earnest in keeping and hearing such doctrine as concerneth life euerlasting and when thou hearest this doctrine of dirt turne thy eare away from it for there is no godlines in it And I giue you my counsell heare him not that speaketh of such things but heare him that will speake of Christ Iesus and his doctrine which shall feede thee to life euerlasting It will not be meate and drinke and the doctrine thereof which will feede thee but it must be this doctrine of Christ wherewith thou must be fed and thou must still feede on it vntill thou be glorified in him and with him for euer and euer To whom with the Father and holy Spirit be al praise and honour now and euer Amen THE XXIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 1. 2. 3. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God 2 Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth 3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God WE haue heard in this Epistle beloued brethren in Iesus Christ first the inscription of the Epistle Secondly The parts of this epistle alreadie handled the preface Thirdly the doctrine touching Christ and his benefits And then fourthly wee haue heard how he passed from the doctrine to the exhortations and admonitions exhorting the Colossians to perseuerance in that faith which they had receiued admonishing them to beware of the false Apostles their doctrine and mens traditions In this admonition hee insisteth throughout the whole second chapter Now brethren in this third chapter taking occasion of the vaine and corruptible things as meate drink and such things of which are the traditions of men from the which he had disswaded them in the former chapter he begins to exhort them to other things not corruptible but euerlasting not earthly but heauenly in the which true godlines and holines standeth Throughout all this whole chapter he insisteth vpon this first in general and then he cōmeth to his exhortation in speciall And he continueth so to the seuenth verse of the next chapter The particulars I remit to the diduction of the text and I come to the words presently read In thē there are two exhortatiōs to one thing together with sundry arguments hee exhorteth in both to the things aboue to heauenly things and the foresaid exhortation which he vseth for this purpose is to seeke them and the second exhortation is to know them to be wise in them and to vnderstand them for that is the force of the word Then to come to the first exhortation If ye be risen with Christ seeke the things that are aboue There is the exhortation and the first argument which is ye are risen with Christ to life after that ye were dead to all these beggerly ceremonies to mens traditions of meate and drinke and such like Now after ye were dead to these ye are risen againe to a life and to an heauenly life therefore seeke the things that are in heauen Now to insist vpon euery word Ye see here and in the chapter before mention is made of a dying of Christ and of a buriall with him and of a rising and liuing with him so that when he dieth wee die and when hee riseth and liueth we rise and liue Marke it well In a word as he altereth wee alter so many as beleeue in him of necessitie they change as he change when he dies they die by vertue of his death to sinne and to the world and sinne dieth in them when he riseth they rise with him vnto that heauenly life This alteration is wonderfull What man is high in the world which wil draw others after him after this manner that when he dieth wil cause another to die with him that neuer saw him bodily in this life What is he I say looke through the whole world and to all the Kings of the world whom will ye find in heauen or earth that will alter men after this manner by his death and life This is one common doctrine but it would be considered well for there are few which vnderstande this doctrine Then of necessitie in Iesus Christ there must be a great force and vertue Ye see now the Heauens Planets Sunne Moone and the rest because they by their operation do make alteration in these inferiour things as in plants grasse fields and euen in the bodie of man because I say of this operation in these inferiour creatures wee ascribe a great vertue to them But all these celestiall bodies cannot worke such effects as Iesus Simile his death and life can worke No no if thou were once dead these celestiall signes and planets will not make thee liue againe The Sunne nor the Moone cannot make thee liue when once thou art dead but when thou art dead Iesus will raise thee vp more liuely then euer thou werst before So there The power of Christs death and resurrection must be in him a force aboue all the force and power that euer God made or gaue to any creature But marke brethren concerning this power he must be a man in whom this power is because this vertue cannot come to thee but through the nature of man man cannot die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse but by that vertue that commeth through man yet he must be more then a man and that a holie man without al spot of sinne He must be more then this I say he must be God to Rom. 8. 11 Phil. 3. 10. 