therefore we have not put off all for we have parted with all though not wholly totum exuimus corpus sed non totaliter The ayre in the morning hath put off all her sable weeds that darknesse which in the night did cladde her but not altogether for it is cleere and cleere till Noone-tyde so here c. The use is to stirre us up with honest hearts to renounce all corruption Vse 1 Many doe by piece-meale part with their evills retayning the love of some though they seeme to leave other one will not part with lustfull affections another will keepe covetousnesse yea some put off the outward actions but never care for putting off their corrupt qualities which are rooted in their spirits 2 In the second place hence assure thy selfe that thou art in Iesus Christ if thou puttest off this body lovest no evill though sin hang about thee every where yet thou lovest and likest none of it but holdest CHRIST thy sanctifier and cryest to be uncladde and freed from all this body of death 3 Of sinnes not sin Observe hence Doct. How our masse of corruption conteyneth in it many kindes of sinne Even as the body naturall is not all one kind of member but hath great variety So this body of corruption therefore he calleth it a body of sins of many sins being as so many members in it ignorance unbeliefe irreligiosnesse pride wrath covetousnesse untruth Ephes 2.1 hence it is that the Apostle sayth the Ephesians were dead in sinnes and trespasses and the old man is sayd to be corrupted through deceivable lusts Eph. 4.22 that is so corrupted as that now he expresseth the image of divers lusts as he was formerly created after the image of GOD or else through lusts of many kindes And from hence it commeth that our native corruption doth bring such variety of fruites as are mentioned Galath 5.19 20.21 Adultery fornication uncleanenesse wantonnesse idolatry withcraft hatred debate c. and observed in experience because it is a body which hath divers members the which bring forth divers operations Which must make us both grow up in acknowledging our naturall misery Vse and to magnifie the grace of the LORD IESUS CHRIST who hath healed us of so many corruptions as have formerly had dwelling in us to take from us one sicknesse is mercy but when a man is a very body of diseases hath every member filled with infirmity then to cure him is much more And let such know who are not yet in CHRIST Vse 2 they are a lumpe of all sinnes what though all appeare not that is because the Lord doth restraine them for else we should not live together men would be woolves to men yet though the fruite appeare not the rootes are within us By the circumcision of Christ Observe hence Doct. Who it is that worketh this inwardly in us Iesus Christ He and none but Hee can remoove the filthy lusts in which the heart is wrapped as Saint Iohn spake of His Baptisme hee baptised with water but Christ baptised with the spirit and Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 3.21 Not the baptisme which is the washing of the flesh saveth but in that a good conscience maketh request to God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ Saint Paul saith hee that planteth and watereth is nothing in regard of force which doth reach unto the soule it selfe This must be distinctly taught that we may avoyd the Papish snare and that we may glory fie God in ascribing to Him intyrely such workes as these are which are no more communicable with men then to create out of nothing another World VERSE 12. In that yee are buried with Him through baptisme in whom yee are also raised up together through the faith of the operation of GOD which raised Him from the dead NOw he commeth to the third thing buryed with Him in baptisme or by baptisme this is the modus action is and agreeth with those words you have beene circumcised in Him how being buryed with Him in baptisme It openeth both the manner and may be as a proofe thus Such as are dead and buryed to sin in Christ they have put off all the body of sinne But you have beene buryed with CHRIST by baptisme First then from the context we see Doct. that what circumcision was to the old people that is baptisme to us for he saith thus much you have beene circumcised in being baptised though in circumstantiall things these disagree as in the sexe receiving the Sacrament there men onely here women In the matter signified Christ to come in the degree of grace given In the externall rite yet the substance of the thing signified manner of receiving generall ends they conspire Hence we may have a ground and warrant to proove the baptisme of infants lawfull and warrantable by the Word of God Vse For circumcision being administred to infants in the time of the old Testament there is no reason why baptisme succeeding it should not bee administred to them in the time of the Gospell The second thing is Doct. that from our union with Christ dead and buryed we come to have the body of sinne crucified and put away from us This is thus gathered he saith they were circumcised that is had the body of sin put off them while they were together buried with Christ which baptisme signifieth and sealeth up in them from this then we come to put off sins that we are set into Christ dying and buryed for the abolishing of sin and hence Rom. 6. Saint Paul sheweth that we cannot live in sin as formerly we did and have to doe with it because we are dead to it being set into Christ dying and that by baptisme The reason is because that Christ hath by his death killed the sin of all that belong to Him and therefore such as are set into His death they cannot but feele the death of this body of sins which before lived in them Even as when Adam sinned and dyed to the life of God all of us in him are dead and so soone as we come actually to be members of him we feele the effect of Adams death even this that being dead to the life of God we lye in the spirituall death of ignorance and lusts So CHRIST the second Adam He dying to abolish sin even that He might be the death of sin in all His members and lying buried under it that He might so abolish it as never to rise againe Briefly then Adam a roote of mankind finning brought death upon all His. 1. By bringing imputation of sin 2. Extinction of the life of grace 3. A propagation of death in sin and trespasse Christ standeth as a second Adam in the persons of all given Him to be His members and having their sin imputed to Him 1 He doth take away the guilt of it 2 Dyed to sin and lay under it in our nature that we by vertue thereof might dye to it the omnipotent spirit of
savoring of the flesh 6 Whatsoever is meerely grounded on tradition and what is carnall and sensuall in GODS service is contrary to Christ Verse 9. 1 THis must make us rest in CHRIST onely as all sufficient that we know Him GOD blessed for ever 2 All the fulnesse of GOD is communicated with CHRIST as man the whole entyre Nature of GOD. 3 Not created gifts or miraculous effects of the divine nature are united with Christ man but the deity it selfe the fulnesse of it 3 The same singular Nature is in all the three persons 5 The manner of GODS dwelling in CHRIST man is personally so as that GOD the Sonne is thereby become personally man Verse 10. 1 CHrist man doth send out all the streames of grace and good things to all His members in that the fountaine dwelleth in Him 2 Being in CHRIST we receive all kinde of graces and benefits that wee lacke nothing 3 The dignity of CHRIST who is all to us is this that He is the chiefe above all the creatures Verse 11. 1 AN excellent meane to hold us fast to Christ is to remember what great evil of sin He hath subdued for us 2 Christ hath given us a spirituall Circumcision 3 No outward action of the hand of man reacheth to the clensing of the soule 4 Sin and grace is to the soule as apparell is to the body 5 Spirituall circumcision standeth in putting off all our corruptions 6 The soule of the naturall man is clad with sinne 7 Wee must forgoe not some part of our corruption but the whole body of sinne 8 Our masse of corruption containeth many sinnes 9 IESUS CHRIST it is who worketh in us this spirituall circumcision Verse 12. 1 VVHat Circumcision was to the old people that Baptisme is to us 2 From our union with CHRIST dead and buried we come to have the body of sinne crucified 3 GOD doth unite us with CHRIST even by our Baptisme 4 To consider of our resurrection which we have through CHRIST is a forcible motive to make us cleave to Him 5 Faith on Christ maketh us rise to new life 6 The omnipotent action of God which raised Christ from the dead is it that begetteth faith in us Verse 13. 1 OVr quickning in CHRIST is such a benefit which we must not quickly have done with and lightly passe over 2 Ministers must amplifie to their people the benefits bestowed on them 3 Sinne both originall and actuall is the death of the soule 4 The life of a naturall man is even a death in trespasse 5 Our course in actuall sin doth sinke us deeper and deeper in death 6 We are farre from being prepared to receive the grace shewed us by God when we are quickened to beleeve 7 The way to bring men to acknowledgement of GOD's grace with thankfulnesse is to make them see what they were when God first shewed it 8 All beleevers have a new life in and through Christ 9 In order of nature first we have pardon of sinne before we have the life of grace begun in us 10 God the Father Son and Spirit doe properly forgive sinne 11 God's pardon is of meere grace to us 12 We must remember what God hath done for us while we shew to others the things bestowed on them 13 The grace of God in forgiving our sinnes is exceeding large Verse 14. 1 NOt onely our sin which is our debt is answered but whatsoever may shew any thing against us is done away in Christ 2 By Christ the ceremoniall Law is taken away 3 The Iewish ceremonies as they were purely legall were as bills testifying the debt of the people before God 4 Christ by suffering on the crosse hath abolished these things Verse 15. 1 GOd doth set us free from the power of Satan before we are made alive in Christ 2 God in Christ hath crucified and disarmed Satan 3 Christ in His death made a scorne of all the power of darknesse and exposed them to open shame Verse 16. 1 VVE must not make account of mens sinister judgements as any way giving place unto them 2 To put no difference in meats for conscience sake or religious respect is no sinne 3 Such as doate upon Mosaicall rites are ready to condemne such as are not done right in them Verse 17. 1 THe legall ceremonies were shadowes of that is done in Christ and His Church Verse 18. 1 FAlse teachers are led with a spirit of arrogancie which maketh them usurpe judgement over others 2 The naturall man doth judge and condemne what doth not agree with him 3 Our softnesse and pusillanimity doth make us subject too much to take to heart mens sinister judgements 4 Wicked deceivers will seeme to stand for vertue and challenge those that are truly godly as wanting it 5 Adoration of Angels and Saints masketh under the vizor of holinesse 6 All religious worship of Saints or Angels is unchristian 7 The property of a seducer is to speake that he knoweth not 8. The cause of vouching and diving into hidden things is Pride Verse 19. 1 LOoking to the creatures for helpe and grace doth make us fall from Christ 2 We have not many but one Head 3 In Christ mysticall there is nothing but the Head giving growth and the body receiving growth 4 For the whole multitude of beleevers there is sufficiency in Christ 5 Before we can take spirituall growth in Christ we must be knit to Him 6 Every true beleever groweth up in Christ not stands at a stay 7 It is God who maketh us as begin so grow in grace Verse 20. 1 CHRIST by His death hath freed us from the Ceremonies of the Law 2 True Christians must not live in that Christ dyed to take away 3 Gods children live out of the world while in it Verse 21.22 1 MEn are exact in outward observancies who know not the power of godlinesse 2 Hard to forgoe old rites to which we are accustomed 3 Bodily observancies profit nothing 4 We are not to give credence to any thing not taught in God's Word Verse 23. 1 VIce and error may have a shew of truth and vertue 2 Will-worship hath a plausible shew of wisdom 3 Lowlinesse of minde argueth wisdome 4 False teachers will make a shew of humility 5 To keepe the body in subjection argueth wisdome 6 False teachers make shew of mortification 7 Exercises much regarded with men are of no esteeme with God 8 Bodily externall things are not of worth with God The end of the Doctrines A COMMENTARY VPON THE SECOND Chapter of Saint PAUL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. VER 1. VERSE 1. For I would yee knew what great fighting I have for your sakes and for them of Laodicea and for as many as have not seene my Person in the flesh WE have had from the three and twentieth Verse of the former Chapter from the end of it a digression the summe whereof consisteth in declaring Paul's calling Secondly his executing this calling Vers 28 29.
