last words Grace be with you Wherein the good thing that he wisheth to the Colossians is grace Which word first signifieth the free fauour of God towards them in Christ next all spirituall blessings especially which What things are specially signified by the word grace from that free fauour proceede and flow to them that he loueth of which sort are forgiuenes of sinnes iustification sanctification and many others in this life and eternall glorification in that which is to come When hee saluted them in the beginning of this Epistle he wished this grace vnto them from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. And now in the latter end yea in the last words thereof he wisheth them not any other good thing then the very same grace neither indeede needeth he to pray for any other thing for them because he that hath this grace hath all goodnes Whence wee may see also that it is an vsuall and ordinarie thing with the Apostle almost in all his Epistles to begin with grace and to end with it as wee say From whence also wee may safely gather that nothing in this life more excellent and more to bee Nothing more excellent or more to be wished for thē grace desired can be giuen to any man then this great goodnes of Grace which as the Apostle signifieth in so praying for it as on the behalfe of the Church So Dauid doth not obscurely declare it when hee prayeth Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs Psal 4. shewing that that should be farre better then the increase of Corne Wine Oyle or all other worldly things whatsoeuer whereof also me thinketh we may render this reason For what can a man imagine that may be either profitable or necessarie to this life present or to that which is to come which wee haue not and enioy when once this grace is committed vnto vs in Christ The Apostle telleth vs 1. Timoth. 4. 8. that godlines is profitable to all things as which hath the promises of this life present and of that which is to come But from whence proceedeth godlines but from this grace Nay I will say more what good thing is there any Grace and opinion of mans merit cannot stand together where that in any case may steed vs that can come from any other cause or ground then frō this great grace Whereupon wee may conclude that the conceit of mans merit hath no place in procuring any good for vs from or before God The Apostle himselfe in this very Epistle and namely chap. 1. commendeth the Colostians for their faith and charitie towards all Saints But doth he for all that wish or pray that God would vouchsafe them a recompence or reward as due from God in the name of debt as wee would say for those fruites and workes of their charitie None at all neither is there any thing though neuer so small that he insinuateth that way either there or elsewhere in his writings Nay rather the thing that hee wisheth vnto them and prayeth for as on their behalfe is wholy and altogether grace that so wee might learne stedfastly and in euery respect wholy to depend of Gods grace and to ascribe all thereto that so in all the good things which are communicated to the Church and bestowed therevpon God might haue the praise and glorie of his owne grace through Christ Iesus Which to performe the Lord of his owne goodnes vouchsafe vs the grace for his deare Sonnes sake Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be ascribed and giuen all glorie and praise with strength and maiestie of all people and in all places but specially of and in the Church both now and for euer So be it FINIS
tenth verse of the last chapter to the end Moreouer as concerning Maister Rollocke and his workes because this is the first fruite of his labours published in the English tongue he was as may appeare by many testimonies a most reuerend and faithfull seruant of Iesus Christ His name is very pretious and great in all reformed Churches and Nations which haue receiued the Gospell of Christ His learned and holy Commentaries on the Prophecie of Daniel on the Gospell of Iohn on the Epistle to the Romans Ephesians Galathians Colossians Thessalonians with his other workes extant in the Latine tongue testifie aboundantly of his gifts and graces And least any should except against my iudgement Epistola in Tractar de vocatione efficac ad D. Iohnston which I confesse is but meane or nothing heare one to speake for all whose wisdome and learning is reuerenced of all the godly Churches I meane Maister BEZA concerning this mans workes He saith That his labours on the Epistle to the Romans and Ephesians be as a rich treasure sent from God to his people Next saith he without all flatterie be it spoken I haue neuer as yet read any thing written in this kinde more briefe more eloquent and more indicious And then he proceedeth saying When I had viewed his workes I could not containe my selfe but as I was bound I gaue God thankes for him reioycing for his blessing on the Churches This part of his workes I meane these Lectures on this Epistle they were first preached in the Scottish tongue not much differing from our speech specially in the North parts of this land but now they are published in the most common and vsuall English phrase for the comfort and edification I trust of all such as vnderstand not the Latine tongue in both kingdomes I could wish in mine heart that all Preachers in both Churches would learne of this man to Preach the Gospell of Christ who wanting neither wit nor learning to set forth his exercises yet respects he as the Apostle taught him neither excellency of words nor humane wisdome nor desires to sauour of any thing but of Iesus Christ and him crucified His continuall care is so to speake as that the spirituall power and grace of the 1. Cor. 2 1 2 3 4 5 6. Gospell might speake onely to the consciences of the hearers to worke in them and not himselfe by any perswasions of his learning and eloquence These workes are now published after his death so that he hath not performed what he could and would haue done if his owne hand had been last vpon them The Christian readers will therefore pardon I doubt not all faults louingly which haue past in this first impression And thus hauing commended this worke vnto thee recommend me and it vnto the protection and blessing of the Almightie in Christ Iesus Thine in Christ Iesus Henry Holland MAISTER ROLLOCKS LECTVRES VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians THE FIRST LECTVRE COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 1 2 3 4 5 6. 1 Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God and Timotheus our brother 2 To them which are at Colosse Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. 3 We giue thankes to God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ alwaies praying for you 4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Iesus and of your loue toward all Saints 5 For the hopes sake which is laid vp for you in heauen whereof ye haue heard before by the word of truth which is the Gospell 6 Which is come vnto you euen as it is vnto all the world and is fruitfull as it is also among you from the day that ye heard and truly knew the grace of God I Haue chosen brethren this Epistle which the Apostle Paul lying in bands at Rome wrote to the Church that was at Colosse euen for this cause chiefly because as you shall see in the deduction it sheweth all grace to be in Christ Iesus our Lord all wisdome knowledge mercy and whatsoeuer a sinfull creature standeth in need of is to be sought and found in Iesus Christ and nothing to be sought without him But to come to the purpose briefly the Colossians were so called of Colosse a towne in Phrygia in Asia the lesse whom Epaphras not an Apostle but an Euangelist inferior in ranke to an Apostle had conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ After him enters in certaine deceiuers to subuert the ground of faith which faithfully and truly Epaphras had laid mingling with the Gospell vaine Philosophie the rites of the Law of Moses voluntarie worshipping as it is called not content with the simplicitie of the Gospell In the meane time the Apostle lyeth at Rome in bandes he had neuer seene them nor been among them because they were not founded by him but by Epaphras who comes to him and communicateth to him the estate of the Church at Colosse how he had founded it and how false teachers had crept in Wherefore he desires the Apostle to write this Epistle to them to exhort them to stand to the true doctrine that Epaphras had taught them and not to beleeue the false teachers And this is the occasion of the writing of this epistle The Principall parts of it are these First the salutation of Parts of the Epistle the Apostle with Timothie to the Church of Colosse Secondly the preface wherein he indeuoureth to purchase the good will and attention of the Colossians Thirdly the doctrine it selfe short but exceeding effectuall of the Lord Iesus and his office as we shall heare hereafter Fourthly after the doctrine he comes to the exhortation exhorting the Colossians to constancie and perseuerance in the faith and doctrine of Iesus Christ Fiftly he admonisheth them to beware of false teachers these things are handled in the first two chapters Sixtly he commeth to certaine precepts partly generall partly particular Seuenthly he endeth his epistle with some salutations As touching this first chapter first we haue to obserue in it the salutation secondly the preface of the Epistle thirdly the doctrine fourthly the exhortation As for the salutation because it is common to the rest of his epistles therefore I shall passe through it briefly The persons that wish health and welfare to the Church of Colosse are first Paul the Apostle sent immediatly by Iesus Christ by the will of the Father first the will of the father goeth before then the sonne the Lord Iesus sendeth out this Apostle for he did nothing without the will of the Father The second person is Timothy a brother so he names him not an Apostle but an Euangelist and fellow labourer following Paul watering where he had planted for the office of euery Euangelist was to water where the Apostles before had planted and to build where they had laid the foundation of the true doctrine of Iesus Christ the Sauiour The persons vnto