11. make thee die to sinne and rise vnto righteousnes This commeth of the special power and vertue of God for none is able in heauen or earth to worke such a strange worke as this except hee be God Yet there must be more of necessitie there must be a coniunction betwixt thee and him he must be ioyned Our communion with Christ to thee and thou to him otherwise his vertue will not come to thee either to thy death or to thy life he must bee thy husband and thou his spouse yea hee must be more then thy husband for the husband cannot draw the wife after him by vertue of his death or life either to liue or to die as Christ can doe He must be then thy head he must be as neere as thy head is neere thy bodie That is the familiar similitude of the Scripture When the head dieth the bodie dieth with it and when the head is liuely the bodie hath sense and being So when Iesus dieth the bodie dieth when Iesus riseth the bodie riseth also So the meetest thing to expresse him and his coniunction with vs is the head bodie of man and yet he must be more then the head for there came neuer such vertue from the head of a man to the bodie as there shall come from thy head Iesus Christ
ye see the bodie accomplisheth the person of a man the head will not make a man but the bodie ioyned with the head makes vp a man euen so the Church fils vp the whole man Christ made of the head the Lord Iesus himselfe and of the bodie This for the words If this point of the glorie of Christ be weighed that he is the head of the Church it is a high point of glorie The Lord hath greater glorie by this that hee is the head of the Church of the godly and holy ones men and Angels then by that that he is the Dominator ouer all creatures ouer the diuell and all the multitude of reprobates And as it is high so it is in communicable no not the Angels gets this honour to be called the head of the Church Let be stinking flesh wilt thou set vp a Pope and call him the head of the Church A plaine derogation of Christs honour Thou wilt come out with a ministeriall head in the Church Away with thee and thy ministeriall head both there is no such thing Looke the whole Scripture No ministerial head in Scripture through thou shalt reade of a Minister in the Church but thou shalt neuer reade a word of a ministeriall head or Vicar of Christ But would you know how he comes to this glorie Yea to speake it so before hee came to this glorie there was much adoe and great stirre and busines in heauen and earth and a great hardnes The Pope he will start vp to it at the first dash before Christ came to this glorie heauen and earth was moued with a wonderfull motion before hee was exalted to it he was wonderfully humbled If you will make a comparison it was an easie thing to be the image of the inuisible God to haue created all things and to preserue them all was easie but when he comes to this there must be a great change this sonne of God is humbled and his glorie is wonderfully obscured Reade Philip. 2. 6. 7. and there you shall see the whole manner of it Iesus saith he was in the forme of God and hee thought it no robberie to be equall with God yet hee is not the head of the Church what doth he then The Apostle saith he emptieth himselfe of his owne glorie he makes himselfe of no reputation How doth hee that In taking on him the shape of a seruant What an humbling is this to clothe himselfe with the forme of an abiect seruant Thou thinkest it nothing but surelie it a wonderful matter if ye consider it rightly so then there is a wide step a strange step that he steppeth downe from his glorie wherein hee stood equall with the Father Yet he goes another step downward being found in the habite of a man he to whom all other creatures giues obedience of his owne will becomes obedient to his father Wherein stands this obedience not in doing only but in dying What death The death of the Crosse an execrable death the bitterest death that euer was nay neuer man died so bitter a death as Christ died All the death of men and Angels is not comparable to that death of Iesus Christ that he died for the redemption of sinfull man There is his humiliation Looke now to his exaltation Therefore saith the Apostle the father raised him vp to a wonderfull highnes and gaue him a name aboue all names that at his name all knees should bow In the Epistle to the Ephesians 1. 20. 21. the degrees of his glorie are set downe first he raised him from death secondly he hath set him at the right hand of his father that is he hath giuen him all power of heauen and earth and he declares this power Then he turnes to the Church in particular and calles him head of the Church for he could not haue been the head except hee had had flesh and bloud Trowest thou that thou canst come to that honour to bee a member of his bodie before thou bee humbled first No no thou must answere in proportion to him in his humilitie otherwise thou shalt neuer bee partaker of his glorie This for the sixt part of the description of the Lord Iesus in the which marke this as before wee heard many grounds of redemption made by his bloud so in this point of the glorie of Christ there is another ground of our redemption As thy Redeemer is the image of God the creator of all things and so foorth as you heard him defined before so thy Redeemer he is the glorious head of the Church yea he is thy owne head and thou art a member of him so thou seest not onely a glorious Redeemer but a sib a