of heauenly inheritance of the Saints thou must come creeping to that communion of Saints be ioyned with them here if thou mind to haue any part with them in heauen separate thy selfe from that societie of the Church of God thou shalt be debard from heauen thou shalt neuer get a sight of it Looke the epistle to the Ephesians where he sheweth wherein the riches of the glorie of this inheritance is Where is it he saith it is among the Saints Ephes 1. 18. So then associate thy selfe to the society of the Saints in earth Men may passe their time and what reckon they of a Church It smelles in their nose what should they speake of it it is a stinking word mockage and scorne to them but I say glad shalt thou be to be of that number or else I shall debarre thee from all societie of the Saints in heauen Thou shalt be excommunicated out of heauen if thou excommunicate thy selfe here from the Saints Now where lies it you take heed where your heritage lyes and you will looke to your charters and euidences diligently for that cause you will looke the scituation of it Hee saith that this heritage of the saints is in the light there is the place a lightsome and a ioyful pleasant place The line of pleasant places saith Dauid Psalm 16. 6. is fallen to me It lyeth then in the light it is in heauen as Peter saith in his first Epistle 1. 4. It is kept and laid vp where God dwelleth it may well content thee to dwell where God himselfe dwelles Yet where is it Thy life is hid with God saith he O then thy heritage is in God! what can bee said more A faire heritage lying in so faire a light euen in heauen with God and in God I see then all our life and ioy either in this life or in the life to come is in that light of knowledge in that spirituall knowledge so that a man that hath his minde inlightened to see as the Apostle saith to the Ephesians the hope of his calling the riches of the glorie of the inheritance of the Saints the man that hath this light he liues and enioyes a great inheritance howbeit he hath neuer an ynch in this earth and his ioy is a true ioy And againe a man that is in darknesse not seeing the face of God in no measure knowing nothing that man liuing hee is dead if hee were an Emperor a King and a Lord. This countrie is full of dead stinking carrions because they want this light and they would pull out their eyes that they should not see this light But woe to them in the end when this darknesse shall bring an vtter darknesse when thou shalt be a dead stinking dog in hell Get thou this light if euer thou wouldest see heauen and haue a part of it which is not in darkenesse but in the light of God To whom we giue all honour praise and dominion for euer Amen THE FOVRTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 13 14 15. 13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne 14 In whom we haue redemption through his bloud that is the forgiuenes of sinnes 15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creature THe last day welbeloued brethren the preface of this epistle being ended we entred into the doctrine The Apostle in his doctrine begins at the first grace that a man or woman getteth in this world in Iesus Christ The first grace or blessing of God in time after they are borne into the world for our grace mercie begins before all time ere we be borne our election began before the foundation of the world was laid but the Apostle begins at y e first grace in time the first grace in Iesus Christ for all is in him nothing without him is this christian calling from darkenesse to light frō that foule puddle of sinne wherein we lye by birth and nature nay if thou wert borne a king thou liest in the foule puddle of sinne we are taken out of hell for our birth is in hell and to hell we goe if we haue no more but nature Thou art taken out of hell and put into heauē there is the first grace in time Now to come to the text ye heard y e father he getteth the first glorie of our calling Thanking saith he the father He is the fountaine Then we heard wherein the calling consisteth not in a bare naming as one man would call another but the Lord in calling vs maketh vs meete of vnsufficient for heauen he makes vs sufficient of vnable he makes vs able of dead men he maketh vs liuely that is the effectualnes of our calling Then we heard whereunto we are called Our calling is not in vaine we are called to a lot a fairer heritage then all the kingdomes of the world nay y e poorest soule is called to be an heire of heauē Such as are called are called to the kingdome of heauen all other heritages are but dirt and draffe And who oweth this kingdom It is the kingdom of y e Saints It is distributed among the Saints and if thou be not a holy one and in their societie thou shalt neuer see that heritage laugh at them so much as euer thou wilt Where lieth this heritage To wit in the light of God thou neuer sawest such a light It lieth in God for God is thy light and thy life and if thou be an heire of this kingdome thy life is hid with God in Christ To goe forward yet the Apostle insisteth in this first blessing of our effectuall calling and maketh it more plaine in this verse His words are who hath raught vs out that is the force of the word From whence From the power of darknes What more And he translated vs. Whereto To the kingdome What kingdome Of his sonne the sonne of his loue his deere sonne the Lord Iesus Now brethren it is cleere but I shall briefly insist on the words to let you see the force and power of euery word for they are of weight For the words that speake of heauenly things are not the words of men Then the word he hath puld vs out with a force or strength with a constraining I hold it not a simple deliuerie Then look to thy calling It begins at haling of thee Thou art so fast holdē bound whē thou art called that if thou beest not pulled out with a strong hand thou wilt neuer come out and that Christ himselfe saith No man commeth to me no not one except the father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. Thou wilt neuer see heauen if thou be not drawne So our calling must begin at our drawing all the powers in the earth will not draw thee to heauē if the hand of the Lord draw thee not To goe forward He hath drawne vs out