them instantly Paul was oft on his knees praying Men wot not what it is to haue to doe with God I bowe my knees to God for you Ephes 3. 14. So learne of him that it is not enough to thanke God for the prosperous estate of his Church that is but an halfe dutie to thanke him but with the thanking of God thou must ioyne prayer for the continuance of the blessing of God vpon that person Church and Common-wealth for whome thou thankest God There is no man so perfect in happinesse or in any blessed estate whether it be spirituall or temporall but yet so long as he liues in the world he hath want there is a lacke euen in the greatest Emperor and King yea euen in temporall things And he that hath begun well will fall backe againe a hundreth times in a day yea hee will runne faster backeward then euer he went forward if the Lord withhold him not Therefore pray for him that he goe not backeward Then when he is going forward in the good course begun he may not stand still but he must run euer looking to the end There is no man so long as he liues that putteth an end to his course his course ends with his life Hath any man a life He is in the race he is in the way and iourney towards the But or as the Apostle calles it the price of the high calling of God Phil. 3. 14. In the progresse he is not able to go one foote forward except the Lord take him by the hand and leade him Therfore seeing there is no progresse to heauen without God his especiall grace nor thou art not able to lift thy foote without him with euery foote that thou liftest thanke God for his owne benefit and pray to God for the continuance and increase thereof Pray feruently for thy selfe and for those that thou wouldest haue to continue Thus much for the proposition Now followeth the declaration of that wherfore he thankes God he thanketh God for them but not without cause he saw matter of thankes giuing in them and a vaine thing it is to thanke God for that that is The matter of the thankes giuing not in a man What saw he in them We heare saith he of your faith first and then of your loue to al the Saints without exception It is not possible but if thou loue one Saint thou must loue all And if thou hatest one Saint as a Saint it will Loue to the Saints passe thy power to beare affection of loue to any so loue one and loue all otherwise thou canst not loue one Then he seeth matter in them wherefore hee thanketh God and it is for no earthly thing but that these Colossians were conquered to that kingdome of Christ It is better for thee to bee conquered to Christ then to conquer the whole world Then the spirituall matter of reioycing if thou wouldest reioyce congratulate and praise God standeth in spirituall graces if thou wouldest reioyce for thy friend looke if he haue spirituall graces looke if he haue faith and loue if he hath not To reioyce for friends these neither hast thou matter to reioyce for nor he if he had all the world away with all thy gratulation all his prayses and congratulations are as many curses if he want faith and charitie for there is no blessing where they are not Wot ye what faith is It ioynes thee with the head woe is thee that art seuered from him and if thou hadst all the world woe is that soule that is not ioyned with Christ and being ioyned with him then art thou fast The earth shall be shaken and the heauen passe away before thou shalt loose thy gripe and holde of Christ or he twine and part Who shall separate vs from the Faith apprehends Christ loue of God saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 24 there is faith and the vertues thereof What doth loue againe As faith maketh the vnion with the head so loue is the band that makes the communion with the Saints which you rehearse in your beleefe and if thou be not ioyned here with his Church there is no saluation for thee nor life thou shalt neuer see the life of Christ Then when wee see a man standing first in this vnion with Christ and secondly in this communion with the Saints we may say blessed is that soule for cursed are they that are not ioyned this way Conioyne thy selfe with the head and the members there is not a member of the body with whom thou ioynest thy selfe by this communion but so fast as thy heart cleaues to it so fast will it cleaue to thee againe Wherefore reioyceth Paul with the Colossians because they loued the Saints so he being a Saint his heart ioynes with them Thou art a cursed body when a man loues thee if thou will not loue him againe Wherefore was it that they had first this faith in Iesus Christ next this loue towards the Saints what gained they by faith and loue the Apostle saith For that hopes sake that is laide vp in heauen it is not for nothing there is a rich reward of faith and loue Faith and loue will get thee a fairer thing and richer reward then all the things in this world Fye vpon them they are but durt and doung onely see that thou haue faith and loue Sticke by these two and thou shall get thee a richer and more glorious thing then al the things of this world can be to thee You may learne thē it is the respect that a man hath to a rich reward and hope that is of the riches of glorie Ephes 1. and not of this peltry in the earth that makes a man to sticke with Christ and to haue a communion with the Saints Otherwise if thou haue not this to looke vnto and this respect to that ioyfull end fye on thee it is kept to thee Heb. 11. 26 well enough as Peter saith thou hast no more to doe but to hold thine eye vpon it if thou haue it not it shall passe thy power to keepe thee with Christ and to be ioyned with the Church militant for there shall come such iawes and billowes of temptation iaw vpon iaw and billowe vpon billowe that thou shalt perish But contrariwise holding thine eie Phil. 3. 20. euer wayting for the comming of thy Sauiour the Lord Iesus I confesse there be a thousand things to drawe it downe but if thou striue to holde it vp certainely thou shalt sticke fast with Christ and stand with the Saints of God but if thou carry thine eye from heauen like a moule or muddewart grountling on this earth thou shalt tyne and lose Christ and the vnion with his Saints Thou shalt lose thy life and that faire heritage and then wo is thee for euer more To come forward how got they their sight and knowledge of this life Note It is a looking to this life that must keepe
so now millions and great numbers are saued And whereas before it was but now one and then one that preased into the kingdome of heauen now they come in multitudes striuing and thrunging who should first enter into heauen Matth. 11. 12. For it is impossible that this light should be without life If thou take a pleasure in the light it is not possible that thou canst dye but if thou take no pleasure in it woe be to thee a double death The calling of the Gentiles shall befall thee Woe is to that man who dyes in the light of the Gospell without taking pleasure in the same Well it had been to thee that thou hadst dyed in darknes with the Gentiles for thy damnation shall be doubled Take therefore a pleasure in it and all the world shall not make thee to perish and that is that which Paul saith Sin raigned to death but grace raignes by righteousnes vnto life through the Lord Iesus Rom. 5. vers 21. But looke to the last words of the verse Vnto whom is the manifestation of the Gospell made Not to euerie one beguile not your selues for the Lord will not vouchsafe to manifest himselfe and grace in him to euery man but hee calles them his Saints to whom chiefly hee manifests himselfe Looke your books ye that scorne at the name of Saints if thou be nota Saint thou shalt neuer see heauen then this If thou be not a Saint thou shalt neuer see heauen manifestation is not made to euery man It is true brethren it is preached to all and all heare it it strikes in euery ones eares yet it is also true all men see not It is to many as the light of the Sunne is to a blinde man and the great multitude Simile gets no more good of it then a blind man gets consolation of the Sunne Who is it then that sees it None but the sanctified one that is none but they that are sanctified by the holy Spirit Nay no spirit no sanctification no sanctification no sight of God and so thou art no Saint but the diuell possesseth thee So none sees what this Gospell is but the sanctified ones and that man is he that hath gotten the spirit of Iesus to open the eye of his soule for it is the spirit of God that opens the soule to see what the Gospell of Christ is and what vertue comes with it when it comes If thou hadst the quickest spirit that can be if thou haue not the spirit of God thou shalt not see one whit in God because as it is the spirit of man that searcheth the spirit of man so it is the spirit of God that searcheth all things yea the most secret things of God 1. Cor. 2. 