kinsman redeemer Therefore precious must that bloud be and of necessitie if thou beleeue in this bloud thou must be redeemed To goe forward Here followes the seuenth part of his description and the seuenth point of his glorie The beginning and the first begotten of the dead Yee heard he was called the first borne of all creatures because he was before them all and not for that onely was he called so but because he gaue the being to all creatures All creatures were created by vertue of him and by participation of that being that is in him for the first borne in the families of old communicated the speciall blessings to their brethren euen so Christ because he communicates to the rest of his creatures such speciall blessings as pleaseth best his wisedome he is called the first borne of many brethren Now he is called the first borne of the dead because he was the first that rose from the dead for there was neuer man that died that rose before the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 15. 20. He is called the first fruits of them that sleepe because that al y t shall rise they shall rise by vertue of his resurrection Then what will you haue He was the beginning of the creation now he is the beginning of the resurrection of the dead Then all mercie and glorie must come out of him No creation without him no resurrection without him If you will consider this it is a great matter when he had created man man by his fall lost the creation nay by thy fall in Adam thou hast lost thy creation and as thou wast made of nothing so by this fall of Adam thou turnest to nothing and well were that man that is out of Christ if he were turned into nothing No no he shall not be turned to nothing but he shall be turned to worse then nothing So man by his fall lost his creation and death seased vpon him and leaues him not till he turnes him into dust and powder And if Iesus comes not in now after that man hath lost his creation he would neuer be a creature againe Therefore the second benefit which is greater then the first is that my bodie shall rise againe so in comes Iesus Christ and that creature that was brought
his fellowes neuer man gat or will get such graces as the man the Lord Iesus hath gotten neuer a one hath gotten such wisedome such knowledge and such holines nay all the Angels haue not gotten such graces as he hath But it is not onely these graces wherein this fulnes stands but he is filled with the fountaine of all grace The fulnes of the Godhead it selfe is in him that is his fulnes such as neuer creature got or shall get in heauen or earth It is a vanitie to speake of the graces of Angels in comparison of him all the graces of men or Angels they are as it were but riuers and streames that flow from that glorious head that is full of God So there is no comparison of his fulnes Wee haue receiued saith Ioh. 1. 6. all of his fulnes So all our fulnes stands in his fulnes that is deriued into vs. As this is the reason prouing his dominion so it is a part of his glorie Looke to the glorie of that personage thy Redeemer he is not only a man but a man full of God and so must not this bloud y t comes from him be precious Therefore it is called the blood of God Acts 20. 28. Yet only beleeue and I assure thee in his name of thy redemption if thy sinnes were neuer so great Fasten thy heart once on him and thou shalt finde mercie Take his bloud in thy hand and sprinkle thy heart with it and thou shalt finde grace Heb. 9. 14 and mercie to flow to thee through the same otherwise it had bin better for thee that this bloud had neuer been shed As for the rest I leaue it till the next day concerning the Mediatour onely thus farre As the glorie of the image of the inuisible God and the rest ye haue heard me speake of is infinitly excellent so this that he is a man full of God this is the glorious personage of thy Redeemer It tels thee that that bloud that came out of that bodie was more precious then al the things in the world That bloud y t was powred out of his foot out of his hand and side al tels thee that it is excellently precious and beside that of great necessitie And further it tels thee that sinne against God is great and greater then thou canst consider Fie on thee vile creature if thou wist what it were to sinne against God thou wouldest shake and tremble nay neuer a ioynt of thee would bide fast for feare of that fierce wrath to come on thee And againe if thou knew the vertue of this bloud that takes away thy sinne thou wouldest cleaue fast to it and make much of it but thou considerest not this and therefore thou knowest not the preciousnes of this bloud for if thou knowest not thy sinne thou shalt not know the preciousnes of that bloud of Christ that takes away sinne And againe it tels vs of that passing iustice and of that infinitnes of the wrath of God O that infinitnes of the wrath of God! O wretch thou wottest not The wrath of God for sinne what it is but if it lighted on thee it would rush thee to hell So the precious bloud that was shed for sinne without the effusion of the which thou couldest not be redeemed It tels thee I say that the wrath of God for sinne is infinite and if it were but an euill thought It strikes vpward and strikes the Lord in the nose and kindles his wrath against thee therfore