Christ working through that death in the behalfe of all His the death of the creature so farre forth as by the just judgement of God it hath a power through Sathans working to draw us from God to it selfe 3 A death of our corruption Galath 6.15 By the Cxosse of Christ the world is crucified to me and I to it that is by Christ crucified Briefly as Adam becomming mortall and dying to this mortall life wee all so soone as wee are borne members of Him are mortall and tend to death by force of that mortality in the roote of us So Christ dying spiritually to this world and the sin of all us His members that thus they might be abolished we so soone as by faith we are made His members or are borne of Him we begin to dye spiritually till in death we are fully mortified by vertue of that radicall death in Christ our Saviour who dying according to his flesh did so worke by His omnipotent spirit that as the guilt was at once remooved so the life of it was mortified that it lost the raigne and was successively to be abolished in the being of it in all those who by faith should come to be engrafted into him or all those who should spiritually descend from Him 4 Lastly He brought into our nature supernaturall life that so He in our nature might propagate it to all who were His. The use hereof is to stirre us up above all things to seeke with Saint Paul Vse 1 that we may know what is the power of His death the communion of His sufferings while I feele my selfe made like to Him in dying to this world and sin for by this we know that we are untied to Him suffering and dead to sin and this world while we feele our selves by virtue thereof in like case as I know my communion with Adam that I dyed in him while I see my selfe mortall hastening every day to death as he is dead The Lord Iesus make the scales fall off our eyes that we may see the vertue of His most powerfull death toward all that are His. This also letteth us see what we must doe when this world and the things of it are forcible upon us Vse 2 when our hearts feele the life of sin strongly making to them come to Christ dying speake to Him Thou Lord hast crucified this world thou hast overcome the strength of it thou didst dye not regarding the allurements of it why doe I feele it have so mighty a hand over me even bewitching me as it were at the sight of it So when I feele my sin stirring lively in the lawes of it then to fly hither Lord thou dying hast beene the death of the sin of thy people why doe I who am in thee find it stirre as if it never had received wound The more we get to see our selves in Christ dying for the abolishing of all our sins the more we shall feele them wasting in us Let us give glory to this glorious death which maketh us all to dye Vse 3 As in the naturall body kill the head and all the members dye after so here c. This sheweth us why it is that sin liveth in so many men in the world Vse 4 even from this that they are not engrafted into Christ and so doe not partake of the influence of that spirituall life which from Christ the head floweth into all His members Buryed with Him in baptisme you have put off your sins being set into Him dying and buryed ingrafted with Him buryed in or by your baptisme Observe hence Doct. God doth unite us with Christ even by our baptisme the Lord doth by baptisme signifie to us and confirme thus much yea worke it as by an instrument namely the putting His Christ crucified upon us and our ingrafting into Him dying and rising Rom. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For first by baptisme is sealed our communion w th Christ dying and rising secondly our communion in the effects which are mortification and vivification but yet wee must not think though God useth outward baptisme of His minister that this ministeriall action bringeth forth grace as the Papists doe who hold that God doth so use the ministeriall baptisme that He lifteth up that action as an instrumentall cause to worke grace so that it neither commeth solely from God nor yet immediately For this must be held that the power and act of producing grace is only and immediately from God There are two sorts of instruments some worke somthing with the Principall worker others doe not operari aliquid but ad aliquid they worke to something but not any thing having force to cause that whereto they worke such are Gods meanes which He useth and coordeyneth with him selfe in working of all such things which are not wrought but onely by power omnipotent thus he healed the blind with clay and spittle thus He overthrew the walls of Iericho with the blowing of Rams hornes But one may say this is absurd Object to use meanes which shall doe nothing doth any man doe thus Men use meanes which worke something in that they doe with them Answ because their force doth not reach alone to the effect they intend without the helpe of the meanes concurring with them but Gods force being alsufficient it is not absurd for Him to take to Him selfe such instruments in giving grace which are of no force to produce it especially when hereby he exerciseth our obedience faith c. He that planteth and he that watereth is nothing 1 Cor. 3.7 in regard of working in the soule that they tend to the Gospell is sayd to be the power of GOD to salvation Rom. 1.16 because through GOD it is powerfull who accompanyeth it immediately and enty rely working faith by it Yet Papists will not say that the Preachers syllables are elevated by GOD to rayse up the dead in sinnes and trespasses This then is to be firmely held that GOD useth baptisme of engrafting us with Christ and mortifying and quickning us in Him Vse yet the baptisme of water doth not conteyne any force nor is not lifted up to any such agency whereby grace is properly produced But it may be asked Quest how we are set into Christ with baptisme when none must be baptised but those if they be adulti who have faith in appearance and so are already in Him Things are sayd to be done when they are manifested and done in a further degree then before they were Answ thus the believer baptised is by baptisme manifested to be so before the Church yea often to Himselfe the more plentifull grace of God comming into Him while he useth it faithfully and his faith being more strengthened the union is more confirmed The use is to stirre us up that we would looke backe to our baptisme Vse which sealeth unto us so great matters if we have sealed bonds we will have them sometime read to us that we may know what
we have and when we are to demand this or that how should we look back to this Gospell sealed unto us in baptisme And seeing baptisme is but a seale of other matters let us not content our selves with baptisme alone but make sure we have the things which it serveth to confirme Men that have evidences of house and land they looke not much at their deeds about it but they hold the land it selfe and occupy that carefully Wee contrarily stand upon the seale but let the heavenly estate confirmed be where it will 2 Hence may be inforced upon men what is their estate if they have received baptisme as well inward as outward then as the Apostle saith know you not that you are dead with Christ through baptisme If they are not dead with Him they have but the baptisme of water which is nothing before GOD Circumcision nor uncircumcision are any thing with Him but a new Creature Now hee commeth to a second benefit wee have in Christ the benefit of a spirituall resurrection and new life in whom yee have beene raised up as they had beene circumcised for though this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom may agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which baptisme yet it is fitly reduced to the more remote antecedent Christ and to begin a new benefit opposite to that former in whom wee have beene circumcised For the intent of this Scripture is to set out Christ and the benefits we have in Him not to describe the vertue of baptisme which is onely named here so farre forth as it serveth to note the manner after which Christ wrought in us the former benefit of our circumcision from sin And if he had broke off the subject of his speech thus in which baptisme he would have named Christ in the end of the verse not Him as having reference to a plaine antecedent and whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the next verse belongeth hither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this verse for these two seeme but a repetition of this matter with some application and amplification of it make it therefore agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 buried with him in whom also ye are raised up The benefit is 1 Propounded in this verse 2 Applyed more at large verse 13 14. In propounding it 1 We have set downe our refurmetion it selfe in Christ 2 The manner of working it by saith For as the body liveth formally or is raysed from death to life by the guift of life created in it So the soule dead in sin is formally made alive when fayth is created in it Secondly you have fayth described from the efficient cause the potent action of God which raysed Him from the dead in whom yee are raysed The summe In whom or in which CHRIST yee are raysed up with Him the life of fayth being created in your dead soules by that omnipotent efficacy of God by which Christ being now dead for us all was raysed up First then this being the scope to make us cleave to Christ thus You must not goe from him in whom you bave beene raysed up to a new heavenly life But in CHRIST you are raysed up Therefore let none beguile you with deceits which are not after Him The second part is here the conclusion in the eight verse before Doctr. Observe hence That to consider of our first resurrection which we have through Christ is a forcible motive to make us cleave to Him If Saint Peter sayd whither shall we goe thou hast the words of life eternall how much more may we say how should we start from thee Lord thou hast raysed us up when wee were dead How did Lazarus thinke you and others whom Christ raysed up love Him and rest in Him when thus bodily life was againe given them though they were within a while to dye againe But how much more would it bind us to Christ if wee saw how Hee hath raised our soules being dead with such a resurrection as that they shall never dye againe When the Galathians were so fledge after their legall ceremonies Saint Paul thus reasoneth Did you receive the spirit by the ministery of the law or by the hearing of faith preached as if hee would set downe this for a ground that is to be held unto which doth bring us the quickning spirit how then is CHRIST to bee rested on from whom as the fountaine all spirituall life floweth unto us Now our resurrection may bee considered two wayes 1 As wrought in our head 2 As applyed actually in us As wee in regard of our naturall life may bee considered First as we have this life in our roote in our Parents in whom we are seminali ratione as an eare of Corne is in the seede Secondly our life may bee considered as now in us received from them Now when they are sayd to be raysed up in Christ it may be understood both wayes both in regard of their resurrection as it was made in Christ the head of them and as it was in part applyed in them for all the resurrection we have in Christ not yet received we have it by faith hid in Him even the resurrection of our bodyes We may hence then see what maketh the Papists Vse and all sorts of carnall Gospellers so fall from Christ even this they know not or consider not who when they were dead in their sins did rayse them up if they ever had felt that CHRIST had done thus much for them they would never doubt His alsufficiency but waite upon Him to accomplish their salvation We see in Patients which have deadly sicknesses if a Physitian doe when they were given over even then rid their disease away in part and make them pretty well will they thinke of looking to another or be desyrous to joyne others with Him who hath alone almost done all the cure So betweene our soules and Christ Let us then consider what we have had wrought in us through Christ Vse it will so confirme us that hell gates shall not make us leave Him Againe if thou worke not upon thy heart the feeling of the benefits thou hast through Him thou shalt cleave as weakely by Him as if he had never done ought for thee Here in particular are three things to be opened 1 That who so is truely in CHRIST is risen againe 2 That our soules are raysed from death to life by faith 3 That the omnipotent power of GOD is the worker of fayth Of each of these a little 1 As Adam was a roote of death to all that were his neither were they borne of him sooner then mortality did seise on them So Christ is a roote of resurrection 1 Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all dye so in CHRIST shall all be made alive For we must not think that when Christ was raysed it was no more then when Lazarus or some other private person was raysed but His rising was all our resurrections in as much as it
this their restoring to life The first is pardon of sin The second is cancelling the obligation against them The third is the setting them free from those jaylors and executioners in whose keeping they were The two first are in this thirteenth verse the latter in the end of the thirteenth verse and in the other two following The first of the antecedents in the end of the thirteenth verse The second in the fourteenth verse The third in the fifteenth verse To returne to the thirteenth verse And first in genenerall from this his Commoration in this benefit wee note Doct. That our quickning in CHRIST is such a benefit which we must not quickly have done with and lightly passe over The Apostle cannot move from this till hee have dwelt a while upon it and amplified and enforced on them the consideration of it So it is we lend it little thought but the more is our fault we should when wee thinke on God's benefits in Christ make a stand and dwell upon them that so we might be more affected 2 Marke What Ministers must doe Doct. viz. they must amplifie to their people the benefits bestowed on them how often doth Moses this in Deutr. For 1 It is for the honour of God that His benefits should be set forth 2 It edifieth others and gaineth glory to God while they are to know the things bestowed on them and they are by this meanes wrought unto thanksgiving Againe wee are like children wee know not the worth of those great things wherewith GOD hath enriched us As a young childe that hath great patrimonies and priviledges doth not to any purpose conceive the worth of them yea we are as forgetfull as the eaten bread is quickly forgotten And beside a benefit while enjoyed groweth no dainties with us in all these regards we must use this practise of the Apostle If men have outward commodities and abilities and gifts of any kinde they know them too well even till they be proud of them but in heavenly things it is quite otherwise Now for their condition it is described from the state of death You when you were dead 2. The kinde of death viz. in sin 1. Actuall in trespasses 2. Originall in uncircumcision of heart which is set downe by a Synecdoche or Metonymie of the signe for the thing signified Outward Circumcision put for outward and inward which is more emphatical when they were so dead that inwardly and outwardly they did lye in evill the meaning is when you were utterly dead in soule mortall in body subject to eternall damnation by reason of your actuall transgressions and original corruption You then He quickened that is GOD the Father out of the Verse before with His CHRIST First then observe That we are by nature dead to God the same is Eph. 2.1 We are not like a man in a sleepe nor like the Samaritan greatly wounded but we are starke dead in regard of the life of GOD. Rom. 5. he saith Wee are of no strength not of feeble