10. So none sees what the Gospell is and what it brings with it but such as are illuminated by the spirit of God Heare as long as thou wilt thou shalt a bide in blindnes till thou come to a desperate hardnes of heart if thou be not enlightened with the spirit of Iesus this is to be had in and by the Gospell Therefore brethren say euer Lord make me a Saint make me one of that number and make me to crie for the spirit of Iesus to sanctifie and Luk. 11. 9. 10. 15. enlighten me for otherwise thou shalt perish for want of the light of God Now to come to the next verse when he hath spoken of the Saints he insists vpon the reuelation of the mysterie made vnto them and hee sets it out in sundrie circumstances First hee sheweth who is y e Reuealer to wit God Secondly what cause moued him to make this reuelation to the Saints to wit his The reuelation or manifestation of the Gospell good pleasure towards them Thirdly what thing is reuealed to wit this mysterie And he termes it not simply a mysterie but he calles it the riches of his glorious mysterie and not that onely but the mysterie of Christ Fourthly among whom is it reuealed to wit not among the Iewes onely but among the Gentiles also through the world All tends to this to let vs see the glorie of the grace of God as it is said Ephe. 1. 6. So that this Gospell is shining bright and aboundantly in such a wonderfull great mercie that there is not a circumstance but it lets you see a wonderfull grace in God To come then to the first The reuealer of this mysterie is no other but God He was the author of the reuelation of this The first circumstance mysterie of the Gospell The Saints they begun not to see first but God first reuealed before they saw or could see yea they had neuer seene one glimse with their eye if God had not begun to reueale it no thou shalt neuer see any heauenly or spirituall Flesh and bloud can not teach vs spirituall things thing vnto the time it please the Lord to reueale it vnto thee Then in that hee is the beginner of grace herein appeares the more the glorie of his grace and the matter of praising of him but it staies not here We will come then to the next What moued him to reueale this mysterie to his Saints both of Iewes and Gentiles The Lord doth nothing rashly he hath The second circumstance euer good causes mouing him wherefore he doth this or that He is not like a vaine man that doth and vndoeth again and wots not what hee doth Saw hee any thing in these Saints to moue him Some Papist will say hee foresaw some merit in them O but the text saith that there was no such thing at all without himselfe which could moue him hee saw nothing I Nothing in the world did moue God to send Christ and his Gospell vnto vs but his owne loue and good pleasure say in the same or yet in the world which could moue him but his owne goodnes His good pleasure which was ere euer they were Saints is it that moued him to reueale this mysterie Then againe they were not Saints before the reuelation was made There is not a Saint before Christ be reuealed to them It is the sight of Christ that makes a man holy so there was neuer none holy but he that first gat that sight of Iesus the sight went before holines and holines followed vpon the reuelation because holines is the effect of the reuelation of the Gospell Then ye see that as the Lord is the beginner of the reuelation so it is not our deseruing but his owne good pleasure that moues him thereto The Lord of his good pleasure shewed himselfe to the world and no question this is spoken that thou shouldest euer glorie in God Alas would to God as we haue matter to glorifie God that we could answere to the thousand part of it Then to come to the third circumstance What is the thing The third circumstance that he hath reuealed He calles it a mysterie and
in him are hid all treasures of wisedome and knowledge therfore be not wise without him seeke not wisdome without him There are false teachers entred in that make you thinke there is wisedome without him but I say vnto you if you would not be deceiued seeke no wisedome without him for in him is the treasure of all wisedome and knowledge There is the force of the argument briefly Now marke the order of the Apostle Before hee exhorted them that they should not be deceiued by the inticing of mens words and doctrine and hee laies out the reason taken from the treasure and riches of wisdome and knowledge that is in Christ So the Apostle to the Hebrues 13. 8. being about to exhort them that they should not be carried about with sundrie and strange doctrine hee laies downe this ground Christ is today and yesterday c. therfore be not carried away from him As if hee would say there was neuer saluation without him from the beginning of the world and there shall be no saluation without him to the end thereof therefore sticke to him This order teacheth vs this lesson that after wee haue let men see what is in Christ after we haue opened as it were and laid abroad before the eyes of the world all that store of wisedome and knowledge that is in him then it is time to exhort men to leaue all their doctrine and vanitie and inticing words of men and to sticke by this Christ in whom there is such wisedome and knowledge For brethren you must vnderstand men if they see not true wisedome they will drinke in vanitie the heart must be filled with The heart must be filled vvith something something if thou see not the truth thou must drinke in lyes And more when thou hast begun to receiue the truth as these Colossians did except that truth be opened and laid before thy eyes as it were to be seene what is in it and what is the meaning and true sense of the same except this Gospell I say be continually taught O vaine man thou wilt goe to the puddle of mens fancies thou wilt fall againe to mens doctrine The preaching of the Gospell must be cōtinued traditions and vanitie thou wilt be a Papist yea and an Atheist to And therefore there is nothing more needfull then this that these riches of Christ be laid out before our eyes and euer tolde to vs that in Christ is all wisdome and knowledge I aske what is the cause that this miserable world all men and all nations for the most part be so drunke in mens dreames what is the Popes doctrine but dreames and poyson drinke it in thou shalt be poysoned with it I tell thee because these false deceiuers close vp the Gospell and swaddle vp Christ in the swaddle bands this is the cause that these poore soules see no better and therefore they are led to damnation blindfolded O miserable bodies these foule spirits send out their poyson to dampne the world withall as alas the greatest part of Europe this day can tell But to sticke to the words The Apostle saith I speake this least any man should beguile you with inticing words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are set out in faire flattring talke Then ye see here he opposeth to all the treasures of Christ inticing words to wisedome he opposeth flattring words There is no wisedome without Christ all is plaine sophistrie as it is called in the Schooles Then in a word all wisdome being in Christ if thou y t wilt be wise without him seeke thy wisedome where thou wilt runne to Rome runne here and there to the Iesuites to get wisedome out of them thou shalt be filled with dreames thou shalt finde nothing but sophistrie thou shalt not meete with wisedome All that thou shalt see and finde shall be but inticing words And what wilt thou winne by this He saith that ye be not deceiued and tooke in a grin Thou shalt be taken in a grin as a beast if thou seeke ought without him Alas brethren when I remember Antichrist and his wofully deceiue soules this miserable world it is a pitie to see how it is abused by these traitors and deceiuers of mens soules O that damnation and iudgement that shall fall on that cursed kingdome of Antichrist For I assure you this world for the greatest part are taken in the grins by Antichrist and so reserued to iudgement And the more miserable are they that are in the grin of Antichrist that they thinke that they are in sweete bands for the end shall let ye see how bitter the bands were let them now be to thee as sweete as they will thou shalt finde in the end that of all bands in this world they are the worst To goe forward He hath vttered a great care to the Colossians whom hee neuer saw nor knew Therefore they might haue said what care is this thou hast of vs thou neuer sawst vs nor we thee He meetes with this in the next words O ye Colossians saith he though I be absent from you in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit Then ye see the Saints the true members of Christ they haue a sight and knowledge of others that the world knowes not of This world and naturall men that haue Iudgement and loue of the world concerning other men not the spirit of Iesus thinke that none can reach out to the worlds end and can haue knowledge of another nor any care ouer him if he see him not with his bodily eye but al is vaine For a spirituall man will send his soule to the end of the world and vpon this hee will vtter his care vnto him by his exhortation And this is a token of a greater thing euen of this ioyning of the godly together that one day they shal be together soule and bodie If thou haue a heart and care with the Church of God thou shalt raigne with her in heauen for euer And in deede if thou haue not this it is a venture if euer thou raigne with her Now when he hath set downe this spirituall presence with them he subioynes the effect of it reioycing saith he there is the effect of that spirituall presence his soule was with them Spirituall presence of the faithfull one with another and with ioy hee reioyced to see them So this presence spiritual whē the heart of the faithfull is with others it is no fantacie as a vaine head will thinke but I say thou hadst neuer such ioy as the faithfull will haue with others in a spirituall presence Thou neuer knewest this ioy that hast not this spiritual presence And brethren it is euen with the Church as it is with Christ 1. Pet. 1. 8. he saith you haue not seene Christ with your eyes yet beleeuing in him who is farre from vs in his bodily presence and louing him howbeit he be away ye reioyce with a ioy that is