feare and studie to mortification And more I tell thee that notwithstanding thou art once redeemed and by this bloud of Christ freed from sinne and death by such a ransome yet if thou take delight in sinne the murtherer in his murther the oppressor in his oppression being once redeemed thy sinne if it were but an euill thought it is a thousand times the greater by reason of thy redemption For why it brings with it the contempt of the bloud of Christ And thou sinner who takes pleasure in weltring in the foule puddle of sinne what doest thou thou goest on with thy foote and treads the pretious bloud of the Lord Iesus vnder thy foule feete And therefore thou shalt be chalenged in that day not onely because thou wast a murtherer an oppressor and a harlot no no there shal be thy chalenge villaine thou treadest vnder thy foote the bloud of the couenant the precious bloud of thy Sauiour that should haue redeemed thee from thy murther and sinne and therefore wel were it for thee if thou hadst been a Gentile that neuer had heard of this couenant and therefore if thou mindest not to leaue off thy sinne in paine of thy life thou come not to heare a word of Christ For why the more thou hearest the greater shall be thy damnation And there is not one word spoken this day but if it be not effectuall to chaunge thy euill life so that thou begin to leaue off thy sinne but it shall increase thy damnation in that day Therefore take my counsell either amend your liues or els come not to heare one word of this Gospell For this word as the Apostle saith shall be either a sauour of life vnto life or els a sauour of death vnto death and it shall slay thee with a greater dead stroke then if a thousand rapiers were thrust through thee I beseech the Lord Iesus to touch thee with his word that it may be effectuall in the hearts of the hearers so that they may amend their liues to their owne weale and his glorie To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise Amen THE SEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 20. 20 And through peace made by the bloud of that his crosse to reconcile to himselfe through him through him I say all things both which are in earth and which are in heauen YE remember beloued brethren the Apostle when he had set downe that great benefite of the redemption of mankinde by the bloud of Iesus Christ hee fals out into a high descriptiō of the sonne of God tending to this end to let vs see the preciousnes of that bloud He set him to be first the image of the inuisible God a high stile Secondly he stiles him to be the first borne of all creatures Thirdly hee stiles him to be the Creator himselfe by whom all things in heauen and earth were created Fourthly he calles him to be the end of the said creation of all creatures for whose honour and glorie all creatures were made Fiftly he stiles him to be the preseruer and keeper of all the creatures made by him Sixtly he comes forward and considereth him not onely as he is the sonne of God God from all eternitie but as he is man also and he makes him to be the head of the Church as he is God and man Then he cals him the first borne of the dead as hee is
the father to the world and that in loue There is nothing in this new band but mercie vpon mercie mercie in the beginning mercie in the progresse and mercie in the end Indeede it is not without iustice and wrath but thou art spared and the iustice and wrath it strikes on the Mediatour so that that is iustice and wrath in the Mediatour it is mercie and grace to thee Nay he hath not spared his owne sonne yet he hath spared the stinking sinner Wilt not thou be thankfull for this benefit Well if there be not a sense of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ looke not for heauen I warne thee that art a King an Earle a Lord a Baron a subiect man wife lasse and lad if ye haue not a sense of this mercie of God in Iesus Christ ye shall neuer see heauen Now to come to the last circumstance after what manner is this reconciliation made with sinfull man The manner is set downe in these words making peace by his bloud shed on the crosse The father reconciles vs to himselfe after this manner by making peace with vs in the bloud of Christ Brethren when two men are at variance the third man will step in and intreate the person that is at variance with the other to be friends with him and he will obtaine it especially if he be an intire man But O that sonne of God! that deere and that welbeloued when he comes in it is not faire words it is not supplications that will doe the turne but him it behooued to go to suffer death and that dead stroke of hell that should haue lighted on me and thee and should haue brused vs euerlastingly he casts in his head and that stroke lights on him It cannot be holdē off thee by no other buckler but by his head and bloud shedding without bloud no remission Heb. 9. nay nay either shall thy bloud passe for it or els the bloud of the Mediatour O it is a terrible thing to haue to doe with the wrath of an infinite God! there is nothing can satisfie him but the precious bloud of his own deere sonne and no other death can satisfie him but a cursed death the death of the crosse a painfull death to be nailed quicke to a crosse It was the figure of the death of hell He was pained vpon