strength and the naturall man is often so called My Sonne was dead and is alive let the dead bury their dead A man is every way by nature dead his body is mortall in dying from his birth eternall death of soule and body hangeth over him His soule is quite dead for God in regard of His presence of sanctifying grace going from a man he dyeth in soule As the soule going from the body the naturall life is extinct But it may be said Object why man hath some reliques of knowledge Againe some of the Heathen have excelled in vertuous actions without grace Every knowledge is not the life of God strictly so called Answ but that knowledge which affecteth the heart to follow God to trust in Him love Him They that know thee will trust in thee otherwise the divels doe know God in their kinde 2 The knowledge of man is able to make him unexculable onely not able to make him alive according to GOD for these Heathens vertues they were but pictures without the soule and life of vertue in them splendida peccata good trees they were not and therefore their fruit could not be good all is not gold that glisters This then confuteth all doctrines of free-will Vse 1 or of any power in man which holpen a little can helpe it selfe Dead men have nothing in them to help themselves toward this world so it is with us toward the other Yea we see hence that it is not suggestions to the minde nor exhortations that will doe it we doe but tell a dead man a tale and all in vaine till God create a new light in the minde and take away the heart of stone and give us tender new hearts let us confesse our utter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impotencie and inability and give glory to God Hence must be enforced to the natural man what is his estate dead in his soule Vse 2 hee heareth not the thunder of GOD's Law nor His sweet promises he seeth no heavenly thing neither GOD nor any spirituall matter hee tasteth no relish in any meat of the soule he speaketh not a word powdred with grace hee stirreth not hand nor foot to that which is good Oh the world is full of these ghosts twice dead as Saint Iude speaketh yea the relikes of this spirituall death hangeth about us all Marke from this that we who are alive through grace Vse 3 must not associate our selves with those that are meere naturall men for we see that no living thing can abide that which is dead the beasts will start at a dead carrion our dearest friends we put from us when dead but alas the LORD's children now can goe hand in hand with such who have not a sparke of grace in them Oh this death is not terrible we are al so much in it that we see not the filthinesse of it As a blacke hue among the Black-moores is not reproachfull So dead ones with us whose graces are ready to dye agree well enough In sinnes Observe Doct. That sinne both originall and actuall is the death of the soule Mors animae peccatum Our sin in which we are borne and live is the death of our soules and the demerit of further death Death it is to death it goeth Now what is death is it not the absence of life the soule being gone with the entrance of corruption And what is sinne Is it not the absence of saving knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse with the corruption of the minde will affections so that the spirituall stinch of it streameth out at the eye lust at the eare itching after vanity at the mouth rottennes is the best I mean unfruitfull speech sometime bitternesse Looke as holinesse is the beginning of life everlasting which goeth on till it end in glory so is sin the death of the soule which doth if the grace of CHRIST heale it not never stay till it come to everlasting damnation As for sinfull actions they
dead in Christ from these why as if yee lived in the world No they cannot live in that which their head is dead to How can we that are dead to sinne live yet therein and therefore he saith as if you lived in the world for hee knew it was impossible for true believers to live unto the fashions of the world either in regard of civill duties or religious ordinances the children of God being set into Christ have presently wrought in them a death of their sinfull and sensuall life It is mortally wounded at the first though it liveth in us long after yea though the Lords children doe not often perceave it for many a man goeth awhile with his death and yet discerneth not till sometime after that he is deepely wounded Even as we our selves feele nothing lesse when we come into the world then that we are dead in our Father Adam and yet with our nativity entereth mortality which never resteth till we are utterly extinct by death The use is to reproove us who live in sinne after the fashion of the world Vse we have forgotten to what we dyed in Christ As if yee lived in the world Observe hence Doct. That Gods children live out of the world while they are in it this maketh CHRIST say they are not of the world for though they are in it for place yet their affection and conversation is in heaven and hence it is Phil 3 2â— that the Church is called by the name of heaven in some propheticall Scriptures and this is here taught while he saith as if yee lived in the world insinuating that it could not be that they lived in the world for they are called out of the world to a heavenly hope and to bee of another body even of that Corporation whereof CHRIST is the head So that as a Townsman in the Vniversity if he be taken to be a Scholars servant though he live in the towne he is no longer of it as who is gone from them and belongeth to another body So it is here Wherefore Conforme not your selves to the fashions of the world you are pilgrims forreyners Vse sojourners at the most here is not the place of your aboad And how farre they are from knowing CHRIST and the power of His death whose life is altogether carnall whose conversation doth not so much as smell of Heaven may hence be convinced to them VERSE 21. Touch not taste not handle not Now he commeth to lay downe more distinctly these rites enjoyned them from Pharisaicall seducers and he doth unfold it by a mimeticall expressing the charge that these false teachers gave Touch not taste not handle not O take heed you know all the old people were tyed from the eating and touching of many things as upon the touch whereof they were uncleane God out of His most wise pleasure annexing a legall uncleannesse unto them as the touching of a dead body of a garment spotted with leprosie of one troubled with a bloudy issue c. Now the Divell that soweth tares did by some pharisaicall spirits which so received Christ that they would still hold the Law he did set on foot by these amongst the Gentiles that unlesse they kept the Law they could not be saved this occasioned the first Councell about some eighteene yeares after CHRIST'S death and within some yeares after this occasioned the Apostle to write that Epistle to the Galathians the same kinde of men began to vent the same wares amongst the Colossians and gave them these caveats Touch not taste not handle not 1 Observe from this practice of theirs Doct. How exact and precise men are in their outward observancies who know not the power of godlinesse It is the Property of all pharisaicall spirits that care not for the great things of the Law and the true spirituall obedience of it they will tithe mint and cummine precisely wash hands and cups their hearts being all foule and full of lusts For looke as idle bodies which will not follow due labour they will go with their tales as a Pedler with his packe from one to another yea their fingers shall goe and their feet shall speake they will occupie themselves busily in that which is superfluous So here when men will not exercise themselves in the power of godlinesse it is strange how they will abound in c. This may be seene in the Church of Rome who not knowing the powerfull ordinances of God have turned all into such dumbe shewes as are the Masse their Precessions c. as full of superfluous observations as emptie of substance To teach us how to know these spirits Vse 1 he that stands precisely on every little trifle is at least halfe a Pharisie Wee must take occasion by them to be precise in the least points of spirituall obedience and not to stand so nicely on externall rites and empty shadowes those that doe diligently looke to themselves this way have no leasure and lesse affection to follow such bawbles Even as a man seriously occupied hath no fancie to dally and sport as others will who have little to doe So here Who more in heavenly labour than Saint Paul Hee laboured through the grace of GOD in Him more abundantly than they all who more despised those kinde of Iewish legall rites who cryeth them downe as beggarly things which profit nothing 2 Marke in this their enforcing these things Doctr. What a hard thing it is to forgoe such old rites to which we are accustomed these had beene brought up in them and had seene no other and loe they will not part with them no not when GOD will have them cease and CHRIST nailes them to the crosse Nay they are more fond on them than before for such is the malice of our wils that when GOD will not then commonly we will like those Israelites when they should have gone up to bid battell to the Canaanites discouraged with the Spies they murmured and refused when GOD would have them go backe into the wildernesse and not goe on against them then they would have no nay to battell they would to die for it Besides as in other things man taketh on like a god so in affecting a kinde of immutability which maketh him hee will not be beaten off that whereunto he hath beene accustomed thus it is in opinion likewise that one is bred up in is often maintained too too stiffely the first things make the deepest impressions Let a false tale get the start and come the first to us truth spoken in the second place is lesse beleeved Wherefore let us take heed Vse and not thinke therefore things must stand because they have beene so since our knowledge and long before but let us see how all customes agree with GOD's Word and will and so accordingly be affected to them If this had beene a good reason These Mosaicall rites have ever beene observed since we can remember any thing yea by all our ancestours these
fasteth Quest and refrayneth some things and the other doe the same There is great difference in the antecedents Answ and manner of doing it and effect A Papist and naturall man conceiveth of lustings as rebelling to reason and hindering morall vertue and the free contemplation of mind not as sins but a thing indifferent capable of vertue or vice as obeyed or otherwise thus the Papists also after a manner But Gods children resist them as sinfull inclinations and whoorish lustings which hinder them in loving their God yea are enmity to him and fight against their soules They differ also in the ends which moove the one and the other to refraine Naturall men they doe it to vaunt themselves of more perfection then others have attayned to purchase themselves a naturall liberty of mind in such considerations as by Nature it reacheth Sometime for politique respects because hee is not counted fit for government who is subject to sensuall passion The Papist he doth it as a part of perfection as a thing in it selfe pleasing God as a point of merit with God But a good Christian hee doth refraine for the kingdome of heaven how not to deserve it by such course but that by this course done in faith he may subdue his lusts and kill them for it is their death not to be obeyed and that hee may have more freedome in Gods service For the manner of doing it the one doth it out of Nature sometime for as Christ saith of Eunuchs some are by nature so the same may be said of abstinence Some by Nature are averse from that liberty in dyet which others affect But all besides true Christians doe it out of their owne strength whereas a true believer he doth it by the spirit of GOD bewayling his weakenesse seeking to Christ for his strength to crucify these things to him and him to them 2 A Christian doth not absteyne for the thing simply prophaning that but from lust simply that he resisteth the thing so farre forth as his lust taketh occasion by that which is in it selfe good Now unbelievers looke not to inward lusts so much nor cry not downe them as they vilifie the things themselves desired Hence is a third difference the faithfull doe not make a set exercise upon stinted times onely to refraine or totally at once renounce the touching them but daily as they feele themselves tempted they resist eating with thankesgiving when they feele themselves not indangered by them Lastly they so refraine that they know their refraining it selfe doth not commend them to GOD for if not eating and drinking were in it selfe more holy than eating and drinking Iohn Baptist should have been more holy than CHRIST but as through the working of GOD's Spirit it is to them being weake a meane of their more firme cleaving to GOD. Now all other extoll the thing it selfe and rest in it as a matter of great perfection In the effect following they may be distinguished for the one have by their exercise greater confirmation of an externall morall habit the other true sanctification viz. death of sinne and life of grace promoted in them To teach us that we bee not beguiled Vse 1 nor yet have these externall exercises in admiration which such as know not the power of godlinesse abound in often yea we must be wise to distinguish things that differ for the Divell in his will play the Ape and imitate what GOD doth worke soundly in the hearts of His chosen This must provoke us to fight in right order against sensuall lusts Vse 2 Shall naturall men and others led in error be thus abstinent and in their fashion subdue their sensuall appetites and shall wee who have CHRIST with us our sanctifier lye downe as conquered of them Plato superstitious Popish wretches will condemne many Christians who feed their hearts in whatsoever they desire And so much for these words Now if you take the end of it sounding to the first sense Obs 1. That exercises much regarded with men Doct. are of no esteeme with GOD Circumcision nor uncircumcision are nothing much lesse meat eating or not eating commend not to GOD but a new creature many things great and glorious in the eyes of man are abominable before GOD which if the Papists considered they would not extol the rules of their Monkish orders the life of Anachorets nor yet cry downe with such base termes those that use their liberty in CHRIST as CHRIST and Abraham the Father of the faithfull have given them example 2 From the reason why they are in no price with GOD because they are occupied about the body the filling of it Doct. Observe therefore in generall that Bodily externall things are not of worth with GOD He is a Spirit worship in spirit and truth is His delight for a Synecdoche must here be marked one kinde put for the generall seeing there is the same disproportion in them to God the same in one that is in another even as in Nature like joyeth that which is like it So here GOD being a Spirit doth delight in that which is spirituall like Himselfe And as to a creature which liveth a pure sensible life reasonable delights are as nothing to it tell a horse a story never so pleasant it affects him not So to a pure spirituall nature sensible matters give no contentment In which the Papists had need to consider who follow GOD too too much with sensible things and thinke they take Him because they affect us FINIS LECTVRES PREACHED VPON THESE TEXTS OF SCRIPTVRE By Mr. PAUL BAYNE Esay Chap. 5. v. 12. Psal 50. v. 21 22 23. 1 Pet. Chap. 1. v. 17. Psal 119. v. 1. to v. 32. Luke Chap. 13. v. 24. 1 Pet. Chap. 4. v. 18. 2 Cor. Chap. 7. v. 1. Luke Chap. 2. v. 14. Philip. Chap. 2. v. 12 13. Hebr. Chap. 3. v. 13. 1 Tim. Chap. 2. v. 2. 2 Tim. Chap. 1. v. 9. 2 Tim. Chap. 1. v. 12 13 15 16.