doe promise thee if thou doe it thou shalt haue the bitternes of thy nature taken away otherwise thou shalt neuer possesse a contented heart What a death this was he expresseth when he saith which were dead in sinnes there is the first cause of this death sinnes and trespasses that is all the actuall sinnes of their life all the foule thoughts of their heart all the prophane words of their mouth all vnruly actions of their hands all these be vnderstood vnder this word sinnes in the plurall number Then brethren this word importeth first the kinde of this death Death in sinne that man lieth in before he be in Christ it is not the death of the bodie In the bodie thou wilt seeme to be quicke enough when as thou art but dead but this death it is the death of the spirit it is the death of the soule for when thou goest on in sinne thou doest nothing else but stick and goare thy soule and besides in the end thou wilt slay the bodie also so as if thou continue in it it shall neuer leaue thee till it slay both soule and bodie for euermore Thou maist be a wanton harlot and a cruell murtherer but yet take thy delights howsoeuer thou wilt promise thy selfe as great assurance of life comfort and ioyes as thou canst imagine yet thy perseuerance in sinne shall slay thee with death in this world and in that to come For the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 28. Then this cause of death importeth not onely that this death is spirituall but also it importeth that it is a death exceeding fore and withall the dissoluing of this very bodie into powder and ashes Death in generall is nothing els but the depriuing of life A mā is said to be dead when he wanteth life Now these sinnes which he speaketh of here doe depriue thee of the quickest and sweetest life that euer was and what a life is it that sinne depriueth thee of euen the life of God the best life that is or can be Woe is thee that euer thou gottest life in the bodie if thou want this life of God that thou maist liue with Iesus Christ for euer Yea woe is thee for euermore that thou sawest either Sunne or Moone if thou want the life of God in Iesus Christ and there is nothing but sinne that can depriue thee of it And further it not onely bereaueth thee of life but it maketh thee guiltie of eternall death both in soule and bodie Thou hast these two Tvvo aduantages sinners haue by sinne aduantages delight in sinne as thou wilt sinne ruling in any man so long as hee liueth without Iesus Christ remission of sinnes and sanctification it excludeth the life of God from him and more then this it holdeth him poore miserable wretch vnder the guiltines of euerlasting death for euer You will aske how can a man be dead in sinnes Is he not liuely in actions is hee not counted the gallantest fellow in all the Realme and the liueliest that is the greatest swaggerer that can commit most euill Is hee not counted the liueliest that is the greatest murtherer I answere thee the quicker hee is in murthering in adulterie and such like the more is hee dead because first he wants the life of God And further all these are but dead actions dead workes comming from a dead man and they are as it were a stinking sauour from a filthie carrion so these men trimme them vp as you wil they are but stinking carrions O thou murtherer thou defilest the heauens the earth and the ayre O thou harlot thou defilest all the house and the bed thou liest in Thou oppressour thou defilest all the world though thou werst an Earle a Duke or a King thou art a dead stinking carrion worse then a dead dogge To come to the next words he ascendeth to a higher ground of this death and he saith they were dead not onely in actuall sinnes but they were dead in a sort of sinne that did cleaue faster and neerer to their ribbes You were dead saith he in the vncircumcision of your flesh that is in your originall sinne Hee setteth downe this by an allusion of the foreskinne the Gentiles vncircumcision was a signe of their originall sinne which Originall sinne was inherent in them as circumcision was a signe of the taking away of the same Then the cause of thy death in bodie and soule is not onely these actions that passe away as when thou hast murthered the action goeth away although the guilt remaine for the action that passeth it leaueth vpon thy backe a guilt which shall bring downe damnation vpon thee The cause I say of thy death in bodie and soule is not only in these fleeting actions but the grounded cause of it is original sinne the sinne conceiued in thy mothers wombe Thou art borne in sinne and it sticketh fast to thee and therefore it must follow that seeing the cause is a sticking and biding cause the death must also be abiding death I called it before a sore death now I call it an abiding death that greatly encreaseth the miserie You know that a disease naturall that commeth of any vitiositie of nature as of the birth so many as haue that disease it doth still accompanie their bodie It may wel be that they get it mitigated but they cannot fully clense it They may procure a relenting of it but neuer be able to take it away And therefore this death hauing the ground in that foule feede that thou art conceiued in by the generation of all thy forebeers it will passe the power of the world to get it away No the Angels of heauen will not bee able to relieue thee of it nothing will free thee of it but grace which is contrarie to that corruption of nature You know the prouerbe That which is bred in the bone wil hardly be driuen out of the flesh It therefore thou wouldest be cured of this rooted euill thou must crie for grace and say Lord send thy spirit of grace into my heart to rid me of this corruption of nature It thou crie not for this night and day yea and finde it in some measure working in thee thou shalt neuer be relieued Crie therefore and say Lord I was conceiued dead I was borne dead I A good prayer am euery way dead send thy spirit of free grace and free me of this death that so sore setleth vpon me that I may once enioy that life of Iesus Crie this way night and day and all thy time and then I assure thee thou shalt finde deliuerance and shalt taste how sweet the life of Iesus is And this for their former estate which is miserable being out of Christ Iesus Now followeth the estate in Christ He hath quickened you that is the father hath put life in you It is a quickening when death is expelled and life commeth in his place but what a life is it
Gods children and of Christs and to haue place in heauen if thou be not borne anew againe by the spirit and water as saith Ioh. 1. Epist 5. 6. And so much for the second effect of the strong power of God Now followeth the third effect in quickening of the Iewes The third effect of Gods power there must be something supplied in the text And vs that is the Iewes so I shall stand vpon these words where he saith he hath put out the hand writing Note The order whereby the Gentiles were quickened was the remission of their sinnes but the order whereby the Iewes are quickened is otherwise before euer they gate life there must be an hand writing blotted out and if we looke to it the Iewes were more bound to death then the Gentiles because they had subscribed to their death and that publikely in the face of the world But to come to the words We haue to marke these things first who is this that blotteth out and scrapeth away this hand writing Secondly what is meant by the blotting out Thirdly what is the thing that is blotted out Fourthly wherefore serued this hand writing he telleth it was against them it serued to their condemnation I shall goe through these foure as time shall serue As for him that is the blotter out his name is not expressed it is Iesus Christ the sonne of God for I see here that which I noted Foure points in the 14. verse in the first chapter the person is changed he said it is God the Father that quickened the Gentiles now he changeth the person There is no fault in this for that that the Father doth the Sonne doth To let you see that all is common to the Father and to the Sonne The Father worketh and I worke saith Christ Ioh. 5. 