the crosse with the paines of hell If he could not escape such a death who was an innocent how wilt thou who art a sinner escape that terrible death O what death shall abide thee if thou be not in him These words then teach vs two things first the greatnes of the enmitie that could not be remoued but by the bloud and execrable death of the Mediatour For if this enmitie had bin but a sillie and small feude what needed all this that the sonne of God should dye such a death Wherefore should all this adoe haue been wherefore should he haue suffered such extremitie So if there were no more to tell thee the greatnes of sin the death and the bloud of Iesus Christ shed on the crosse tels thee O sinne is great and yet the world will not heare it but the soule stinking sinner will wallow in it more and more O sinner sinne is foule and fearefull An euill thought is a great and terrible mountaine The first world had experience of this greatnes of sinne being without Christ Our Gentles in Scotland with the rest felt it I tell thee before this bloud came and the full time came there was nothing to hold off the dint of the wrath and stroke of God that that world found before the comming of Christ What was it a small matter to be an enemie to God was it a light thing to sinne No no for all that time before Christs comming for the greatest part God was doing no other thing but striking and hashing on sinners slaying her and slaying him Sinne raigned all the time to death saith Paul Rom. 5. in the end all perished and went to hell for the most part except some very few And I tell you this world thinkes there is no hell and very few get this grace for so long as that olde Tabernacle stoode few got entrie to grace So they miserable soules that lie now in torment they testifie and crie the horriblenes of sinne and O the preciousnes of the bloud that hath freed now the soules of men from sinne Now when he came into the world I put it out of question The calling of the Gentiles increased the number whereas one was saued before hundreds were saued after For Christ saith for once the bloud was shed men and women thronged into heauen Matth. 11. So all tels thee the blessednes of thy estate that hath fallen in this time If thou hadst any sense if thou wert sent out naked to begge thy meate thou art happie considering this time wherein thou art borne O the happines of this time when the bloud of Christ runnes abroad as a riuer to saue sinners but wee are blinded and as I said before that number is drawne in and beginning to be abridged and the force of the bloud is drawne in and begun to bee lessened and the force of faith is nothing now in respect of the former time of the Primitiue Church and daies of the Apostles and therefore as it began with a handfull so it shall end with a very handfull and blessed is that man that can striue to throng into heauen through this bloud of Iesus Now the Lord worke this in our hearts that as wee seeke for the kingdome of heauen so we may throng in at it through this bloud of Iesus To whom be praise and honour Amen THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 21 22. 21 And you which were in times past strangers and enemies because your mindes were set in euill workes hath he now also reconciled 22 In that bodie of his flesh through death to make you holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight THese daies past beloued in Iesus Christ wee haue heard a high description of the Sonne of God the Lord Iesus in the which he is painted out in a marueilous glorie In the last part of this description ye heard it was said that by him as the Mediatour it pleased the Father to reconcile to himselfe all things both in heauen and earth making the peace by the bloud of his crosse In the which words the Apostle turnes ouer vpon the whole Church that hee hath spoken of the sonne of God For all his glorie tends to the weale of his Church all to the reconciling of the Church with God the head in him as the Mediatour Now brethren in this text that we haue read vers 21. he applies this blessing of reconciliation to the Church of the Colossians in speciall And you also saith he hath he reconciled In the which words as before he turneth ouer
the Gentiles therefore in that that I suffer it is for your cause that the Gospell of Iesus Christ may haue place amongst you as among the other Gentiles The second argument In the middest of my afflictions I The second argument The vse of affliction reioyce to testifie my loue towards you for except I had loued you I would not haue suffered with ioy for you Brethren of those that suffer affliction first it is required that it be for a good cause for Gods cause for his truth and for his Church sake Suffer not like a theefe or a murtherer as an harlot or an euill doer in any wise Alas it is a paine yea of all paines in the world the greatest to suffer for euill doing Secondly it is required of him that suffers that he suffer for a good cause with ioy cheerefully and with patience otherwise thou losest thy trauell and praise suffer as thou wilt It is not the good cause onely that makes martyrdome but it is Martyrdome the ioy cheerfulnes and patience ioyned with the good cause that makes thee in suffering to be a Martyr It is hard to flesh to digest this how can there be ioy in the paines of most exquisite torments Brethren Paul at this time is lying in bands at Rome and yet ye see he vtters that in his bands he hath ioy and no question when he came to the very point of death for 2. Tim. 4. 