but it hath by a kinde of excellency the common name of all other given it because it is the chiefe of other 2. This Gospell was published by Iesus Christ Himselfe immediately in His owne Person who is truth it selfe I am the truth 3. It is so called to prevent our unbeliefe who do with this as with other good newes we say it is too good to bee true who by nature count it to be foolishnesse the Holy Ghost therefore to take us by the hand doth style it a Word of truth This serveth to strengthen our faith in the particular promises Vse 1 that God assureth us they are truth it selfe if an honest man as he is telling me any thing that is somwhat strange shall interlace this asseveration I assure you that it is very true I speake no more then I know we doe the better beleeve him in it much more when GOD shall binde Himselfe by His Word and oath and seale to it It sheweth us the power of this Gospell Vse 2 it shall prevaile against all Popery and Heresies Mighty is Truth we can doe nothing against it but for it It doth convince the unbeliefe of GODS Children and the prophane scorne of the wicked Vse 3 who thinke that these things are but golden phancies to make fooles fond with VERSE 6. Which is come unto you as it is in all the World and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you since the day yee heard of it and knew the Grace of GOD in Truth HOw the Gospell by Gods providence doth visite us Obs 1 not looking after it it commeth to us wenot minding it all the things of the Gospell are not once in our thoughts by nature every one of us have this Word sent to us as the whole World had at the first publishing of it How was this they sate in darkenesse as our Saviour saith Mat. 4.16 The people which sate in darknesse saw great light and to them which sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up we all were estranged from the life of God through ignorance Eph. 4.18 Committing sin with greedinesse God looking on this their misery sent His Embassadours His Apostles Mat. 28. Goe teach all Nations c. God also did direct them and moove them in executing this His command sometime by fitnesse of circumstance sometime by brethrens information sometime by instinct of his spirit guiding them hither and thither and hindering them as Saint Paul from Bithynia from such places as stood not with his pleasure We cannot make the Sunne rise nor set that giveth light to our bodies God doth make it rise c. So much more doth it belong to Him to raise up this light of the Gospell and carry it by His Ministers the Vehicula of it whither He pleaseth and it is an argument hereof that it is sent by God not sought for of us because it commeth where it is gaine-said As God saith Rom. 16.21 All the day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gaine-saying people To shew us how it is with our selves Vse 1 for thus it came to us when the most and the greatest did not send for it We must acknowledge from hence the free grace of God Vse 2 which doth visite us and send us such blessed tydings who inquire not after them We must rejoyce in it Vse 3 and walke by the light of it we are glad of the light of the Sun yea of a candle how much more should we be glad that this glorious light of the Gospell is come amongst us The faithfulnesse of GOD in his promises Obs 2 and the piercing force of this heavenly Truth God hath promised long agoe to give Christ a light to the Gentiles and a witnesse to the end of the World accordingly we see it here made good the world is visited with the Word of truth And as it letteth us see that God keepeth touch so the force of this Word is commended by this Circumstance that this Doctrine should goe through the World in so short a space yea and be fruitfull this argueth a Divine power in it that like as the Sunne getteth up like a Gyant runneth from East to West in a short space So this Sun did scoure it apace through all the Coasts of the earth The light is a piercing Creature even bodily light much more this which is Spirituall This may be further opened by showing how this is to bee meant that it is come through the World 2. What reasons there were furthering it For the first We must not understand every hamlet Town-ship much lesse every Creature in the world but the most principall parts by a Synechdoche are put for the whole as we say all the world doe thus or thus when the most parts of it do the thing and thus it might bee prooved by the acts and story how the Gospell was preached in all the quarters of the earth yea in the most remote Northerne parts Crescens in France Thomas in Germany as Sophronius writeth Simon Zelotes in our Country as Nicephorus saith Ioseph of Arimathea as Gildas yea Paul himselfe as Theodoret and Sophronius witnesse The reasons of it may bee taken partly from the great aboundance of light which is in the Gospell above the old Scriptures they being as a Candle in a darke place which could not cast its light farre and therefore was bounded within one Nation This being like the Sunne for cleerenesse speading forth the beames of it more aboundantly but in vaine the Sunne shineth to blind men The principall cause therefore was in the abundance of the spirit powred forth upon the Resurrection of Christ The instrumentall causes 1. The fidelity of those primitive Pastors 2. The lively Communion of the primitive Christians who did not hide their Candle under a Bushell but did shine as lights to others and labour the Conversion one of another See what Paul saith 1 Thes 1.8 of that people From you sounded out the Word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faith toward God is spread abroad The promises fulfilled are seales to us that the rest shall be accomplished We may amplifie our unworthinesse Vse 2 that which subdueth the World standeth still and getteth no ground with us what with negligent Pastors Christians careles of all heavenly comfort chiefely that we have grieved the spirit so with our unfruitfulnesse that he doth not delight to joy in us That the Word of God is Effectuall Obs 3 it never wanteth His fruit where it commeth Wherever God doth send it Hee hath some fruit to gather to Himselfe some whom He will make heires of Salvation It was not the ordinance of God to send the Apostles onely to ring an empty sound of the Gospell Ioh. 15.16 but to gather fruite which might abide to everlasting life Eph. 4.8 God giveth Pastors and Teachers to gather the Saints
we be thus thankefull what praise should wee offer to our God for bringing us under the Kingdome of His deare Sonne If we had some grievous Tyrant ruling over us and God should take him away and set a Prince of singular Clemency over us should not the blessing of all the kingdome come upon him for so singular a change But when he taketh the Divells iron yoaks off our necks and bringeth us under the Kingdome of that most meeke King who will not bruise a broken reed nor quench the smoaking flaxe here none in comparison is thankefull This giveth us to consider of our happy estate Vse 2 who are brought to live under Him reade Psal 72. To live in such a Kingdome were a great felicity but no more to be compared with this then the shadow with the substance What a blessing is it that we have His spirit to be a law in us good lawes in a Kingdome are no small benefit What a blessing is it that we have true peace from accusation of sinne from feare of death from disturbance which the remnants of sin doe cause before they be better mortified Say I am spiritually opposed and molested yea have great corporall enemies what a mercy is this that looking to CHRIST our King and crying for helpe we have succour they are weakened defeated scattered we are strengthened and comforted I see that I am besieged with enemies too mighty for me yea with Traytors in my owne bosome what a favour is this that we should be protected our King being such a wall and as a mighty flood about us that they cannot come neere us I want things looking to CHRIST I have supply I feare time to come looking to Him I heare it spoken This is our King Psa 48.14 Hee shall leade us to death VERSE 14. In whom we have redemption through His bloud the forgivenesse of sins NOw followeth the description to shew the excellency of this former blessing from the excellent benefit wee have by him and the worthinesse of his Person In whom in which deare Sonne and this phrase in whom noteth both the Author of the benefit next adjoyned and likewise the order or meane by which it commeth to be applyed in us viz wee being by faith in Him in whom then is through which Sonne we being set into Him by faith wee have redemption which word is taken Actively or Passively Actively for the act of CHRIST His working it Passively for the receiving of it into us or the applying of it in us that are believers so it is here as if it were said we are redeemed The force of the Word is ransomed brought forth of some miserable penall condition a price or ransome payd for us which was His bloud See Ephes 1.7 14. 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave Himselfe a ransome for all He construeth this redemption to be Pardon of sinne freedome from all that penall condition to which wee were subject by reason of sinne For to pardon sinne is to release the punishment to which the guilt of sin doth bind us What is the singular love of our King unto us Obs 1 even such that Hee hath bought us with His bloud wee are ransomed by Him and not with silver or gold but with His pretious bloud 1 Pet. 1 18 19. If that a King should empty all his coffers and alienate all his Crowne Land to rescue his Subjects he should shew himselfe a naturall Prince but what is this to that ransome which our King hath tendered This doth let us see what cause we have of thankefulnesse for CHRIST not onely in regard of his love Vse 1 and naturall affection to us but for this great benefit which we have by Him Were we slaves in the Turkish gallies taken prisoners in the warre were we kept hard in debters hall how would we give thankes to God for such a one as should purchase our liberty with some summe of money How much more to be released from that woefull captivity in which the Divell doeth hold us through sinne and the curse of God whereof he is the executioner This letteth us see our duties towards CHRIST Vse 2 not to be young masters our owne men walking after our owne hearts but to live to Him who hath bought us dearely the Apostle Saint Peter on the same ground inferreth this exhortation For as much then as CHRIST hath suffered for us us in the flesh 1 Pet. 4.1 2. arme your selves likewise with the same minde for hee that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that He no longer should live the rest of His time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God If men doe but small matters for us we are theirs to be commanded their servants theirs while we live to the utmost of our power but God may come from heaven take thy nature to the fellowship of His Person shed the pretious bloud of His man-hood and when He hath done all have no thankefull duty acknowledged Lastly we see hence our woefull estates by nature Vse 3 wee are bondslaves further then this our King doth set us free True it is we are like the Iewes when they were told of being set free from this thraldome we say they were never any mans servants never other then free So wee thinke we are free enough ô no beloved we are all by nature sold under ignorance under sinne under condemnation neither shall we ever come forth till this Sonne of God the truth set us free Remission of sins Observe hence Obs What is the greatest blessing which CHRIST our King doth procure us pardon of sinne great indeed binding us to be thankefull for our King We see how Kings at their Coronations when they enter upon their people they doe every way endeavour to winne their hearts testifie their princelike bounty and clemency hence come the customes of giving pardons to sundry even of capitall offences of releasing subsidies and such like dues otherwise of giving and enlarging and confirming charters to sundry places thus our Saviour that King of glory doth give a full pardon to His Subjects a generall pardon for it is sayd indefinitely none excepted that in Him we have forgivenesse of sinnes which Saint Iohn doth conster in these words the bloud of CHRIST clenseth us from all sins 1 Ioh. 1.9 originall actuall past future the most royall Charter that ever was given to the sonnes of men This is the grace promised I will be mercifull to their iniquities and remember their sinnes no more It is the justification and absolving of us sinners by God for that satisfaction or redemption which Christ tendered we are justified saith Saint Paul freely by His grace that is we are set free from our sins through Christ His redemption Rom. 3.21 Christ was made sinne that is a sacrifice or surety for sinners bearing all our sin that we might be made Gods righteousnesse righteous before God in him