ye see the bodie accomplisheth the person of a man the head will not make a man but the bodie ioyned with the head makes vp a man euen so the Church fils vp the whole man Christ made of the head the Lord Iesus himselfe and of the bodie This for the words If this point of the glorie of Christ be weighed that he is the head of the Church it is a high point of glorie The Lord hath greater glorie by this that hee is the head of the Church of the godly and holy ones men and Angels then by that that he is the Dominator ouer all creatures ouer the diuell and all the multitude of reprobates And as it is high so it is in communicable no not the Angels gets this honour to be called the head of the Church Let be stinking flesh wilt thou set vp a Pope and call him the head of the Church A plaine derogation of Christs honour Thou wilt come out with a ministeriall head in the Church Away with thee and thy ministeriall head both there is no such thing Looke the whole Scripture No ministerial head in Scripture through thou shalt reade of a Minister in the Church but thou shalt neuer reade a word of a ministeriall head or Vicar of Christ But would you know how he comes to this glorie Yea to speake it so before hee came to this glorie there was much adoe and great stirre and busines in heauen and earth and a great hardnes The Pope he will start vp to it at the first dash before Christ came to this glorie heauen and earth was moued with a wonderfull motion before hee was exalted to it he was wonderfully humbled If you will make a comparison it was an easie thing to be the image of the inuisible God to haue created all things and to preserue them all was easie but when he comes to this there must be a great change this sonne of God is humbled and his glorie is wonderfully obscured Reade Philip. 2. 6. 7. and there you shall see the whole manner of it Iesus saith he was in the forme of God and hee thought it no robberie to be equall with God yet hee is not the head of the Church what doth he then The Apostle saith he emptieth himselfe of his owne glorie he makes himselfe of no reputation How doth hee that In taking on him the shape of a seruant What an humbling is this to clothe himselfe with the forme of an abiect seruant Thou thinkest it nothing but surelie it a wonderful matter if ye consider it rightly so then there is a wide step a strange step that he steppeth downe from his glorie wherein hee stood equall with the Father Yet he goes another step downward being found in the habite of a man he to whom all other creatures giues obedience of his owne will becomes obedient to his father Wherein stands this obedience not in doing only but in dying What death The death of the Crosse an execrable death the bitterest death that euer was nay neuer man died so bitter a death as Christ died All the death of men and Angels is not comparable to that death of Iesus Christ that he died for the redemption of sinfull man There is his humiliation Looke now to his exaltation Therefore saith the Apostle the father raised him vp to a wonderfull highnes and gaue him a name aboue all names that at his name all knees should bow In the Epistle to the Ephesians 1. 20. 21. the degrees of his glorie are set downe first he raised him from death secondly he hath set him at the right hand of his father that is he hath giuen him all power of heauen and earth and he declares this power Then he turnes to the Church in particular and calles him head of the Church for he could not haue been the head except hee had had flesh and bloud Trowest thou that thou canst come to that honour to bee a member of his bodie before thou bee humbled first No no thou must answere in proportion to him in his humilitie otherwise thou shalt neuer bee partaker of his glorie This for the sixt part of the description of the Lord Iesus in the which marke this as before wee heard many grounds of redemption made by his bloud so in this point of the glorie of Christ there is another ground of our redemption As thy Redeemer is the image of God the creator of all things and so foorth as you heard him defined before so thy Redeemer he is the glorious head of the Church yea he is thy owne head and thou art a member of him so thou seest not onely a glorious Redeemer but a sib a kinsman redeemer Therefore precious must that bloud be and of necessitie if thou beleeue in this bloud thou must be redeemed To goe forward Here followes the seuenth part of his description and the seuenth point of his glorie The beginning and the first begotten of the dead Yee heard he was called the first borne of all creatures because he was before them all and not for that onely was he called so but because he gaue the being to all creatures All creatures were created by vertue of him and by participation of that being that is in him for the first borne in the families of old communicated the speciall blessings to their brethren euen so Christ because he communicates to the rest of his creatures such speciall blessings as pleaseth best his wisedome he is called the first borne of many brethren Now he is called the first borne of the dead because he was the first that rose from the dead for there was neuer man that died that rose before the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 15. 