6. 7. 8. he was martyred he had great ioy And certainly I am compelled to think that there is more shrinking and sadnes at the remembrance of the affliction to come then there is in the More grief in the remembrāce of afflictiō then in suffering it when it comes chiefe time of affliction The minde will be more troubled thinking on it then when the person is afflicted For out of question whē the Lord giues a man cōstancie to suffer he will giue him patience ioy which shall swallow vp all the paine and the experience of Martyrs hath proued this Stir not howbeit thou shrinke at hanging heading scalding burning and whatsoeuer paines most cruell exquisit deuised for thee yet stir not for if the Lord giue thee constancie all the paines shal be swallowed vp and thou shalt be armed to suffer with ioy To goe forward The third argument whereby he remoues the offence they might haue taken at his bands is this I saith he fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ Iesus as if hee would The third argument say mine afflictions are not so much mine as they are my Lords afflictions how can ye then be offended at them You cannot chuse if you bee offended at my afflictions but you must be offended at Christs afflictions because my affliction is nothing else but the afflictions of Christ and the fulfilling of them Then all these afflictions that are laid vpon the members of the bodie of Christ they are all Christs afflictions and when they are afflicted Christ is afflicted And the Lord counts it his owne persecutions when the members of his bodie Christ must suffer in his members which is his Church are persecuted Saul Saul saith hee Acts 9. 4. why persecutest thou me He speakes this to Paul when he was not persecuting him but his members This he calles his persecution for it was ordained from all eternitie that the Lord Iesus who is the head of the Church should not onely suffer in his owne flesh but also that hee should suffer in the members of his bodie which is his Church So that none of that bodie should be free from suffering no not from the greatest to the least yea euen to the little finger all should suffer and the measure hereof was measured and ordained in that counsell from all eternitie Sufferest thou much or little It was measured to thee ere euer the world was It was not appointed that euery particular person should suffer al and euery sort of affliction no no but as the head should suffer one kinde of affliction proper to himselfe so the rest in the bodie should suffer some in one sort and measure and some in another All shall suffer one thing or other prepare thee for it and it is a token that thou art in that bodie if thou suffer something for Christ But to sticke to the words he calles them not simply the sufferings of Christ but the fulfilling or accomplishment of the afflictions of Christ I saith he fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ Marke the word well Euen as the Church of Iesus Christ is the accomplishment and fulfilling of him to make him a perfect man so it is called Ephe. 1. the last verse Euen so the afflictions that the Church and her members suffer they accomplish and fulfill the sufferings of Christ And as the glorie of the head Christ is fulfilled and accomplished in suffering euen so the sufferings of his members they accomplish and fulfill the glorie of Christ Wherein wee haue to marke a loue that Christ beares to vs that cannot bee spoken of The Lord Iesus is perfect in himselfe and he needeth vs not no he hath no neede of me of thee nor of no flesh to make him perfiter The loue of Christ then he is alreadie in himselfe He is full and he fils all in all yet such is his loue to me and thee and to the whole body that he cannot thinke that he is perfect till he haue thee ioyned with him yea the least member of his Church hee will haue to be ioyned with him or els hee counts that his glorie and sufferings are not fulfilled So his afflictions are perfect and hee needes not thee to fulfill any part thereof yet such is his loue that hee will not haue his afflictions perfect without thee He will haue thee made like to himselfe in affliction howbeit his glorie be perfect now at the right hand of the father yet he cannot thinke that he gets the perfection thereof till he get all his members glorified with him in heauen This is his loue Rom. 8. Now let vs see how we account of this We count it a benefit and a grace to be ioyned with him to be the members of his bodie and to be glorified with him but when it comes to the What a great benefit it is to suffer afflictions sufferings there is the shrinking there is none that can accord or be content to be like him in sufferings but they will flye backe there we faile and we cannot thinke that it is a benefit to suffer but rather that it is a curse So ere thou count it a benefit to suffer thou must haue more then flesh and bloud thou must haue the spirit of Iesus It is not onely a benefit to beleeue but also to suffer Philip. 1. 29. And Philip. 3. 10. Paul counts it a blessing to suffer calling it the communion or fellowship of his affliction There he counts it