for the people yet not inferior to them Answer Emperors are so for the people that they are Lords over them and the people are for them even their Subjects and bodies politique but Saint Peter nor no Apostle are so for the Church that they are Lords of it and that the Church is their Church and body mysticall therefore they are so for the Churches that they are inferiors to them Object Was not Saint Peter and the rest immediate legates from Christ Object and had they not authority which all the Churches were to obey Answer They had yet their persons still under the Church and their worke of Ministery not to domineere over the Churches the reason is because it was the message and order of the Churches Husband which was of authority above her not their persons that did relate it If a man send one of his servants with a command to his Wife the servant when he hath got this errand is not a Lord over the Wife but a servant under her though his message from her Lord is such which she may not gainesay Fiftly Observe Obs the dignity of the faithfull and their neere conjunction with Christ they are the body of Christ not the naturall body united to the second person nor the Sacramentall body but a mysticall body such who by force of Christ His Spirit are knit to Him and receive all things from Him proportionably as the body naturall doth from the head Many other comparisons as of Vine and branches Man and Wife c. doe set it downe but none more lively then this which is the oftenest frequented To shew us the excellent condition to which we are brought Vse 1 to assure us of Christs love who ever hated His owne flesh He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of Mine eye This letteth us also see the fearefulnesse of abusing the godly that are truely faithfull Vse 2 they lift at mill-stones Lastly Obs seeing Christ is risen from the dead we must labour and strive thither also if a Captaine hath made a breach and entered the hold of the enemy will not the souldiers presse after and ambitiously affect who should get next him so we Christ hath led us the daunce and broke through the gates of death into the City of God we should affect to come after as Saint Paul did strive for conformity with Christ in this point both in the first and second Resurrection The third point is Observ That Christs Resurrection hath speciall priviledge above all others for all others before were not begotten from among the dead because they were raised up with mortality tending to death againe but our Saviour Christ in that He dyed He dyed at once not long to be held of it but in that He is risen He is raised to live for ever death shall no more have dominion over Him 2 All other rose as private and singular men not as publique persons in the name of other making hope to all the dead of their resurrection therefore they were not the first fruits duely gathered but like a singular eare of corne by occasion more timely gathered Now Christ is risen as He dyed not for Himselfe onely but for all us so Christ is risen in al our names so that as we all dyed in Him so we all are raised in Him as a Burgesse of a Parliament what he doth or speaketh it is in the name of the Corporation who doth it in him When God created Adam He made all mankinde in as much as He made him who was to be a Principle of naturall generation to all mankind conveying life and being to them in their order so when He raised Christ He raised us all in as much as He hath raised up a second Adam a Principle of spirituall regeneration even of the first and second resurrection to all Gods chosen in their order Hence it is that Paul saith Eph. 2.6 We are raised up in Christ and set in heavenly places in Him that Peter saith 1 Peâ— 1.3 God hath begotten us to that happy hope in the Resurrection of Iesus Christ Lastly He raised Himselfe as who was the Lord from heaven the quickening Spirit Destroy this body and in three dayes I will raise it up Great therefore every way is the prerogative of our Lord IESUS CHRIST even in regard of that Nature which was dead but now is alive He was slaine before the foundation of the world Hee is raised up as the hope and fore-runner of all our immortality Thou lookest at His death as thy death and against all guilt of sinne and terrour of conscience threatning the Curse doest say I have borne the Curse in my Lord Gal. 3.13 made a curse for me So against all terrours of bodily death hold this I am raised up in CHRIST for He is risen in all our names who beleeve on Him If wee beleeve that IESUS is dead and risen againe 1 Thess 4.14 so also God shall bring those who are slept in Iesus say to life eternall with Him VERSE 19. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulnesse dwell NOw he commeth to give a reason of the former opening the fountaine where the Man IESUS CHRIST found such grace as that in Him all of us should be redeemed that Hee should be God in Person over all creatures yea the Head of His Church filling all in all Now the Reason is here set downe to be the good pleasure of God the Father First that the fulnesse of the God-head for so it is best construed out of the second Chap. Vers 9. and not only that the fulnesse of created gifts should dwell personally in this humane Nature as a Temple 2. That this Person God-man should by the Sacrifice of Himselfe reconcile all unto God First then in generall we see Obs That whatsoever the manhood of CHRIST is lifted up unto it is the meere grace of God not the merit of the Creature What could this Man doe which could deserve this grace that it should be personally united with God and so lifted up to be incomparably above all the Angels in heaven And therefore Saint Augustine doth not doubt to make CHRIST the Sampler of GOD's free Predestination the free grace of God appearing in none so much as in Him which is the Head of all This CHRIST looketh to in His members Lord I thanke thee that thou hast beene pleased to reveile these things unto babes and sucklings and hast kept them from the wise and learned Even so O Father because it pleased thee Yea I doubt not but as God did predestinate him of grace to this honour of being God in fellowship of Person and of being the Prince of our salvation So God in the Covenant He did make with Him and the commandement He gave Him of laying downe His life did strike it and fulfill it of grace not requiring any thing Hee imposed on His Sonne more than duties of free
to Himselfe a peculiar people Zealous of good workes Rom. 8. It is God that Iustifieth Which doth first serve for confutation of the Papists Vse 1 who though they yeeld Christ God-man yet will have His sacrificing praying c. onely to come from His humane Nature whereas all the efficacy commeth hence that the divine Nature and the humane are conjoyned as the body to the soule the humane nature being but an instrument to the divine neither is it absurd that the same Person who as God is to be prayed unto should as God-man pray to Himselfe as God absolutely considered with the Father and spirit for Christ susteyneth a double person one as God absolutely considered with the Father and Spirit and offended by man as they another as God-man undertaking to reconcile man offending to the Father Himselfe and the Spirit offended This doth teach us what we must looke at in Christ Vse 2 if we will have our consciences comfortably setled in the perswasion of our reconcilement we must looke at Him as God who goeth betweene us and God this doth still the conscience and fill it with good hope When we have offended some great personages if some meane one should moove them in our behalfe it would not so stay us for we know they will often not heare them speake or have them in light regard if they doe give them the hearing but if we can procure such as are their peeres to deale effectually for us we doubt not but that things shall be well compounded what will they deny to such as shall be equall to themselves and most neerely acquainted with them so with us c. Now in the coherence it selfe these things being marked come wee to the action it selfe where are three things 1 The reconciler by Him 2 The thing to be reconciled 3 To whom these things were to be reconciled to Him which is to be supplied out of the ver before where either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indefinitely or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee understood out of the first and third circumstances wee gather these things joyntly By Him Obs Observe hence Who is the worker of our reconciliation with God even this deare Sonne the Father testifieth from heaven saying this is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased So Rom. 3.25 Him hath God set forth speaking of Christ as a reconciliation as a propitiatory sacrifice in which He would returne into favour with us God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himselfe The Father and the spirit reconcile us to themselves but by Christ Christ immediately by Himselfe doth procure us favour and this was it which all the attonements made by propitiatory sacrifices did presignify unto us even how this High Priest Iesus Christ should with the sacrifice of His bloud make God and us one againe in mutuall love as He and His Father are one Which doth let us see what we must looke to in all terrors of conscience caused by apprehension of God Vse 1 wrath even to Iesus Christ He hath with His bloud quenched this wild fire for Gods wrath is a consuming fire We with screenes doe keepe the fire from face and eys but they are wise which put between their soules and Gods wrath this screene of Christ His reconciliation least this fire burne to the pit of destruction This must make us cleave unto Christ even to let our tenderest bowels love Him that hath done this for us ô if one doe but take up some hurtfull jarre betwixt us and some other whose favour we have found very beneficiall whose displeasure we find very prejudiciall wee would be very thankefull to Him If one should mollifie the Kings displeasure and make Him favour us would we not with all love imbrace Him Christ hath healed worse things betwixt God and thee love Him with all thy soule If one should interpose his mediation to the King for some malefactor say a Theefe that hath greatly wronged some man in his estate the King will say out of justice thou must see the dammages done bee made whole and undertake that he shal leave that course of life els in justice and wisedome I cannot but refuse the suite even so if Christ had not giuen such satisfaction as was accepted and undertaken to kill the raigne of sinne and enmity against God for the time to come this blessed reconciliation could not have beene concluded The use of it is to stirre us up Vse 1 if we have care to have God reconciled to us to make sure that our sin is covered and that there be no enmity raging in our hearts against Him for hereafter As he said to Iehu peace Iehu he answer'd how can there be peace whiles Iezabels fornications are not revenged Say thou to God in thy enemylike courses not subject to his commandements art thou reconciled Lord He wil say how should I thou hast that uncovered in thee which maketh all the quarrell for I cannot see iniquity so as to like of it I am God that hate it This teacheth us what is the true way of reconciling to take away that which maketh the difference for else truce we may have which souldiers hostilelike affected have but true reconcilement will be far from us Marke Obs 2 in what all our peace is grounded the bloud-shed of Iesus Christ the phrase is to be noted by the bloud of the Crosse by Him the latter pointing at the excellency of of His person as the thing which made His bloud-shed so forceable 1 Ioh. 2.7 This purgeth all our sinnes saith Saint Iohn This doth worke a death of sinne our sinfull life being crucified in Him and through Him this maketh way for the Father of all mercies to exchange and that without wrong to His justice His just wrath with fatherly favour yea the conspiring Angels with the heyres of salvation and joy they have in them yea peace w th all the creatures yea inward and outward agreement of man with man must hence be derived for what breakes downe the partition wall what killeth sinne in vs but this alone ô pretious bloud that cryest not for revenge but speakest better things then the bloud of Abell But here three things are to be layd downe for the cleering of this point 1 The true order of our reconciliation 2 What is meant by the bloud of His Crosse 3 Why the Scripture doth attribute this every where to His bloud and externall sufferings 1 To the first we are reconciled in this order 1 All cause of inward and outward enmity is taken away the matter of enmity betwixt God and us being sinne betwixt man and man Iew and Gentile the ceremoniall law now Christ by His death did take both away 2 This done away God doth lay aside wrath and is quieted toward us God is said to smell a savour of rest in Christs death so that He saith wrath is not in Me. 3 He doth come to take us to grace
was in the name of us all and had in it a seed-like vertue to worke the resurrection of us all Hence it commeth that we no sooner come to be in Him but the power of His resurrection is felt of us making us rise to newnesse of life 2 Cor. 5.17 In Christ all things are new Whosoever have learned CHRIST as the truth is in Him have so learned Him as they are dead to sinne the life of the old man is killed and they are alive in the life of grace For looke as a member truly by inward ligaments knit with a living head hath life in it so wee when we come to bee in Christ raysed up and living to God in life glorious we cannot but live in Him Wherefore how woefull is the state of many that professe Christ yet live in ignorance Vse know not what a resurrection meaneth are dead while they live in all kinde of fin and wantonnesse these never were in Christ but like as glasse eyes are set in the body or wooden legges which being by outward meanes joyned to it doe not receive life and sense with other members Wee never knew communion with him who is the quickning spirit if we be dead in our sins 2 Observe What it is that maketh us rise to new life Doct. viz. faith on Christ We are sayd to live by faith because after some sort it is life but most properly it bringeth life into us He that believeth hath everlasting life fully in Christ his head inchoative or imperfectly in himselfe For as in bodily death the reuniting of the soule with it doth make it rise againe and become a living body so faith as a spirituall vinculum tying God who is the soule of our soules againe unto them they which before were dead are anew quickened Thus then as an instrumentall cause of our conjunction with God in Christ who is our life it may be sayd to quicken us or rayse us up though further faith it selfe may bee conceived as a part of this life For as the soule died in falling into ignorance of God estranged from the life of GOD through ignorance in them Ephes 4.18 so comming by faith to know God it beginneth to live Ioh. 17.3 hence to know God in Christ faith being an affianced knowledg is life everlasting This then is the first thing which God worketh in us as the beginning and instrumentall cause of our other following life even as in our waking from our naturall sleepe which is a shaddow of death first the eyes open and then our senses and motions doe come fully to us in their order So in awaking from this sleepe of sin first the eye of faith lookes up to GOD and that invisible world then our life returneth more fully the spirit of God from Christ working it in us Marke then hence Vse that all such beliefes as make not new creatures are not sound faith toward CHRIST the reason is playne a true faith bringeth Christ to live