20. He is called the first fruits of them that sleepe because that al y t shall rise they shall rise by vertue of his resurrection Then what will you haue He was the beginning of the creation now he is the beginning of the resurrection of the dead Then all mercie and glorie must come out of him No creation without him no resurrection without him If you will consider this it is a great matter when he had created man man by his fall lost the creation nay by thy fall in Adam thou hast lost thy creation and as thou wast made of nothing so by this fall of Adam thou turnest to nothing and well were that man that is out of Christ if he were turned into nothing No no he shall not be turned to nothing but he shall be turned to worse then nothing So man by his fall lost his creation and death seased vpon him and leaues him not till he turnes him into dust and powder And if Iesus comes not in now after that man hath lost his creation he would neuer be a creature againe Therefore the second benefit which is greater then the first is that my bodie shall rise againe so in comes Iesus Christ and that creature that was brought
the father to the world and that in loue There is nothing in this new band but mercie vpon mercie mercie in the beginning mercie in the progresse and mercie in the end Indeede it is not without iustice and wrath but thou art spared and the iustice and wrath it strikes on the Mediatour so that that is iustice and wrath in the Mediatour it is mercie and grace to thee Nay he hath not spared his owne sonne yet he hath spared the stinking sinner Wilt not thou be thankfull for this benefit Well if there be not a sense of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ looke not for heauen I warne thee that art a King an Earle a Lord a Baron a subiect man wife lasse and lad if ye haue not a sense of this mercie of God in Iesus Christ ye shall neuer see heauen Now to come to the last circumstance after what manner is this reconciliation made with sinfull man The manner is set downe in these words making peace by his bloud shed on the crosse The father reconciles vs to himselfe after this manner by making peace with vs in the bloud of Christ Brethren when two men are at variance the third man will step in and intreate the person that is at variance with the other to be friends with him and he will obtaine it especially if he be an intire man But O that sonne of God! that deere and that welbeloued when he comes in it is not faire words it is not supplications that will doe the turne but him it behooued to go to suffer death and that dead stroke of hell that should haue lighted on me and thee and should haue brused vs euerlastingly he casts in his head and that stroke lights on him It cannot be holdē off thee by no other buckler but by his head and bloud shedding without bloud no remission Heb. 9. nay nay either shall thy bloud passe for it or els the bloud of the Mediatour O it is a terrible thing to haue to doe with the wrath of an infinite God! there is nothing can satisfie him but the precious bloud of his own deere sonne and no other death can satisfie him but a cursed death the death of the crosse a painfull death to be nailed quicke to a crosse It was the figure of the death of hell He was pained vpon the crosse with the paines of hell If he could not escape such a death who was an innocent how wilt thou who art a sinner escape that terrible death O what death shall abide thee if thou be not in him These words then teach vs two things first the greatnes of the enmitie that could not be remoued but by the bloud and execrable death of the Mediatour For if this enmitie had bin but a sillie and small feude what needed all this that the sonne of God should dye such a death Wherefore should all this adoe haue been wherefore should he haue suffered such extremitie So if there were no more to tell thee the greatnes of sin the death and the bloud of Iesus Christ shed on the crosse tels thee O sinne is great and yet the world will not heare it but the soule stinking sinner will wallow in it more and more O sinner sinne is foule and fearefull An euill thought is a great and terrible mountaine The first world had experience of this greatnes of sinne being without Christ Our Gentles in Scotland with the rest felt it I tell thee before this bloud came and the full time came there was nothing to hold off the dint of the wrath and stroke of God that that world found before the comming of Christ What was it a small matter to be an enemie to God was it a light thing to sinne No no for all that time before Christs comming for the greatest part God was doing no other thing but striking and hashing on sinners slaying her and slaying him Sinne raigned all the time to death saith Paul Rom. 5. in the end all perished and went to hell for the most part except some very few And I tell you this world thinkes there is no hell and very few get this grace for so long as that olde Tabernacle stoode few got entrie to grace So they miserable soules that lie now in torment they testifie and crie the horriblenes of sinne and O the preciousnes of the bloud that hath freed now the soules of men from sinne Now when he came into the world I put it out of question The calling of the Gentiles increased the number whereas one was saued before hundreds were saued after For Christ saith for once the bloud was shed men and women thronged into heauen Matth. 