Christians worse then Pagans and in seueritie and crueltie against Christ and his Church more fierce and malicious and more exquisit tormentors of Christ in his members then Popish persecution euer a Pagan or a Turke would be The truth of this is euident in the example of the Martyrs who finde none more malicious against Christs Church then these who would bee counted Christians Well Pagans and Turkes shall finde greater case and lesse iudgement at the comming of the Lord Iesus then false Christians O their paines shall be vnspeakable To goe forward in the next verse hee sets downe another cause wherefore hee suffered Of the which Church saith he I am made a minister as if hee would say I fill out the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my bodie because I am bound and obliged thereto I am made a minister to it there is the meaning Marke the words I am made He saith not I was borne a minister nay no man is borne a minister howbeit euery man thinkes he may be a minister out of hand I am made a minister would he say of a very crooked wood as he testifies of himself 1. Tim. 1. 12. 13. He placed me in his ministerie when I was a blasphemer and a persecutor Looke what stuffe I had and whereof I consisted before I was made a minister And if this was good stuffe and a way to make a minister of me iudge ye I was of al sinners the first in persecuting Christ and his members and blaspheming of him But saith he God had pitie on me Euen this Christ whom before I blasphemed and persecuted hee shewed mercie and put me in his ministerie The Lord can make a minister of a blasphemer I am made a minister that is a seruant to serue the Church to stand and fill the cup and cary it to the Church Peter and Paul were none other 1. Cor. 3. 22. 23. All is yours saith he whether it be Paul or Apollo or Cephas ye are our masters and we are your seruants and ye are Christs So he is but a seruant to the Church and not a Lord ouer it It followes that Paul when he suffered hee suffered not The sufferings of the Apostles and Martyrs were not for the redemption of man as a Lord of the bodie but as a seruant neuer any suffered as a Lord but Christ onely Paul and Peter and the rest suffered as seruants Ye see a faithfull seruant will die for his master so the Apostle suffered for his master the Church what were the Apostles but the friends of the Bridegroome Of this it followes that Pauls suffrings was not for the redemption of man no but for his ministerie and dispensation of the grace committed to him It is a lye to say hee suffered for the redemption of man so it was neuer for the redemption and remission of sins to any y t Paul or any of the Apostles suffered For no man Christ Iesus excepted was able to abide a lot of y t suffring for redemption no not all the men and Angels in heauen and earth were not nor are not able to abide one assault of that suffring That fierce wrath shuld haue so seazed vpon thē that it should haue consumed and destroyed them He must bee an excellent personage God and man in one person as Christ was that will beare out that suffring otherwise hee shall not be able to abide one point of it Well not to passe by this I see a Minister is bound to dye for the Church Wilt thou be a Minister The Minister is boūd to dye for the Church if neede so require prepare thee to dye for the Church otherwise thou art but an hireling a false deceitfull seruant So art thou made a Minister thou art made a seruant to the Queene the Church she is greater then any Princesse in the earth Count thou of a Minister as thou wilt the faithfull Minister is in greater glory honor then al the seruants of Kings Princes in the world yea he shall be preferd to the great Monarches of the world themselues Call ye them vaine fellowes They are the Lords stewards the King of kings Chambermen and Counsellors But to speake to the Ministerie Art thou called to be a Minister thou must prepare thee for suffering yea there is no calling in the Church of Iesus Christ which is not to suffering Thou maist bee called to a politicall gouernment yet not to suffering but to take thy pastime and to be in honour but if thou be called to be a member to Christ thou art called to suffer as it were a sheepe to the shambles Set not thy head within this fold except thou think thou must suffer Peter saith We are called yea appointed to suffer 1. Pet. 2. 21. Then when thou art clapt on the shoulder to be burned hanged headed yea and the skinne to be flaied off thee goe to it cheerefully for thou art bound thereto Well if euery common Christian be thus waies bound how is a Minister bound I say the more degrees thou gettest of Christ the greater preferment thou hast in Christs Church the more art thou obliged to die for Christ and his members Hee is a vaine man that thinkes when he is a minister that he is preferd to ease to greater pleasure The Ministerie no place of ease but of labour then the people no no. Is thine honour double first a Christian and then a Minister to serue the Lord Iesus Thou art bound doublie to suffer and to vndergoe the greater crosse for his sake and the Church I say if thou couldest be slaine a thousand times thou art bound to suffer more then a common Christian And if gladly thou be content to suffer thou gettest double honour first as a Christian and then as a Minister and thirdly as a Martyr Many haue been Ministers but few haue gotten this honor that the Apostles got Acts 5. 