in us Now as a quickning soule cannot returne into the dead body of it but there will be new life So Christ that quickning spirit cannot returne to live in a dead soule but needs it must bee raysed up Wherefore if wee feele no life but that we brought from our mothers wombe let us cast downe our selves we have not yet truly believed and we see how our faith doth not shut out good life as the Papists slander us but bringeth it forth as an effect which cannot be severed Finally Vse hence men may assure themselves of the truth of their faith if they bee renewed in life The last thing here to be noted is Doctr. That the omnipotent action of God which raysed Christ from the dead is it that begetteth faith in us Eph. 1.19 It is called the exceeding greatnesse of His power toward us which believe according to the working of His mighty power Faith is the eye of the soule by which we looke upon CHRIST it is the hand by which we receive all good from Christ Now if a man be borne blind or borne without a hand an eye that seeth but these aspectable creatures and discerneth not distinctly but things at hand a hand that cannot reach an ell or two from us yet all the world cannot supply these nor no power but His onely that created the body how much lesse then shall any power bee able to give us that eye which looketh within the vayle that hand which claspeth Christ in heaven but only the Almighty power of God But what Object doth that power that raysed Christ rayse us up Yea that power though daily continued Answ as the Lord creating Adam and Eve with the law of propagating all the race of mankind did by that power which created and coupled them after a sort make all mankinde though the Father and Son and spirit doe still worke in continuing that first power put forth So here GOD raysing Christ up in whom we all were that he might be a roote and fountayne of supernaturall life to us all that power may be sayd fitly to rayse us all Wherefore let us learne to admire and give glory to GODS power which worketh our fayth Vse 1 if we saw a man raysed from the dead ô how would we speake of such a wonderous power but this is the same that raised Christ from the dead which raiseth us to believe If we creepe up from some deadly sicknesse we tell what a power of God it was to rayse us But when our soules creepe out of darknesse and death to believe on the living God it is as nothing with us This teacheth us whither we must fly for the strengthening and susteyning of our fayth even to this power Vse 2 the same power that made all things upholdeth all things He that knoweth how all the considence of his heart is set upon himselfe and the creature how his reason and senses and his own inclination which is not quieted but in outward meanes how Sathan and the course of this world resist us in believing he cannot but confesse it is the Lords power that first brought him to it and that must keepe his faith from fayling Lastly we see hence how wide they are Vse 3 who never felt any want of such a power who thinke of fayth as a thing they have alwayes had since they came to reason Yea Papists that if GOD offer hold it in the power of man to believe when God sheweth the promise and inlighteneth the mind VERSE 13. And yee which were dead in sinnes and in the uncircumcision of your flesh hath Hee quickened together with Him forgiving you all your trespasses NOw he commeth to repeate this benefit insisting more largely upon it and first he setteth downe the state of them before they were quickened Secondly the quickning of them Thirdly the manner of the action the order in which he quickened them which standeth in a threefold antecedent in nature before
are nothing but the stinch which commeth from the dead corps I meane the body of sin dwelling within us For as heavie savours come from a putrified body so doe these motions from a corrupt soule And as a childe if he doe swarve from morality and civill vertue following whores and abominable courses be a royoter a theefe when thou seest an absence of civill vertue thou sayest he is even a lost childe what then shall wee thinke of our selves being without all heavenly vertue of faith hope joy in the Spirit godlinesse temperance c. The use is Vse that we would consider of sinne and our estate through it that we who have not thought of it may yet set our hearts to the way of life that we may be thankfull who have escaped from it that we may take heed of it and labour to be healed more and more of it Should some learned Physitian tell you such or such a deadly thing were growing on your body how would you thank him and make use of it Oh it is well with thee if God make thee wise that thou hearest this day how thou art dead in spirit and for us we are glad when we escape some great bodily sicknesse and if there dwell reliques of sicke matter wee keepe rules desanitate tuenda how much more should we be wise for our soules 3 That he saith they were dead in trespasses Observe What is the life of a naturall man even a death in trespasse Doct. tota infidelium vita peccatum like tree like fruit now the very conscience of them is polluted Tit. 1.15 without faith it is impossible to GOD. True it is that outwardly they doe many things that are laudable but still they walke in the flesh the Divell hath conjured them so into that circle that they cannot stirre forth of it Looke as in the flesh of a beast there is some part of greatuse bought up at great price some that is cast to the pudding pits yet all is flesh so in the life of the naturall man some workes are of good use and in commendation with man some are abominabl but all are of the flesh As a livelesse image hath the resemblance of a man but is nothing lesse So the vertuous actions of naturall men have that appearance of good but want the soule and life of it in which it consisteth This is to be marked against the Papists Vse as it teacheth us not to rest in this that we are neither theefe nor whore for be our life never so civill it is death in sinne till grace quicken There is a double madnesse as Hippocrates observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one very light and toying the other more sober and solemne in which men sit still musing deepely upon some fancies Such a difference we have in spirituall phrensies some are very sober over other some as we see the lives of some naturall men gravely ordered and morally in comparison of others but yet all is deluded phrensie before GOD. 2 Marke hence Doct. 2 That our course in actuall sinne doth sinke us deeper and deeper in death when you were dead in sinne intimating thus much that the custome of their trespasses did hold them under death Even as the more the body putrifies it goeth further into death So here the more the soule doth exercise it selfe in evill the deeper it sinketh into the death of it It is fitly likened to the stone of the sepulchre this custome of actuall sinning for it doth seale us up and keepe us downe more strongly under it Vpon this ground the Prophet asketh How shall the Leopard change his spots no more can those that are accustomed to evill learne to doe well Which must make us take heed how wee goe on in a sinfull course Vse for it maketh us rot in this spirituall death and maketh it more difficult for us to returne Many that procrastinate repentance they thinke not on this You hath He quickened with CHRIST that is both perfectly in CHRIST with whom your life is hid and initially in your selves being joyned with CHRIST Vos cum Christo convivificavit conjunctos Christo Observe hence Doct. How farre we are from being prepared to receive the grace shewed us by GOD when we are quickened to beleeve Even as well disposed as Lazarus was for his resurrection to this present life of whom it was said that he now stanke in the grave No there was as much disposition in that Tohu and Bohu that inanity and deformity which was before the world to the being yea the ordinate being of all the Creature as there is in our soules to the worke of grace We are as farre from this heavenly forme of supernaturall life as the deformed Chaos of the Creature was from this beautifull figure before the LORD did bring it forth There is nothing in Nature can so dispose a man to grace as that it should necessarily follow for onely the principal agent which bringeth in the forme it selfe is able to worke the immediate disposition upon which the forme ensueth As nothing but fire can bring combustible matter to be so sparke as that whereupon it presently burneth for such a disposition is the first point of bringing in he forme it selfe In this therefore many of the Papists are wide yea Vse erre from sound reason it selfe let us therefore by confessing our owne utter untowardnesse and repugnancie to GOD's worke glorifie His Name 2 That hee doth mention their estate before to illustrate GOD's mercy Observe Doctr. What is the way to bring men to thankfull acknowledgement of GOD's grace to teach them to see what they were when GOD shewed it Thus Moses thorow the Booke of Deuteronomie often calleth on them to think what they were in Aegypt yea from their comming forth of Aegypt to that day wherein he spake being now not many dayes from his death So Ezek. 16.30 Saint Paul every-where The Papists doe most wickedly derogate from GOD's glory Vse 1 while they teach something in us which is a partiall agent with God so good preparations and dispositions to this and that But Moses otherwise Not for the goodnesse of thy heart not that yee were more in number though He cast off others for their sinnes He tooke not thee for thy deservings We may hence strengthen our selves Vse 2 not to doubt in receiving God's particular promises though we finde our selves unworthy nothing so fitted as we should be Not unto us O Lord but unto thy Name c. For my Name-sake not for your sake O yee House of Israel As at the first so after GOD doth dispense His favours that we have still cause to confesse our unworthinesse to His Name to CHRIST our Mediatour to His Truth all is to be attributed and from them all is to be expected Hath He quickened together with Him Observe then That all believers have a new life in and through Christ Doct. To understand it wee must note that CHRIST in
dying was after a sort all of us for in our Nature Hee made Himselfe one with us and had us all by name as a body unto Him and all our sinne He tooke as His owne having made Himselfe one mysticall Person with us Secondly you must know that CHRIST thus having us all with Him as members belonging to Him through the gift of His Father and having all our sinne made His He dyeth for us all and for the abolishing of all our sinnes so that we all lye dead with Him and out sinne is all crucified with Him for it beginneth not to be crucified when wee dye to it no here was the beginning of it Thirdly CHRIST lying dead with all His dead in Him having taken away the guilt and wrought the death of sin in all His or the death of all His members to sin CHRIST with His body being dead is raised and receiveth that treasury of supernaturall life which is to be derived in the order of it to all His so that CHRIST rising all of us rise in Him as our Head for the members have society in whatsoever is done in the Head 2 As a thing may be said to be in the cause of it so was all our resurrection in His which was to be the cause of all our resurrection As Adam and Eve were the cause of propagating a naturall life to all mankinde Fourthly CHRIST thus raised and made the conceptacle and fountaine of supernaturall life sendeth out His vitall influence into such as belong to Him 1 By faith giving them a being spirituall or an union in Him even as Adam gave a naturall being or participation of his substance unto his members 2 He doth send into them thus united with Him the Spirit of life from Himselfe that is the HOLY GHOST to dwell in them by the created gifts of grace which is life supernaturall They shall heare my voice who are dead that is they shall beleeve and they shall live 3 CHRIST doth successively perfect this life never leaving till He have in soule and body conformed us for our module to His blessed Soule and glorious body And these may serve to open this point of beliefe The difficulty of conceiving it commeth hence 1. That we know not how straitly and neerely we are united to Him for as all were within the loynes of Adam by the determinate Counsell of GOD to come from Him so all the Elect by GOD's predestination and donation were within CHRIST as one in Him and with Him 2. Wee are not able to see that vertue of His resurrection The use is first Vse to incite us to seeke to have our eyes opened that we may know the treasury of good things we have in CHRIST and the power which Hee hath put forth in us We should love CHRIST a thousand times more if wee knew feelingly what Hee were to us We are not able to see how we in the womb are formed how much more will our eyes dazle here further than GOD doth cleare them This also must make us hold to our head CHRIST even as we will have life in us get a member away from having communion with the Head it is presently livelesse having neither sense nor motion So in us with CHRIST We see whither we must have recourse for life Even to CHRIST Come to me and your soules shall live to GOD in our Nature looke at thy owne flesh in heaven and draw from it as a Conduit-pipe increase of grace sent thee from it by the Spirit which dwelleth with it Having forgiven you all trespasses Now he commeth to the order of our new quickening which hee setteth downe by three antecedents which made way to it 1 He pardoned our sinne 2 He crossed our Bill 3 He freed us from the power of Satan and all infernall spirits Before I enter them let this in generall be premised to cleare the text Suppose that we stood in great debt unto any say againe that he had to shew for all the debt under his owne hand Put the case thirdly that wee were cast into prison and in the custody of some Gaolour or any officers to that purpose If hee at whose suite wee are in hold be willing to set us free what doth he first he doth pardon the debt Secondly he doth Cancell our bills and bonds for he that keepeth our bonds seemeth not to forgive nor willing to let us goe otherwise than that he may have a saying to us when he pleaseth Thirdly he doth release his action and setteth him out of bands that held