11. So all tels thee the blessednes of thy estate that hath fallen in this time If thou hadst any sense if thou wert sent out naked to begge thy meate thou art happie considering this time wherein thou art borne O the happines of this time when the bloud of Christ runnes abroad as a riuer to saue sinners but wee are blinded and as I said before that number is drawne in and beginning to be abridged and the force of the bloud is drawne in and begun to bee lessened and the force of faith is nothing now in respect of the former time of the Primitiue Church and daies of the Apostles and therefore as it began with a handfull so it shall end with a very handfull and blessed is that man that can striue to throng into heauen through this bloud of Iesus Now the Lord worke this in our hearts that as wee seeke for the kingdome of heauen so we may throng in at it through this bloud of Iesus To whom be praise and honour Amen THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 21 22. 21 And you which were in times past strangers and enemies because your mindes were set in euill workes hath he now also reconciled 22 In that bodie of his flesh through death to make you holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight THese daies past beloued in Iesus Christ wee haue heard a high description of the Sonne of God the Lord Iesus in the which he is painted out in a marueilous glorie In the last part of this description ye heard it was said that by him as the Mediatour it pleased the Father to reconcile to himselfe all things both in heauen and earth making the peace by the bloud of his crosse In the which words the Apostle turnes ouer vpon the whole Church that hee hath spoken of the sonne of God For all his glorie tends to the weale of his Church all to the reconciling of the Church with God the head in him as the Mediatour Now brethren in this text that we haue read vers 21. he applies this blessing of reconciliation to the Church of the Colossians in speciall And you also saith he hath he reconciled In the which words as before he turneth ouer
this and therefore cannot say much Euen here he hath two names the one Hebrue that is Iesus the other Latin that is Iustus Both his names imply and signifie good things by which also it should seeme he was a good man But because we haue no more certaintie of his life and qualities this shall be sufficient that hath been generally spoken Now it followeth to see what the Apostle saith of all these together These onely are my workefellowes vnto the kingdome of God which haue been vnto my consolation This is a general commendation of them and in it concerning them he affirmeth two things The first that they were fellow-labourers or workmen with him in aduauncing the kingdome of God they all ioyning hearts and hands together in setting forward that excellent A good thing when faithfull men ioyne together in well doing worke The second and it doth in part proceed from the former namely that they were no small comfort vnto him meaning thereby not onely as in regard of aduauncing the worke of the ministerie but also yeelding him sound consolation in his imprisonment and bands and that made me to say before in part proceeding from the former By the kingdome of God in this place omitting the diuers acceptions of the word in the Scriptures specially of the New Testament is meant the glorious Gospell of Christ by which as it were by What is meant by the kingdome of God a standerd lifted vp God gathereth a Church vnto himselfe and thereby manifesteth to men a meanes whereby they may haue entrance into the said Church yea by which he guideth and gouerneth both the Church it selfe and all those that are gathered thereinto the Gospell seruing not onely to begin and beget faith and a good conscience but to hold men on in the same and to cause them to grow therein And yet this double commendation of them is amplified by these words in the text that these were they alone of the Circumcision who holpe him in promoting Christs kingdome at Rome and did much comfort him as before hath bin shewed And that word onely would be marked because that from it we may probably conclude either that Peter was neuer at Rome at all or else that if he were there he was not so good and faithfull a head to Peter not at Rome the Church nor so comfortable a companion to his fellow Apostle as the Romane Catholikes do make him For if he were at any time at Rome I would faine know what time we should rather thinke him to haue been at Rome then a little before that time which they themselues assigne to his passion or suffering there which in their owne opinion is the very selfesame time in which this Epistle was written they affirming that both Peter and Paul suffered and were crucified at Rome in one and the selfesame yeere But it appeareth by this which is said here that Peter was not then at Rome when from thence he wrote this Epistle And besides how can it be credible that if hee had been then at Rome hee should not haue furthered Paul in aduauncing Christs kingdome or should not haue yeelded him comfort in his bands To say or thinke the first is at the least to make him a dissembler of his religion or a denier of Christ as once he had done before but they hold that after he had receiued the holie Ghost he was freed from all error specially in faith though they forget his fall