17. Then what is meant by this blotting out The word in the originall signifieth a perfect scraping out as it were of an obligation so that there remaineth not behinde any memorie of that that is scraped out there rests not one letter or tittle vnscraped out Then Christ Iesus is made a Chauncellor of the Father to cancell to blot out at his pleasure and as hee pleaseth Hee hath rent the obligation and drawne lines through it so thou that wouldest haue thy obligation cancelled get thee to him for wee haue bound our selues to him Thirdly what is that that is blotted out The handwriting standing in ordinances that is in rites and ceremonies Then it is the ceremonies or rites that be blotted out which was an obligation of the Iewes subscribed with their owne hands Now wherfore serueth it He saith it was against vs not for vs it did vs no good but euill It bound and tyed vs to death and sealed vp to vs the guiltines of death and damnation He exempteth not himselfe from this death hee subscribeth it with his owne deede To make this plaine the Iew in vsing of circumcision he protested hee had originall sinne and so was guiltie of damnation in vsing of these washings he protested and proclaimed hee was all filthie and so guiltie of the curse of the law and so subscribed to his owne death How the Iewes in the vse of the ceremoniall law proclaimed their owne guiltines and death And last of all in sacrificing hee protested hee was sinfull and that he had deserued that death which the innocent beast sustained for his cause and therefore guiltie of iudgement and damnation and so subscribed to his owne death Brethren this was marueilous the rites and ceremonies were figures of Christ and serued to leade them to Iesus Christ to see that bloud of Iesus in a figure which washeth away the sinnes of the world How is it then a handwriting against them I answer it is true if their ceremonies be taken as figures of Christ they were no handwriting against them if they had an eye to the bodie that is Christ and sought not life in the ceremonies but in the thing figured But brethren take them from Christ take washings and sacrifices as a kinde of religion without Hovv the ceremonies vvere an handwriting against the Ievves Christ all was but a handwriting against them And whatsoeuer Iew he was that looked not to Christ in his Circumcision in his washing and rubbings and in sacrificing that Iew perished and all his doings was but the subscribing to his owne death Now to come to the Apostle hee taketh the ceremonies as separate from Christ and so they were a handwriting against them He was a rare Iew that vsed them with respect to Christ but the multitude tooke them as a religion without Christ and therefore the greater multitude perished And so I say that outward ceremonies cannot saue vs. In comming to the Church thinke not to get life except thy heart pearce into Christ Iesus all thy outward worshipping shall not helpe thee but shall be an obligation to thy owne condemnation as the outward Ceremonies of the Iewes were to them a handwriting against them to their owne destruction And if thou abuse these Ceremonies which we haue in religion in preaching Spirituall vvorship praying and outward meeting I assure thee thou shalt not escape the iudgement of God And therefore beware and neuer content thy selfe with the outward worshipping fie on it all if thou haue not an inward worshipping in thy heart Againe I see no man that goeth to hell but before hee goe hee subscribeth to his owne death I subscribe with my owne hand that I am worthie of death The obligation passeth against thee either secretly or openly in thy owne conscience and then thy mouth shall be closed and the Lord shall cast thy handwriting before thee and shall say Seest thou not thy owne handting knowest thou not that thou subscribedst this And if thou werst an Emperour thou shalt keepe thy mouth close then and goe from him with howling and scritching And therefore neuer rest as thou wouldest haue life till thou get that handwriting taken away Thou wouldest be busie to get that handwriting taken away which thou seest and knowest will doe thee euill here and that may trouble thee in thy person goods or lands fie on thee that shouldest be so busied about trifles and vanities and forgettest to take away this fearfull handwriting which if it stand vntaken away may doe and shall doe thee more harme then the losse of this whole world can doe Seeke therefore continually night and day to haue this handwriting of thy sinne and guiltines taken away as thou wouldest stand with ioy in the presence of thy maker at that day To whom with the Sonne and holy Spirit be all honor for euer Amen THE EIGHTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians beginning at the midst of the 14. verse COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 14. 15. 14 Which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse 15 And hath spoyled the
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
heard The third and last is lying speaking when we speake not the truth to our brother but thinke one thing and speake another with the mouth That is as euill a vice as was yet any Now then brethren because this sinne of lying is so common and naturall to man and woman for all men are lyars saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 4. by nature The diuell began it and in the fall of man he spued that venome into him so that al men naturally from the beginning are lyars Therefore we will speake to you of lying howbeit not so amply as it would require yet for your satisfaction to open to you the greatnes of this sin and to begin at the word To lie it signifieth to take the meaning of the word to speak The sinne of lying one thing and thinke another in the minde It is a variance and disagreement betwixt the minde and the mouth Alas all should goe together The minde of God and his mouth goeth together and if thou be reformed to this image all will go together in thee also Now this variance proceedeth of a disagreement First it goeth asunder within the man The minde shewing the truth the will repining Now you must vnderstand that the tongue is chiefly commaunded by thy will and the disordred appetite of man and not by reason for if reason ruled it it would not speake so much wrong as it doth The second thing that wee should obserue is this To lie to speake one thing and thinke another is a sinne against God Supposing there were no more euill that followed it and that thou iniurest no bodie yet that same contradiction betwixt the minde and the tongue is a sinne against God and thou iniurest God himselfe by thy lie There is nothing then more vnbeseeming a Christian man and that is more vnworthie of the Lord Iesus then is lying For what saith he of himselfe I am the truth Ioh. 14. 6. and wilt thou then be a liar looke how thou agreest with Christ But brethren there is yet more in a lie to wit the end and respect that the lyar hath before him when he lieth and by this hee maketh the sinne the greater for this is most sure all lies are to deceiue Thou that liest to thy brother thou wilt deceiue him and oftentimes the end of thy lie is either to hurt him in his bodie or goods and substance And therefore the Apostle saith Lie not against him to hurt him Yet there is more Supposing a liar be not set to hurt his brother but to profit him As for example when a Phisition will say to the patient the medicine is sweete when it is bitter when thou art set thus way to profit him as thou profitest his bodie thou hurtest the minde for there is no wrong information but it hurteth the minde if thou make me to beleeue that that is not hurtest not thou my minde But brethren to goe forward Supposing the lyar hurt not his brother by his lie neither in bodie or goods nor minde neither one way or other yet it commeth backe to thine owne hurt Let profit come to thy neighbor as it will by thy lie yet thou hurtest thy selfe and that is a simple aduantage to pleasure any with thine own hurt and especially to displease God with the pleasuring of thy neighbour if there were no more but this thou shouldest not lie If thou get an habite to lie thou canst not speake one true word and if thou speake the truth thou wilt Simile mingle it so with fallehood that scarsely canst thou be beleeued and that is a foule fault Ye see this by experience Well then euill custome is euill And besides this thou losest thy credit amongmen howbeit at times thou speake the truth For this is true Quisemel malus semper praesumitur malus He that is once euill it may be presumed he is euer the same But what mattereth this Know yee not that a lyar procureth the wrath of God Among the rest whom God hateth Salomon saith in his Prouerbs The Lord hateth a lyar To conclude a lie of whatsoeuer sort is a sin against God yet y t ye may vnderstand this better ye shall know there are sundry sorts of lying One is pernitious tending to the hurt of thy neighbour The second is an officious lie for the good of thy brother and the third is a merrie lie for the delectation of thy brother There is none of these but they are euill howbeit they be not alike That lie that serueth to the good of thy brother is a sinne to thee and again to deliuer thy brother with a lie it is a greater sin but the pernitious lie is the greatest of all Now all commeth to this all is sin Would ye haue me insist in probation If there were no more but the commaundement Thou shalt beare no false witnes it may serue for this commaundement teacheth thee that all sorts of lies are euill in their owne nature And Paul to the Romanes chap. 3. vers 7. 