him and after all this dismisseth him to his liberty So here we are in for debt such debt as toucheth life it selfe the matter is under our owne confession the Divell holds us under chaines of darknesse GOD is willing to restore us to life 1 He pardoneth our faults 2 Rendeth the Articles of our confession 3 Taketh us out of their hands who were ministers of His justice in the close keeping of us This shall suffice to illustrate it in generall We see hence Doct. That in order of nature first we have pardon of sinne before wee have the life of grace begun in us there must be a removall of evill before there can be a conferring of good Thus in CHRIST Himselfe He was acquit from all our sinne which was upon Him before He was raised up yea if the least sinne of any of us who are His had beene unanswered Hee had not beene raised up and for this cause Rom. 4.25 The raising of CHRIST is said to be our justification that is God in raysing Him up did manifest that Hee was fully answered for all our sinnes so that we now are quit from all our sinnes in CHRIST our Head Even as if one lye sentenced a dead man for treason against the King he cannot have His life given him but pardon of his fault is first given So here answerably we are not restored to feele the life of God take place in us till our sins which caused our death are removed In a sinners restoring this is the order 1 God by faith setteth Him into CHRIST who is His righteousnesse in whom belongeth to Him forgivenesse 2 God when by beliefe He is in CHRIST doth pronounce Him just or acquit Him from sinne 3 The LORD doth send the Spirit of His Son into His heart This is the order in Nature though in time these things goe together This is to be noted against the Papists who when a sinner hath by deadly sinne lost the life of grace as they say though he after come to have never such love to God yet will not have the sinne forgiven till the Priest hath absolved him As if God did restore the life of grace before He gave the pardon of sinne This out of the order The words have foure things to be marked 1 Who forgiveth God the Father He raised up both CHRIST and us when He had forgiven 2 The manner of forgiving in
meane while see nothing into those favours which they themselves have enjoyed But let us learne hence so to be affected to God for that we have received that we faile not to tell what God hath done for our soules when we are telling of His kindnesse Lastly Doct. marke the largenesse of God's grace forgiving all our sinnes all past present and to come If any future sinnes were not forgiven us we could not have life eternall restored For as one of our sinnes kept without pardon would have kept CHRIST from rising from the dead so it would keepe us from feeling the power of His Resurrection if all our sinnes were not remitted to us There is no condemnation to one that is in CHRIST Rem 8.1 Hee hath passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation God doth not forgive as justifying us judicially but once neither doth he remit all present to the beleever suspending the pardon of future till hee should anew repent and beleeve for this standeth not with the nature of that everlasting Covenant I will remember thy sinne no more Againe unlesse one would hold a totall which must needs also bee a finall fall from CHRIST it would follow that one should be in CHRIST and yet for a time in state of damnation before God Why then doe we pray Object Answ forgive us our sinne That we may have continuance of our pardon sense and feeling of it that we may have pardon of God's Fatherly displeasure and so of bitter corrections which our sinne might cause not that we would have a new justification with GOD. How are those that are excommunicate made as Publicans Object and it is good in Heaven The Church doth not cut them off from all conjunction with GOD Ans but separate them from all communion with her selfe and in this regard doth censure them as Publicans and not let them communicate with them no more than prophane persons though she may think they may be brethren in God's secret sight and estimation and this censure of hers is ratified Hence then let us thinke of the Lord 's wonderfull love Vse to forgive one fault a second and a third this is much but to pardon such thousands of talents is wonderfull If the King should forgive a traytor against whom one treasonable practice was proved is it not great clemencie but to pardon one against whom there is good proofe of a thousand Articles in this kinde Thus it is with God hence Rom. 5. God amplifieth His grace and maketh it to glory above justice justice condemned in one sinne but grace is given to the pardon of many offences This is to be noted against the Papists they say God forgiveth all sinnes fully in Baptisme only after Baptisme God forgiveth not veniall sins and if we fall into mortal God forgiveth for CHRIST the eternall punishment but leaveth us to satisfie the temporall Thus when God forgiveth us not all our sins but sins committed before Baptisme not all after but mortall only nor mortall fully but in regard of the eternall punishment thus they infringe the Charter of all the Christian world that they may maintaine their merchandize of Pardons and indulgencies But this were to make God no pardoner but a mitigater of punishment If the King now when a traytour is condemned to dye doe change his sentence of of death into perpetuall imprisonment hee is not said to forgive the treason but to mitigate punishment Privilegiasunt amplianda When God saith He forgiveth all who but such enemies of mankinde would restraine it further than God Himselfe doth True it is that many punishments doe still lye upon GOD's children but they are childe-like chastisements not judiciary penalties whereby the Law might be satisfied VERSE 14. Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrarie to us and tooke it out of the way nailing it to his Crosse NOw he commeth to the second benefit which went before our quickening In laying it downe 1 He setteth downe the benefit 2 The manner of working it In describing the benefit he doth by a gradation set it forth 1 He blotted out the hand-writing against us 2 He tooke it out of the way quite abolished it The manner of working nailing it on the Crosse But to cleare the Text some Questions are necessary It may be asked Qu. 1 what is meant by this hand-writing The Apostle leadeth us to know it Answ 1 By the Quality it was Contrary 2 The Subject about which it was occupied in rites which doe define it sufficiently to be the Ceremoniall Law but it is more evident by comparing it with Ephes 2.15 Abolishing the Law of Commandements in rites by that which he presently inferreth Therefore seeing that CHRIST hath blotted out the hand-writing in rites let none condemne you in legall rites not obeyed by you This illation doth shew that legall rites are meant somewhere in the precedents Further Verse 20. he thus useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why doe yee use rites as touch not taste not handle not It may be asked Qu. 2 how this was a hand-writing against any They have a double consideration the one Evangelicall Answ whereby they are visible words preaching Christ thus they are not the other legall purely Mosaicall whereby they preached our guilt and the wrath belonging to us thus they were hand-writings against us It may be asked how Saint Paul can say Qu. 3 these were hand-writings against the Colossians and how he can name the taking of them away as a benefit to the Colossians seeing that nothing is more evident than that the Ceremoniall Law was laid on none by God but the houshold of Abraham Saint Paul saith to us who was of the tribe of Benjamin Answ Phil. 3. and it may be he changeth the Person in the Verse before having respect to this But to passe this Conjecture it may be answered that the Iewish rites had a double testification the one direct which respected their owne persons that worshipped with them the other indirect by force of Consequent onely and thus they did witnesse the guilt of all the world For if they testifie that the peculiar people of God were by nature in sin and guiltie of death then à fortiori they witnessed all the world beside lay in sinne and death And thus Saint Paul on the contrary maketh those Scriptures which are spoken against the Gentiles in the old Testament to witnesse against the Iew by nature the Iew is no better than the Gentile Now this was a benefit to all the Gentiles the abolishing of them not that it easeth us from any thing had beene upon us but because it doth save us from ever having this importable yoke laid on us and this I take to be the sound answer of this question What it meaneth Qu. 4 that God is said to blot out and take them away Because they are so answered in CHRIST Ans that their obligation
principall end to which the grace of GOD used them was to shadow out CHRIST as followeth but nakedly considered as apart from this grace of the Gospell they did acknowledge our debt what we should pay they did make confession that we did it not they did also acknowledge the mystery which belonged to us in this regard for it is to be noted that nothing can be fitly conceived here but the Iewish rites not our agreement and covenanting with GOD in Paradise or Mount Sinay all these things will we doe this is the debt it selfe not Syngrapha or Chyrographum which doth testifie the debt Now the Ceremonies some did testifie their debt Galath 5. If a man be circumcised say as seeking righteousnesse in the Law he is a debter to the whole Law Marke that as a man by the bill of his hand so the old people by the Circumcision did testifie that they owed GOD obedience in all the Law 2. Some testified their guilt as all their legall uncleannesses and washings their sacrificings both sinne offerings and burnt offerings the one shewed their guilt the other that they were by nature altogether corrupted and must be killed as they were themselves that so they might come to live to GOD such were their humbling their soules annually In conclusion their whole worship did testifie that the perfect offering with which GOD's wrath was to be appeased was not yet come 2. That Heaven was not yet opened that they were all in desert of death through sinne this was all they could doe as purely legall as they are considered a part of the ministery of the Law so farre as it is opposed to the Gospell thus they were a ministery of condemnation beggarly elements a Chyrographum against us Yet the principall end to which GOD used them was to signifie the sacrifices to come this was the principall I say because the Law it selfe is made a servant to grace yea justice in God doth put it selfe forth that the grace of God may be more manifested and it may be therefore the Apostle here saith they were a Chyrographum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subcontrary in respect that they had another end more maine which was with us though they wanted not this testification also Now how this testification doth extend to us guiltlesse is above shewed The use of this may be first to admonish us whence it came Vse that the spirit of bondage did so abound in the people of the Iewes ever since CHRIST Answ They were still occupied in one rite or other which did testifie uncleannesse their services were hand-writings against them they proclaimed their guilt aloud but shewed the grace of God very obscurely Againe we see what cause we have to be glad of our LORD IESUS who hath freed us of these lamentable services If wee have called in a bond or bill which we had abroad it joyeth us but we know not our happinesse who have these bonds in statute reversed for us And wee must take heed of this levin of Iewish ceremony from which we were redeemed so dearely A little levin worketh thorow the whole lumpe Ill weeds grow apace What an abundance are these rites growen to in the Church of Rome from beginnings farre smaller But some may say Object Our Ceremonies witnesse nothing against us we grant CHRIST is ascended The Ceremonies not onely as Shadowes of Christ Answ but as they are a more carnall kinde of instructing doe witnesse against us that the time of faith is not come that the Spirit promised is not given that the times wherein wee must worship in spirit and truth that is a spirituall manner not carnall that these times are not yet approached Lastly marke Doct. That Christ hath by suffering on the Crosse abolished these things So you have it Eph. 2.15 1 Pet. 1.20 He hath delivered you from your vaine conversation received by the tradition of your fathers Where it is to be noted that though the whole ceremoniall Law might in some regard be called Vaine for it was but a shadow of heavenly things it brought not things to perfection yet he doth especially note there the traditionary depravations of doctrines yea and their Ceremonies significant which they used by the institution of men to admonish them of inward holinesse as washing of hands Matt. 15. to put them in mind of inward cleannesse of which Christ saith In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrine mens precepts as also their corrupt conversation for Christ suffering did crucifie the vaine carnall and sinfull life of our old man that we might be even for the externall manner spirituall and holy to God through Him This then as it sheweth us the love of CHRIST Vse so it teacheth us how wee must much prize and warily maintaine this liberty Such things as we buy at a deare rate we lay them up carefully use them charily we say it standeth us in thus much But alas this benefit not silver nor gold but the bloud of CHRIST hath purchased for us it hath redeemed us as well from such vaine externall rites which men devise as from those typicall Ceremonies of the Law which respected CHRIST to come VERSE 15. And hath spoiled the Principalities and Powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed over them in the same Crosse NOw followeth the third thing which went before our quickening that is the freeing us from him who was GOD's fearfull doomes-man having power of executing death upon us by reason of our sinne Principalities and Powers doe signifie all those superiour and inferiour powers of darknesse with which Christ combated on His Crosse The thing is set downe by a gradation 1 He did spoile them which what it is shall be opened more 2 He did make a shew of them that is expose them to ignominy and reproach for so this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Matth. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 He triumphes over them within Himselfe or on His Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The summe is God in Christ hath quickened us when He had given us an acquittance from all our sinnes abolished all things which shewed any thing against us when He had on the Crosse of His Son disarmed made a scorne and triumphed over all spirituall powers who had us as executioners to His justice before in their custody In the Verse three things may be considered 1 The Victory it selfe 2 The Persons vanquished 3 The Manner First in generall we are to marke Doct. That God doth set us free from the power of Satan before we are made alive throughly in IESUS CHRIST He quickened us in Christ in what order having subdued all Principalities and Powers that held us even as in Christ our Head so in us this worke proceedeth First He died and by death conquered the Prince of this world Then when his power was broken Hee raised Himselfe up againe In the same order are we