mentioned in the Galathians remember not that if that intituled him into not erring the rest of the Apostles had as great a priuiledge that way as he because they al equally receiued the spirit And to affirme the other is to make him vncharitable and to note him to be a forsaker of the brethren and not a fellow sufferer with them in their bands and afflictions So that whilest they goe about to bring him to Rome they haue spunne a fayre threed in that they pull vpon him and by consequent vpon themselues these inconueniences at the least But the truth is hee was not there And for the further strongthening of vs therein we are to be perswaded that if he had been there the Apostle who is so carefull yea so curious as it were both in this and other Epistles of his written from Rome mentioning so many men of meane note in the Church and the names of so many faithfull teachers also as then were present with him there and yet maketh no mention at all of Peter whom yet notwithstanding in another place he calleth the Pillar of the Church Galath 2. vers 9. But to leaue this and to proceed to another point In that the Apostle is so carefull to giue charge and order touching Marke and the receiuing of him we may see first that Marke was a good man and so learne by that who should be deare and precious vnto vs euen the Saints that are vpon the Whom Gods people should most affect earth as the Prophet saith Psal 16. and find in our selues thereby the true note that wee are sound members of the Church militant and therfore shall be gathered to the Church triumphant in that a vile person is despised in our eyes but wee make much of them that feare the Lord Psal 15. But the world is quite and cleane contrarie for it loueth her owne and hateth the godly So that wee may say as the Prophet saith He that frameth himselfe vnto righteousnesse maketh himselfe a pray And surely if it bee a great sinne to condemne the generation of the iust then it cannot but be a transgression also not to commend and esteeme the godly for besides that God accounteth the fauours done to them as done to himselfe and on the other side reckoneth the indignities offered them as accomplished against his own Maiesty the very graces y t he hath shed abroad into their hearts should make vs to esteeme thē So that if we would not behold their persons yet we shuld acknowledge his mercies graces in thē and accordingly reuerence and regard thē Secondly in this act of Paul what great care diligence the Primitiue Church had in giuing testimonies vnto men No doubt the cause mouing them thereto was many seducers and false brethren went abroad and they To whom the Church should veeld testimonie would not willingly haue had the godly and faithfull deceiued by them which sinne no doubt they might the more easily haue fallen into if the Church had not kept this good course in yeelding faithfull testimonie to the holie professors yea preachers it may bee of Christs Gospell It there were at this day the like diligence and care amongst such Christians as dwell in diuers regions and parts of the world or amongst them that liue in one and the selfesame kingdome countrey and Church these vagrant men that so much runne vp and downe from place to place and from countrey to countrey and trauaile so sore
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
difference betwixt the Father and the Sonne The Father when he reconciles vs he neuer changeth nor alters his condition he sits still in that maiestie on his throne of glorie keeping that kingly maiestie of his What doth he He humbles his sonne for be assured that thy reconciliation could not be purchased but by the humbling of God not in God must be humbled before thou couldest be reconciled vnto him the person of the father but in the person of the sonne and therefore the sonne he leaues his throne and steps down from it to reconcile vs to his father and comes downe here to the earth and as it is said in the Philip. 2. 7. He abased himselfe by taking vnto him a vile flesh howbeit it be cleane without sin yet it is vile in respect of that glorious maiestie he takes on him the shape of a seruant What more In that flesh he becomes obedient to his father that sits still on the throne to the death And what a death to the death of the crosse So there is the difference The father wrought it not altring his maiestie and glorie but the sonne wrought it altring his maiestie and that so obediently that the Angels wonders at it yea they can neuer wonder enough to see that glorious maiestie of the sonne of God so humbled as he was Now howbeit it differeth in the The father as mercifull as the son manner yet the father and the sonne are equall in mercie The father is as mercifull as the sonne and the sonne is as mercifull as the father they are equall in glorie in this worke the father gets as great glorie in this worke as the sonne and the sonne gets as great glorie as the father Now to the father and the sonne be all honour glorie and praise for euer and euer Amen Before brethren when he spake of the reconciliation in generall ye heard the whole Church in generall was reconciled by this bloud and death of Iesus Christ Now ye heare that this particular Church at Colosse is said to be reconciled by this same bloud and death Yea more I say not onely this a particular Church as for example the Church of this towne Euery one of gods elect reconciled by the bloud of Christ Christs eye set vpon euery particular person reconciled by that bloud and death of Christ but there is no man or woman that is chosen but they are redeemed