8. Doe no euill saith he that good may come of it This telleth thee that that is That which is euill in his owne nature can neuer be good euill of it owne nature and forbidden by Gods commaundement that thing will neuer be made good by any circumstance in the world lay to it the sweetest salue thou wilt it will neuer be good yea if it were to saue the life of thy brother if thou lie it will not be good to thee yea though thou were able to alter the nature of a lie it is a sinne and it is a follie to thinke that the pretence of a good end will make an euill thing of it owne nature to be good Augustine saith If wee looke not simply to the nature of the action as to the end then the euill may haue a defence Therefore saith he looke euer to the action put all other things aside if it be not good say not that that action is good how beit the best thing in the world should follow it it will euer abide a sinne Further if there were no more but this naturall conscience in man it telleth thee that all sorts of lies are euill I appose thine owne conscience if thou hast any Thou wilt not so soone lie but thy conscience will admonish thee and will say to thee Thou hast sinned Brethren there is no man that will seeme to lie and confesse it but he will be ashamed of it What meaneth this but that the cōscience telleth them it is a sin Look to the children they will blush when they are challenged with a lie What is the cause of this but that the conscience sheweth them they haue sinned Ye see that a man thinketh he cannot haue a greater iniurie done to him then to say to him hee lieth This telleth him that there is a conscience within him that abhorreth a lie and that it is vnworthie of the nature of man
that all the Angels cannot get him off No all the drawings of the world shall not pull him off except Iesus come in and put to his hand and pul him off He onely is sufficient to doe that turne he hath taken it away if thou beleeue in him It is easie to thee to pull off thy skinne but thou shalt not be able to pull off this sinne This for the word of putting off Now what is it they haue put off Seeing ye haue put off the old man What is meant by this old man Not to insist in this matter by this old man is vnderstood this corruption this canker this infection this pestilence that cleaueth so fast to Originall sinne the soule and bodie of man the which we haue sucked out of the rotten loynes of old Adam and euen commeth downe to vs through so many fathers so many hundreth thousand fathers vntill it light vpon vs it hath that force Note And look how old Adam is this old man is as old and therefore not without good cause is he called the old man and being so old this old man that we beare about by nature no wonder though he be wrinkly faced for he was neuer well fauoured But now being so old O the wrinkles that are in his face if thy conscience were wakened to see that old face of him it is the terriblest face that euer thou sawest it would amaze thee if thou were the ablest y t euer went on two legs if thou saw that old face thou wouldest bee cast downe for the wrath of God is in his face it would feare thee Seeing then thou hast put him off put off this cankred corruption hold him off put him not on againe But what more is meant by this old man not onely this corruption and infection of nature but also by him is meant his whole actions and what are they the foule thoughts within the foule speeches that ye heare the foule actions that ye see For howbeit he is an old man yea as old as Adam yet he runneth on me and thee and euery one of vs hath a skarre of him for all his age he sleepeth not yea when thou art most idle hee is busie Sleepe as thou wilt if he bee in thee if it were in thy dreame he will be busie and when thy mouth is closed he will be in thy affections so he neuer sitteth idle An old man as he draweth to age he loseth actiuitie but this old man the elder he groweth the more actiue is he I tell thee if he be not slaine if thou were neuer so dead in thy old age he shall be the quicker An aged man that hath not this old man mortified is the worst man that euer is For it is a sure thing this old man the elder he be he is the more actiue I say a great word to you Euery one of vs that is come of Adam and so farre from him by so long a descent there is not one of vs but wee are wickeder then Adam was Thinkest thou that he was the greatest sinner No was originall sinne so great in him no it is greater in thee for the old man the longer he liue hee is the worse Ye see now that there is more euill in a young one that is crept out of the shell then was wont to bee in an old man The sonne is worse then the father so that this old man groweth worse and worse and this wickednesse telleth vs that he raigneth in this land and sheweth that there is no mortification of him And therefore hee hath dominion Yet I see another thing the old man and his actions are euer together If he abide with thee the actions be with thee if he goe from thee the actions will goe from thee Therefore call not thy selfe a Christian man if thou be not renued by that spirit of Iesus And if an euill wicked deed be in thy hand and filthie speaking be in thy mouth I say to thee that thou art the old man yet and hee sticketh in thy ribbes and thou and hee will die together Therefore take heede to thy actions and striue to liue holily there is no better warrant to thy conscience that the old man is dead within thee then when thou feelest thy selfe well exercised As by the contrarie if thou commit sinne with pleasure alas thou hast no part of sanctification the old man as yet liueth within thee Now this for the first part of regeneration The second part followeth And seeing saith he ye haue put on the new Then brethren after the putting off of the old man and his soule actions there must be a putting on thou must not stand vp naked thou must be vncloathed of one thing and thou must be cloathed with another Thou must be cloathed with righteousnes euen with Iesus Christ the Lord. The Lord must be the vpper garment and thou must be sprinkled ouer with the bloud of Iesus otherwise no appearing for thee in that day Secondly thou must be cloathed with inherent holines and righteousnes for whosoeuer is counted iust must Inherent holines be in some measure sanctified in his owne person For as it is said in the Hebrues chap. 12. vers 14. without holines no man shall see God if thou wert the King if thou haue not this holines thou darest not looke on the face of God But to come to the words Ye haue put on The words are borrowed And therefore as the old man was a kinde of cloathing so is the new man a kinde of cloathing And as the old man was neere thee so this new man must be neere thee hee must goe thorough thy skinne and come to thy heart and cloathe it yet hee is a cloathing and as hee is a cloathing he is not of thy substance Away then with that essentiall holines for holines is accidentall Essentiall holines and howbeit it be not of thy substance yet it sticketh so fast to thy substance that all this world will not separate thee and it The difference then betweene the old man and the new is this the old man may be put off but the new man once put on truly cannot be put off againe thou shalt neuer lose him againe The grace of Christ is vnchangeable and the gifts of God are without repentance Rom. chap. 11. vers 10. It neuer repenteth God that he hath giuen thee the grace of repentance and renouation if thou be once truly renued Seeing saith he ye haue put on the new man What is meant by this new man As the old man is the corruption of nature sucked out of the rotten stocke of Adam by a naturall propagation euen so this new man is the vncorruption 1. Cor. 5. or that holines drawne out not of Adam nor of father nor mother but out of Iesus the greene tree not by a naturall propagation but by a gracious insition and ingrafting into Iesus For as thou suckedst corruption
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