when we beleeve first translated out of the power of Satan before we have our new life infused from Christ Even as a traytour cannot be safe from the sentence of death untill he be first taken out of the hand of a cruell Executioner So here with us Hence it is that Heb. 2.15 Christ is said first to abolish him who hath power of death and then to deliver those who through feare of death were still subject to bondage But it may be asked Quest how these were subdued by Christ when we finde them still encounter us Because they have no right in us Answ nor power to hurt us and are totally in due time to be troden under our feet therefore they are said subdued not that they have not leave a while to exercise us This then must make us rejoyce in God our Saviour Vse who hath vanquished such enemies in our behalfe When the great Armado in eighty eight was overthrowne what a joy was it to all true English hearts But this is the joy of all joyes to the Israel of God to thinke how Christ hath troden on the Serpents head and captivated all their power who sometime lead us captive In particular when he saith Doct. Who hath spoiled Observe hence That God hath in Iesus Christ crucified and disarmed Satan that he hath no weapon against us It is the custome of conquerours to disarme their vanquished enemies and make a prey of what ever they have so hath Christ Iesus done with Satan For first whereas they had sin and our owne confessions against us CHRIST tooke away our sins laying them on Himselfe and satisfying for them Secondly whereas they having power of death did hold us under CHRIST bare the death in His owne Person that so this weapon might not hurt us Thirdly whereas we by reason of sin and death were in their power He stripped them off us likewise making the mighty deliver these captives for sin and death being taken away by which they held us in their power they had nothing to shew why wee should be detained now this was the spoiling of him of his free-hold as hee imagined This must teach us to stirre up our selves in serving GOD confidently for why Vse Wee are delivered from our enemies who are spoiled that we might serve the LORD without feare Great are these spirituall powers in their nature but to those that are in Christ they are disarmed so that they cannot hurt us they are naked divels and we being in Christ are in a strong for t Wherefore as for armed men being in a strong hold it were too much shame to be afraid of naked enemies that should offer with nothing in their hands to assaile them So here True it is as children not knowing what is what are afraid of bull-beggars which cannot hurt them So are we here but the LORD maketh us grow up in His strength We see how to comfort our selves when we feele sinne darted against us or seeme to feele feare of death Vse 2 or discerne that the Divell doth halfe hold us still as we thinke what must we doe but looke to Christ tell Him LORD thou hast taken sin and death out of the Divels hand and tooke me from him likewise Lord make my eye of faith cleere that I may see this thy victory for me thy victory I know is full though in my feeling it seeme otherwise Looke with the eye of faith to Christ give glory to Him that He hath done it and thou shalt quickly see His victory applyed in thee And though the Divell hold hard feare not all is vaine he must yeeld the bucklers when all is done to thy Lord Christ his prey must be delivered up he hath no right in it nor power to hold CHRIST did discharge him of the one and brake the other in his death He hath made a shew of them openly Observe hence Doct. How Christ in His death made a scorne of all the powers of darknesse they are exposed to open shame It is said of the wicked Dan. 12. they shall be an everlasting reproach and it is a part of their deserved punishment So here it was just that these wicked powers should be exposed to all reproach But what was this open shew of them Quest The taking them captives Ans 1 the pinioning them with His Almighty power the presenting them before GOD Angels and every beleeving eye as naked things who are spoiled and cast out of their usurped possessions the filling them with confusion Yea not onely doth He thus make them stoope to His command but made them become hang-men doing execution at the command of His servants in His Name as Paul saith of Hymeneus and Alexander I have delivered them up to Satan 1 Tim. 20 Now as a serpent that leaveth the sting in one cannot sting againe so it was with this old serpent his sting was so stricken into Christ that he could not now any more sting us who are His Nay more the putting him under the feet of such demie creatures as we are and making him serve for our good whom he usurped over as cruell Pharaoh sometime Even as Conquerours taking their enemies captive doe make them serve for base slaves in the basest ministeries lead them along pinnioned one to another So doth our Conquerour IESUS CHRIST This must the more make us magnifie God Vse and animate our selves under the shadow of His wings who is all our salvation Note againe that our SAVIOUR hath openly triumphed on His Crosse which doth let us see the perfect victory of Christ over all our enemies in His death this was the consummation of His Conquest that the Victor did ride in His Chariot of triumph the vanquished captives of divers Nations led beside him When the Emperour came home he went up to the top of the Capitoll and there in publike view triumphed as he saith of Augustus Ille triumphata Capitolia ad alta Corintho victor aget currum This is the fulnesse of victory But here a Question ariseth Quest How doth this triumph on His Crosse stand with His humiliation For the first degree of His exaltation is made His resurrection He is said to triumph in regard He suffering Answ wrought that whence His after triumph ensued Secondly Christ who in His man-hood lay conquered and humbled under death the same Person in regard of His God-head was conquering and triumphing for though to faine the same nature in contrary taking is a contradiction as Schoole-men doe who will have the humane nature formally in the greatest felicity and greatest sufferings at one instant yet to affirme the same Person in divers regards humbled extreamely and yet triumphing is no contradiction because it is not understood secundum idem and in respect of the same but a diverse nature Which must be all our rejoycing Vse 1 with what acclamation doe subjects meet and welcome their Princes returning with victory Such should be our entertaining this
heavenly newes that our King hath subdued all our spirituall enemies yea triumphed over for this argueth full conquest when no wise man will ante victoriam cantare triumphum We must hence strengthen our faith Vse 2 for this triumph was all our triumphs the like being to be done in every member through the power of this begun in the Head in behalfe of all the members Is not the victory of a King the victory of all his subjects Likewise can we be in danger of them whom the King hath surprised so that they are altogether within his power So it is betweene us and our spirituall King the LORD give us faith This letteth us see what a potent Vse 3 all sufficient SAVIOUR we have If death and the power of hell could not prevaile against Him under death and in the grave in His lowest humiliation how much lesse shall any creature take from Him now in glory those things which He hath in keeping for us Finally that He saith in that His Crosse We see hence that in CHRIST crucified all victory is obtained against these infernall enemies this must be read in that Crosse not in Himselfe For the antecedent in all these is GOD the Father working these things in His Sonne Iesus Christ crucified In this unlike those great Potentates they never celebrated triumphs while they were receiving the assault of the enemie but stayed till they were returned into their owne Countries to their Imperiall Cities as Claudius who when he had conquered this Countrey of Britaine he went home to Rome there to rule in triumph But our LORD while He receiveth all the hot assault of these powers of darknesse triumpheth Nobile genus vincendi Patientia to let them doe all their worst and by His suffering it to overcome them is a most triumphant kinde of conquest The very fight it selfe is triumph It is reported of the Lion and the Vnicorne that there being deadly hostility betweene them when the Lion spyeth the Vnicorne he taketh a tree the Vnicorne following him eagerly runneth his horne into the tree in which case the Lion spoileth him at his pleasure So betwixt our Lion of the tribe of Iudah God-man and these proud Vnicornes those spirituall sons of Pride there being great hostility these Principalities hating GOD and oppugning His glory in the salvation of mankind it pleased Him to dwell under the vaile of our nature even with such a body and soule as we have sinne excepted that while the Divell did run with all his strength and lodge his horne as it were in this man his power might be broken for ever every stroake he gave returned on his owne head being the death of this man hee killed himselfe the head of him in which you know lyeth the life of a Serpent was bruised for ever And as angry Bees foolishly stinging once make themselves drones ever after So these wily Serpents but foolish here if ever foolish stinging our SAVIOUR CHRIST have made themselves stinglesse to all that are CHRIST's for ever their wisdome had beene not to have stirred up any sinful men to have attached this sacred Person they should have fled from Him to the most remote quarters of Hell rather than have made Him suffer the least thing from them Had they done thus their power in the world had still remained For as the sparkles of fire lighting on water are extinct so sinne and death falling on the GOD of Holinesse and life were extinguished in Him The use is first to arme us Vse 1 that wee take not offence at the scandall of the world at this that our GOD and Saviour dyed was a man hanging upon a Crosse Looke by the eye of faith what victory was gotten by this Crosse what was the powerfull worke of this death and then it shall no more hinder us in beleeving when we know that GOD created light out of darknesse Nay that our GOD did thus by His death as a second Adam abolish spirituall death and bring immortality and life to mankind is more wonderfull than the Creation of the world Wee see that when Satan seemeth the most to prevaile on CHRIST Vse 2 or His members that then hee is most of all foiled and subdued Now his power was comming now hee made Him feele the sting of the Crosse he killed Him c. all this was against himselfe Thus it is in all that are CHRIST's when hee thinketh to have the greatest hand over them all turneth to their good when by death they are stricken death it selfe dyeth and his power is almost quite abolished Wherefore let us not faint in our straits but stand still looking to the salvation of GOD Thus that type of him Pharaoh when he sore tasked the Israelites they most encreased when hee had them so hemmed in betwixt mountaines and seas that there seemed no evasion then was their deliverance at hand and his confusion VERSE 16. Let no man therefore condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moones or of the Sabbath dayes YOu have heard at the sixth Verse of this Chapter that there began the exhortatory part of this Epistle and the Exhortations were generall concerning all sorts or speciall The generall you heard were either principall as that in the sixth and seventh Verses or secondary pertaining to the Principall the lesse principall assistant to that great duty of walking in CHRIST were prohibitions of things to be avoided In this Chapter are rules of spirituall practice in the next the Prohibitions are given first in generall Verse 8. Goe not after Philosophy and vaine deceit after the tradition of men and elements of the world the which generall prohibition hath beene propounded and by reasons hitherto enforced Now he commeth to some particular prohibitions which doe open unto us what things he meant by vaine deceit which leaneth on mans tradition and is carnall The dehortations are two-fold 1 From a servile respecting the censures of men so walking in CHRIST that they meddle not neither with Iewish nor Philosophicall superstitions to the twentieth Verse 2 He dehorteth them from the practice of every carnall and elementary fashion of worshipping GOD from the twentieth Verse to the end of the Chapter To returne this dehortation in the sixteenth Verse may be divided into the prohibition and the reason The Prohibition Let no man condemne you in these things The Reason they are shadowes of things which now in Christ and His Church are exhibited for this hath a secret force enforcing what by the Apostle is urged That which is a Shadow vanished that is not so to bee regarded as to feare lest you bee censured in the neglect of it But these are such Therefore passe not though you be condemned for omitting these But the former part of the sixteenth Verse may be diversely construed Let no man condemne you First it may sound to this sense Let no person in heart Iewishly affected take on him