by that bloud And this is a true saying when the Lord died on the crosse and shed his bloud his eye was not onely in generall spread abroad throughout the whole earth but distinctly set vpon euery particular person It was set vpon this same Church of Colosse and vpon this Church of Edenborough as certainly as euer it was on any that was present at his death Howbeit it was not a Church at that time yet his eye was set vpon it and he said in his heart I will die for the Church of Colosse and for the Church of Edenborough Yea his eye was set vpon euery particular bodie yea vpon the poorest elect lad or lasse now presently liuing or which shall liue hereafter And he said I die the death for this particular person otherwise if he had not said it that he would die for me and die for thee thou nor I could not haue been saued I giue thee a token to know that his eye was vpon thee in the time of his death Findest thou reconciliation and redemption in thy heart say then he had an eye to me and the force of his death hath comen to me For what auailes a generall knowledge of his death if thou haue not a particular applying of it to thy selfe A question may here be moued how is it that it is said that Christ shed his bloud for the Colossians seeing they were not as yet called but remained enemies till Epaphras came amōgst them and preached the word of grace and saluation in Iesus Christ and by his trauell hath drawne on some to the faith of Iesus I answere the reconciliation made in the bloud of Iesus Reconciliation by the bloud of Iesus of two sorts is of two sorts there is one made by the merit of his death there is another made by the efficacie and powerfulnes of his death When he suffered that same very time and houre of his suffering all nations that euer were to be reconciled to the end of the world were reconciled by the merit of the bloud of Iesus Christ But if you will looke to the effectualnes it followed long after Scotland Edenborough that abode long after enemies at that same houre by his merit were reconciled For why that bloud that was shed merited that saluation but the effect of that merit followed A man that will haue the merit must feele the efficacie and power of it When he is following his owne lusts lying out at his whoredome and villanie at that same time it may be said truly he hath the charter of the merit in his keeping howbeit vntill the time he looke about him and begin to see Iesus the vertue of Christs merite vtters We must feele and finde the vertue and power of Christs death working in vs Rom. 6. 2. 3. 4. 5. Phil. 3. 8 9 10. not it selfe vnto him But when he findes it then he remembers he had the merit Howbeit he wist not that euer he had it till he found this working Then he reioyceth that Christ suffered on the Crosse for him In the last words he sets downe the end of their reconciliation The end is that thou maist be presented holy vnreproueable without spot or wrinckle as he saith in Ephe. 5. 27. First then we are reconciled to the end we should be holy clensed of that filthines and sinne wherewith wee were polluted before and The end of our reconciliation is holines being clenfed wee should be vnreproueable for the cause of reproofe is sinne It is sore to abide a reproofe of God This holines is not gotten perfited in this life but wee must striue to it continually Then thinke not that thou art reconciled with God in effect if thou finde not holines begun in this life if thou finde no holy motions in thy heart and actions in thy hand thinke not thou standest in friendship with God For as euer two stand together these two must stand together vnseparably reconciliation with God and holines of life And if Holines reconciliation inseparable thou haue not a sanctified heart and life thou abidest a rebell to God Thus for the first end The other end is expressed in the same words That you may saith he be presented before him that is that you may get his presence and he yours and being presented ye may get your felicitie for euer For brethren that full blessednes of man stands in the sight of God Then marke this lesson vpon this holines followes our presenting before God So it is he or
Then in this life in the faithfull Christ is not all in vs for there is much ill stuffe besides grace in vs. Goe thy way to thy heart and thou shalt finde it thus and thou shouldest thinke it a marueile that one sparke of grace should abide within thee But come to that life to come In the resurrection when faith shall goe away Iesus Christ shall be in thee in his full glorie Then in that estate there shall be nothing but Christ Al this vncleannes and vilenes shall be cast away and that heart of thine shall be inlightened and shine in thy bodie It shall not hold in thee but it shall breake out in thy face and make all glorious both thy hands and feete and all this mortalitie shall be scoured out of thee and then it shall be truly spoken Christ is all in all Now one thing and so I end Comparing this place with that to the Galath chap. 3. vers 28. I finde there one end of the comming of Christ and of the new man in this word that is not specified here and it is that all might be made one in Iesus Christ for as long as hee is a Iew and a Grecian they are two but when once this commeth that they are new men they are made one in Christ so the words spoken import For Christ being in all who is one of necessitie all must be one And againe if hee be all in all it being but one of necessarie force it must be one Ye see the end of Christs comming into this world of the new man it is this to