shadow and it shall disappoynt thee of thy proceedings Would to God that men could consider this To goe forward Walke wisely Toward whom Toward them that are without that is without that bodie of Iesus Christ that are straungers from that folde such as were the Gentiles in those daies for all the Colossians were not conuerted at that Eph. 2. 12 time This is the estate of this world there are some within and domestickes in the house of God through Iesus Christ and there are some without as straungers that want the faith of Iesus as yet This is the diuision of the whole world For the Church of God is compared to a citie that is placed in the middest of a naughtie and crooked generation within this The Church like a citie are the faithfull at the least they that professe the faith without are the faithlesse They that are within are as many lights holding out the light of life and they that are without are in darknes without Christ aliants from the Common-wealth of Israel without the life of God yea without God This is their miserie Woe is them that are without Now wisedome should be vsed in respect of both but especially in respect of the straungers and that for sundrie causes First in respect of the enemies themselues that wee giue not them iust offence to abide out of the Church for who delights to see men keepe away from Christ And I protest I wish that those men that haue gone back that they creepe in againe into the Church of God Our walking with wisedome should be that we giue them not iust offence to keepe backe Next it should be in respect of our selues Thou that hast adoe with prophane men beware of thy selfe forthou that wilt eate and drinke with them and make merchandise with them to speake with them I will assure thee they are able to make thee prophane Beware then there are some that care not what company they haunt Companie well knowes thou of what mettall thou art thy bodie is no more readie to receiue the pestilence and to be infected with Note it then thy soule is to receiue the pestilence of idolatrie and sinne Woe worth euill companie as many haue said at the place of their execution Be not deceiued saith the Apostle euill speeches corrupt good manners 1. Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 15. vers 33. T he third is in respect of this Gospell that the enemie that is readie to blaspeme the Gospell get no occasion to speake euill of it that should be our chiefe respect Make much of this glorious Gospell account of the mysterie of Iesus Christ esteeme it the most precious pearle that euer was For I shall tell you what they are doing thy eye is not so vpon others as their eye is vpon thee to marke thy doings seeking occasion to disgrace thee and through thy sides to smite Christ in blaspheming his Gospell To goe forward This wisedome here commended stands especially in taking opportunitie of well doing when it is offered And therefore the Apostle makes mention of this circumstance that he that would be wise should take the opportunitie He is neuer to be accounted wise who when God offers the occasion misseth the opportunitie and he is the wise man that takes the opportunitie when it is offered For the Lord in that counsell as he hath ordained things to be done so hee hath prescribed the opportunitie and time when each thing should be done Nay if it were but a straw or a haire to fall to the ground hee hath appoynted the time of it Behold the prouidence of God for as he hath ordained the action so hath he prescribed the time of the action in such sort that if men lose the time to doe well and speake well they shall lose Take time when it is offered their turne for let time goe by thee then adiew thou shalt neuer lay hold of it againe Time is painted with a balde hinder part of the head thou canst not draw it backe againe All the Kings of the world haue no power to bring time once past backe againe The worldly wise men consider this when opportunitie is offered O how they wil take hold of occasion and will condemne themselues if they let it slip If this be the wisedome of the world what should be our wisedome for this houre wherein I am speaking is the acceptable time wherein Iesus Christ is offered It is the day of grace and so long as you heare this saluation vnderstand it It is the time of grace therfore lay hold of this time let not an houre escape you and when thou hearest this Gospel take hold of grace and let thy prayer be ardent Mercie is offered Lord giue me the hand to receiue mercie Now brethren this day is passing it is going so they who would be saued let them take hold of grace this day for it will not alwaies be with you And be assured when it shall goe away many shall perish and if it goe away many in Scotland shall goe to hell Therefore foreslow not your time apprehend grace while it may be had Now brethren it is hard to get this season for it is sayd in the Epistle to the Ephes chap. 5. vers 16. that the daies are euill and euill daies will stand vp betwixt thee and this time of grace therefore saith he redeeme the time It will not come to thy hand but many impediments shall stand vp betwixt thee and it yea death it selfe therefore thou must redeeme it The word is borowed from Merchants who when they see opportunitie of merchandise they will goe speedily to it and let all other things goe to get their gaines of it Euen so a good Christian man and woman when they see occasion of well doing they must hazard and if it were their life to get a grip of that occasion And I say rather then wee should lose this occasion of the Gospell if it were to the losse of our life wee should not be slouthfull in it What should we lose thereby nay nothing but we shall be restored a thousand folde So the good Christian will bee busie and vigilant to redeeme the time and will buy the first occasion to doe well because it is not at his hands Paul saith there is a doore opened to me c. but there be many impediments so if thou be a merchant in Christs cause thou shalt neuer repent thee buy the occasion to glorifie God if it were with thy life This lieth not in the hand of flesh and bloud but it must come of God Paul saith be partakers of afflictions c. And seeing it lieth not in thy hand to buy this occasion but that it must come of God therefore be earnest to seeke power of him Now the Lorde strengthen vs in these dangerous daies and grant vs grace to keepe this time and occasion of the Gospell that we hold vp the light of it
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
come and take vp the bodie and so sinne is not a light thing Seeing then it is so hard to slay these affections continue in slaying them and thinke it not enough thou hast giuen sinne a wound to day and so leaue off I tell thee it will slay thee if thou slay not it daily and hourely For that is it Paul saith Rom. chap. 7. vers 18. 19. A wanton girle and a wanton fellow they thinke they are liuing but I say there is not a sparke of life in them and well were they that they had not that life Therefore continue in slaying of sinne or else thou shalt be slaine of sinne and the life of lifes shall be taken from thee Ye that haue bin occupied in slaying of others slay your selues and your affections But how shall ye slay your affection It lieth not in thy hand to doe it there is no vertue in thee thou canst not slay one affection I will tell thee The meanes are two the first is faith in Iesus and in his death that is the death of Iesus apprehended by faith draw him as greedily Two means to kill sin to thee as thou suckest sinne It is the vertue of the crosse of Iesus that slayeth sinne and thy foule affections so that if thou haue not faith in him and his death thou shalt neuer be Gal. 6. 14. 15. able to slay sinne in thee nor to mortifie one foule affection The other meane to slay sinne and foule affections is the spirit of Iesus that accompanieth the crosse of Iesus take away the crosse of Iesus no spirit Then this spirit comming into thy heart it falleth to and putteth his hand in that sinne which is within thee and killeth it by little and little for as hee is a quickening spirit so hee is a slaying spirit of sinne So Christs crosse embraced by faith then his spirit they are the meanes to slay sinne in thee Then thou hast no more to doe but by faith to entertaine that crosse of Christ and his spirit for woe Rom. 8. 2. 3. 4. is that heart that is without the spirit of Christ But how shall this be I tell thee faith is by hearing heare the Gospell then for if thou take no pleasure in the Gospell faith Christ and his spirit shall goe from thee Besides these two there are other godly exercises profitable to the same purpose continuall prayer for that is the exercise that God delighteth in Meanes to come by to increase saith earnest exercising of the workes of charitie if thou leaue off these exercises thou shalt lose Christ and his spirit and shalt grow in sinne and then thou shalt be cast into damnation for euer Gods iudgement shall light on thy necke and shall crush thee downe to hell and thy sinne both This for the word mortifying The next is what should wee mortifie Hee saith not thy neighbour no no but hee saith mortifie thy cancred affection that moueth thee to slay thy neighbour slay thy selfe that is that masse of sinne that is within thee and cut off from thy bodie euery vncleane thing and slay euery member thereof and leaue not so much as thy little finger vnslaine By the mēbers Members of sinne I vnderstand the foule affections in thy heart which run thorough the whole bodie and fill the eye with pride with adulterie with wrath and crueltie in such sort that the very looke of the eye is defiled and will runne to vncleannes The hand is defiled and runneth to bloud the foote is defiled and hasteth to murther yea thy foule affections in the heart they will come to the tongue and imploy it all in their seruice so that thou maist perceiue what a sinne lieth in thy heart that infecteth all the members Therefore this is the exhortation of the Apostle slay the foule affections in thy members if it be in thy eye plucke it away that is plucke away that foule