make all one to put Communiō of Saints away all this variance and to ioyne all in one There is much adoe to ioyne altogether wouldest thou haue thy blessednes to stand it standeth in ioyning thee first with thy head Iesus Christ and then in making thee a member of his bodie If it were but one ioynt of his little finger if thou be but one toe of that bodie thou shalt be safe Well wanton men and women goe out from the Church But O that terrible wrath if thou be not found in that blessed societie make a iest of it as long as thou wilt if thou be not of the militant Church thou shalt not see the triumphant Church and thou shalt not be of the number of them that shall be glorified I might let you see the example what danger it is to be cut off from this bodie of the Church I aske what is a mans arme worth when it is cut off it serueth for nothing it dieth and perisheth Now it is euen as sure if thou be cut off from this militant Church thou shalt die and perish and thou shalt neuer haue part with thy head Iesus Christ if thou abide cut off thou shalt die euerlastingly Wherefore count it your blessednes to be first conioyned with Christ and then with his members Now what is the blessednes of the true God euen an vnitie in trinitie So thou art blessed when thou art one with the members of Christ and all thy ioy is to be in the Lord Iesus Now the Lord graunt we may abide one vntill we obtaine this vnitie in perfection in Iesus Christ to whom be all honour and praise now and for euer Amen THE XXIX LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 12. 13. 12 Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued put on tender mercie kindnes humblenes of minde meeknes long suffering 13 Forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell to another euen as Christ forgaue you euen so doe ye BEfore in this chapter the Apostle hath exhorted the Colossians to mortifie slay and put away the members affections and actions of the old man that is of the sinful and corrupt nature Now because it is not enough to put off the members of the old man the actions of the sinfull nature except we appeare before God with other actions for we cannot stand naked before him therfore in the second roume hee exhorteth vs to put on the members actions and affections of the new man these are the actions and this is the cloathing wherewith we must be clad to stand before God Then to come to the words and to weigh euery word as the Lord shall giue the grace The first word is Therfore put on c. He hath spoken immediatly before of the new man now vpon the occasion of this word new man he gathers his conclusion Haue you put on the new man Therefore put on all his actions If ye be holie cloathe your selues with holy actions The obseruation is short The new man which consists in holines and righteousnes requires a new life and new actions for if the life be not yet renewed but that the old life yet abide with the old actions I say you wot not what the new man meanes This is but a vaine boasting of regeneration that is in the mouthes of men to say thou art renewed and made a new man all is but vaine Let me see thy life and thy actions and I shall tell thee by them what thou art otherwise thou shalt neuer perswade me that thou hast put on the new man Now the Apostle saith Therefore put on as it were a garment or raiment neuer to be put off againe I shewed you before that when once thou hast put on this new man thou must not cast him off againe as thou wilt doe with thy coate at night when thou goest to bed which thou wilt cast off and the morrow put it on againe but this cloathing thou must goe in it walke in it lye downe with it and rise with it Now the parts of the cloathing followe Put on therefore the bowels of mercie c. Note then briefly wherein stands this abiliment of the new man It is made of sundrie parts it is like the coate of Ioseph made of sundrie colours This coate is so pleasant that it is wonderfull to looke on Mercie a pleasant sight Bountifulnes pleasant Modestie pleasant Meekenes pleasant Lenitie pleasant so there was neuer so pleasant a garment put vpon the backe of man Before hee comes to the parts of this garment hee puts in by the way sundrie arguments to moue them to put on this new man The motiues are three the first is election the second holines the third the loue of God towards vs. Ye are the chosen of God the holy ones of God the beloued of God therfore put on this garment that is pleasant in the eyes of God But to examine these grounds The first is their election that is the calling them out of this darknes into the light of God so Peter defines it 1. Pet. 2. 9. a faire choise This Gospell that ye heare is the light of the world and so this election whereof the Apostle speakes here is nothing els but that which we call commonly our vocation For whom God hath
God and praying to his maiestie euen when hee is most opprest Put these graces together in a man and that is the man that pleaseth God And O the liking of God that hee hath of thee when thou art thus occupied Thus far the preface Now followes the third part of the Epistle contayning doctrine both faire and sweete opening a glorious mysterie and that briefly You that would haue riches he opens vp the riches of Iesus Christ to you that was so long hid vp from the beginning to his comming The first thing he begins at in his doctrine it is this christian calling it is the first grace and Our calling The first grace we receiue in time blessing that in time we get in Christ I say in time because our election or predestination is before all time So the first grace we get in Iesus Christ in time is our christian calling In the epistle to the Ephesians he beginneth higher but in this epistle he doth not so he begins not for the height but at this blessing that is first in time to bee called to bee a member of Christ Note Now in speaking of this benefit of our calling to be a christian hee speakes not simply of it but in speaking of it he is thanking the Lord the father who hath made vs meete for a part of that glorie for you shall marke this of the Apostle he can neuer speake of the graces of God but he euer thankes God And in the first epistle of Peter 1. 3. to teach thee when thou speakest of the graces of God to remember to praise him and to giue him hartie thankes for his blessings Now to come on first in this doctrine of this christian calling we haue the author of it Whom thankes he Thanking saith he the father Author of our calling so he giues the glorie of our calling to the father of our Lord Iesus the father of glorie he gets the first praise of our calling The sonne himselfe speaking of his owne calling he giues all glorie to his father So all the godly giue the glorie of their calling first to the father because he is the beginner of all grace Then he cōmeth to the benefit it selfe he saith not thanking the father who hath called vs but in steed of the word calling he putteth the definition of calling the effect of the calling who hath made vs meet or sufficient in effect then marke the words they import first this That then when the father hath put his hand to worke to cal thee thou wast vnmeete if he made thee meete thou wast first vnmeete 2. Cor. 3. 5. thou wast vnmeete euen if it were to thinke a good thought when he began to worke thou hadst no power once to thinke of this calling Then What our calling is wherein stands our calling not in a bare name as you would calaman but it standeth in a change When he calleth thee he changeth thee wonderfully makes thee that that thou wast not Thou wast an old crased creature a faggot for hell thou wast nothing because of thy sinne and except the Lord make thee a new thing better it were for thee to be turned to nothing for thou shalt bee turned downe to hell Rom. 4. 1. he calleth the thing that is not as though it were This is the calling of the Lord when he calleth a man he changeth the heart of him The free-will of the Papists that poysoned doctrine of theirs that a man hath some grace by nature howbeit vnable to receiue grace of God will neuer stand in the day of the Free-will Lord and if thou wilt defend it thou shalt neuer finde this effectuall calling of the Lord. If thou renounce not thy owne sufficiencie thou shalt neuer get grace He thankes God that made vs sufficient of vnsufficient meete of vnmeete of dead men quicke men wouldest thou thanke God from thy heart for thanking of God must rise from the heart there is the first ground of it the feeling of thy owne want of thy owne miserie and that great lacke of grace in it and that must be the deepest sense in thy heart and lye at the roote of thy heart and thy prayer must rise from that steppe and from that Thanksgiuing steppe to come to another steppe to the sense of that mercie that God hath shewed thee that is the next The first is a sense of thy miserie the second is a sense of the mercy of God of these two breakes out the thanksgiuing So that if thanksgiuing beginne not at the sense of thy wants I tell thee it is but a thanksgiuing from the teeth forward Take it for a sure rule if thou haue not a true sense feeling of thy owne wants and miseries and then of the mercie of God thou canst neuer thanke God aright nay thou canst neuer in any measure seeke to God truely So to returne I say as thou wouldest haue grace begin at this that thou art nothing in thy selfe that God may haue the glory there is your calling and the effect of your calling But whereto are we called A man that is called he is called to some thing The Lord calles not but to some end He hath made vs meete for a part whereof A part of a lot that is of an inheritance that falleth by lot Then wouldest thou vnderstand whereto thou art called and made meete to wit for heauen to make thee able to brooke that heauenly inheritance so thou art not called to nothing but to an inheritance So if thou finde that thou art called and a change is made in thy heart of an vnmeete man thou art made meete and if thou finde a change looke certainely for an heritage faile not to looke for it for the heritage shall not faile thee Thy sufficiencie had not been wrought if thou haddest not been propped vp for that heritage yet the word would be noted He calles it not an heritage but a lot by the which he will let thee see that thy heauenly heritage falleth out to be by lot Ye would thinke that a man called should merit to himselfe an heritage that hee might worke for it here No saith the Apostle thine heritage falleth to bee a lot when thou art called So a benefit is not a merit of another benefit our sanctification is not a merit of our iustification but all is of grace and our inheritance is but a lot that is a grace or gift of God without deseruing Yet further whose is this inheritance he saith that it is the lot of the Saints of God God hath giuing it them and none other hath gotten it or shall enioy one foote broad of it but the Saints Thou maist inherit here a kingdome an earldome a Lordship though thou were as a diuell but in heauen thou shalt haue none if thou be not first a Saint and a holy one here on earth Marke this lesson ere euer thou get a share