affection in thy eye for better it is for thee to bee crooked and blinde then to be cast into hell and there to curse thy hand and feete and all the members of thy bodie euerlastingly Now then of this briefly Ye see how farre sinne spreadeth in man and woman it is not content to occupie one part onely of man it will not be content with thy soule but it runneth through all It leaueth not one part free but filleth al the parts of man and woman Therefore mortification must not bee in one part it must not be in the soule onely but as farre as sin Mortification in all parts reacheth so farre must thy mortification reach Then begin at thy heart and next come to the outward members of the bodie for it auaileth nothing to haue a faire counterfaite face without if thou haue a foule heart within Yet the stile is to be noted that he giueth the members he calleth them earthly not heauenly All these foule affections are called earthly because in themselues they are grosse and earthly and their obiects are earthly And what matter brethren if these affections were made of the best part of the earth they are made of the dirt of the earth of these ofscourings of the dirt that thou wouldest lothe to look to Note Indeed there are some that be of the good earth as eating drinking and sleeping c. therefore are lawfull being sanctified but as for these affections of harlotrie of concupiscence of murther of couetousnes they are vnlawful and vncleane wilt thou then foster them No mortifie them slay them and cut them away Christ came not to make thy harlotrie cleane to thee no no thou lies in thy throate cut it away therefore otherwise thou and it both shal perish This for the generall Now I come to the particular members Because the large dispute vpon the particulars fitteth not for this time onely I will speake so farre as serueth for the purpose of this text Hee beginneth first at fornication Then hee commeth to vncleannesse Thirdly to inordinate passions Fourthly to euill concupiscence And fiftly he commeth to auarice and he would haue all these cut away Now to prosecute euery one of these The first is fornication harlotrie when whores and harlots go together Paul to the Romanes chap. 1. vers 24. and Ephes chap. 5. vers 5. when hee counteth out the vices of the Gentiles hee beginneth alwaies at harlotrie and fornication and then from that hee commeth to other vices In the first to the Corinthians chap. 6. he insisteth more largely Fornication in condemning of that sinne then commonly yee shall finde him to doe in any other vice and hee vseth for the condemning of it fiue or sixe arguments What meaneth this constant doing in condemning this vice The spirit doth it not in vaine no not one word commeth from that holie spirit in vaine I shall tel you the cause This sinne was a sinne common among the Gentiles and they thought it no sinne they
thought it a thing indifferent that might be done without any fault they were come to that reprobate sense that nature condemneth Therefore the Apostle to let them see that this was a sinne and one of the first when he reckoneth the sinnes of the Gentiles he nameth fornication first to be the ring-leader to the rest and the more they extenuate it the more the spirit aggrauateth it The more thou shalt extenuate any sinne the more the spirit of God shall aggrauate it to thy conscience Wilt thou say murther which now is so rife is no sinne The Lord will say to thee it is a sinne and a huge great sinne if thou do not amend it thou shalt neuer inherit the kingdome of heauen Therefore wee learne that these sinnes the world accounteth least of the Lord accounteth most of and thou shouldest account most of them and in condemning of them thou shouldest insist This harlotry is euer conioyned with prophanenes Thou that takest pleasure to defile thine owne bodie thou growest a prophane bodie and so thou art ready to be drawne to al mischiefe for thou art left of God Heb. chap. 12. vers 16. Let no man be a harlot or a prophane person as Esau was meaning hereby that a harlot is a prophane dogge readie to be polluted with all vice But to come to the next vice It followeth Vncleannes Harlotrie is one sort of vncleannes But now hee subioyneth all manner of vncleannes And from the lesse member which is harlotrie he goeth to the greater This teacheth vs that we are full of filthines For if this vncleannes in all manner of waies were not in vs the Apostle would not bid vs mortifie the generall vice that is in vs and so though thou were come of a King thy nature is full of filth and vncleannes No the sow was neuer Greater filthines cōmitted by man then by a beast so vncleane as thou art by nature A sow hath not the filth of sinne but thou hast There was neuer beast that will fall into such filthines as man will doe wilt thou reade histories yea the Scriptures thou shalt finde greater filthines committed by man then by any beast This thing and that will make thee loathe but if thou hadst an eye to see thy sin thou wouldest loathe it more then all the filthines in the world The second thing that we learne here is this It is not enough to mortifie one sort of vncleannes In case thou be a drunkard it is not enough to mortifie that sinne in case thou be an harlot it is not enough for thee to mortifie this howbeit it be well done to do it but thou must passe from one sinne to another and neuer leaue it aliue in thee but mortifie them all slay all cut all away for I assure thee one vncleanenes will cause thee die it will cause thee goe to hell The Germanes thinke that drunkennes is no sinne but I say it is and it is enough to cause thee die as a sicknes will cause thee die if thou mend it not so one sinne will cause thee die if thou repent not Now to go to the next member He calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an vnruly Vnruly affection affection what euer it be Here it is taken for a raging lust that setteth a man on fire 1. Cor. chap. 7. vers 9. So yet I send you to nature looke what stuffe it is made of There is a fire in nature of foule lust that will burne thee to death and in the end put thee in hell if it be not mortified May ye not see this by experience when ye see that which is fit for y e a bating and quenching of lust cannot quench it but he will runne and mingle himselfe with harlots these harlots testifie of this fire Looke to the adulterer there is a fire Yet more then that when this fire hath burnt vp all the moysture of the bodie and wasted all yet it burneth in the heart Ye shall see this in filthie aged men when the bodie is decrepit yet the fire of this lust will be burning still in the heart and it looseth the tongue to filthines fie on thee it becommeth not an old man to speak foule filthie talke This is one thing I marke another thing by subioyning firie lust to vncleannes It teacheth vs that among all vices we should take heed of it This burning lost is not the least we should put out that fire first for I tell thee if thou let it burne all the things in the world will not quench it Thou must get the water of the spirit of Christ to quench it Therfore crie for that water or els thou and it both will burne in hell for euer When he hath spoken of this he goeth to euill concupiscence It is not one filthie affection but all filthie affections and euery kinde of them which are many in number Euill concupiscence that he will haue mortified Thinkest thou there be no more but vncleannes and burning lust in thee Yea although they were taken away yet thou art full of other affections This letteth thee see yet how foule thy nature is The Papist saith we aggrauate the filth of nature ouer much Ah filthie creature thou hast not felt the stinke of nature and therefore thou art Stinke of nature the worst teacher of nature I say to thee the filth of nature cannot be spoken of sufficiently enough yea an Angell can not paint out sufficiently the mysterie of sinne and the filthines of thy nature And therefore the Apostle teacheth vs to enlarge our mortification when thou hast mortified one sin two sins three sinnes yea many sins think alwaies there are more behinde when thou hast mortified all these former sins yet auarice is behinde suppose thou shouldest quit thy selfe of them all yet if thou be auaritious it shall cause thee die thou shalt not inherit heauen Then as there is no end of sinne so let there be no end of mortification of sinne There are more members of sinne within thee then there are members of thy bodie and therefore be slaying one And here I end crauing of him who is able to slay this filthines of nature to graunt his holy spirit and faith in Iesus Christ to that effect To whom with the Father be all honour and thanks for euer Amen THE XXV LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians beginning at the end of the fift verse COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 5. 6. 7. 5 And couetousnes which is Idolatrie 6 For the which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience 7 Wherein ye also walked once when ye liued in them YE haue heard brethren the first exhortation the Apostle maketh to the Colossians in this chapter was that they should seeke the things aboue The second exhortation was that they should be wise in them And wee haue entred into the third exhortation the last day which is that