41. when they were persecuted they departed with such ioy with a song that they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ I speake this to make vs ready to suffer that with ioy It is no ignominie or shame to thee to suffer if it were the most vile death for Christs sake and thy Creator sake Immediatly after that thou shalt suffer thou shalt be translated from paine and miserie to euerlasting ioy yea and in the chiefe time of thy suffring thou shalt Ioy vnder the crosse finde exceeding great ioy as the holy Apostles and Martyrs found When he hath spoken of his Ministerie he fals out into a description of it and that to this end that we may see the worthines of this Gospell First he calles it a dispensation and stewardship then there must be a familie if he be a steward it must be a great calling Ye thinke to be the master of the Kings household is a great office but to be a Minister a steward in the house of the King of kings
that men receiue that word it growes the greater and the more it increaseth continually It is not ordained to bee hid vp and smothered but to be giuen out Now to come to the text and to goe through it briefly When he hath spoken of this word which he hath receiued to dispense he leaues it not but stickes on it and immediatly he termes it a mysterie A mysterie to speake of it briefly it signifies a thing hid from the eyes of men so that it cannot be seene so A mysterie long as it is hid especially it signifies a holy thing concerning religion and the worship of God that is the proper signification of a mysterie and in this place Paul takes it so as he doth 1. Tim. 3. 16. where he saith Great is the mysterie of godlines that is not the mysterie of euery religion but of the true religion which hath been hid from the beginning and now is manifested among his Saints Then marke briefly You see this word of God it is a mysterie a thing hid and so kept close that the naturall man could neuer so much as haue a thought in his 1. Cor. ◠14. minde of it or once to thinke that there was such a thing in the world as this Gospell that we preach to you this day that the naturall soule could not doe so much as once suspect that there was a Sauiour It is a folly to thinke that the knowledge of Christ is naturall nay by nature thou wouldest neuer haue once dreamed that there hath been such a thing If God had let Adam alone after his fall he would not haue euer once so much as dreamed of redemption or that there was a Christ or a Sauiour and therefore this Gospell it must be precious that was kept so close If a man get a precious iewell hee will keepe it close and will not let it see Sunne nor winde The Gospell of all iewels in the world it is the most precious and it hath been kept secret and close this long time yea men knew not what it meant til the Lord Iesus Christ the wisedom of the father reuealed it and opened it to the world and to his Disciples and therefore it being so precious if we had eyes to see and hearts to consider O how highly would wee esteeme of it yea euen thou that now lookes so lightly to it but alas the world perisheth for fault of sight and consideration But to leaue this and to goe to the next point In the words following he defineth the time of the hiding of it he saith Hid since the world began that is from all eternitie Secondly it was hid from all generations of men The first word meanes that before or euer this world was made it was hid in God Ephe. 3. 9. The second word meanes that after this world was created it was hid from so many generations euen till Iesus Christ was manifested in the flesh and then it was reuealed Then marke this This word is an ancient thing a thing before all things It The antiquitie of the word came not this day or yesterday but it was before the world was and looke how old God himselfe is the Gospell is as old hid in that secret counsell from all eternitie And if you compare it with the world it selfe before this world was made it was hid and consequently it was in rerum natura Then brethren if antiquitie if age will recommend a thing let eternitie recommend the Gospell It had not a beginning no more then God in whose breast it lay hath a beginning and it is the same Gospell we preach to you this day Let them call it a new Gospell O vaine men this Gospell is the same Gospell that was hid from the beginning Then marke againe I see here this world hath lien long in darknes after the creation and hath wanted the light for a long time For brethren I neuer counted of the light of the Sun when the light of Iesus Christ is lacking Woe is thee better it were thou hadst neuer been borne nor seene this light of the Sunne that shines in the firmament The light of Christs Gospel how precious if thou haue not seene the light that is in the Gospell of Iesus Christ All light in comparison of that light is meere darknes So then this world hath been long without the light of the Gospell and it hath been a long night euen from Adam to Christ in a manner there hath neuer any thing been al that time but darknes and night As for the Gentiles they saw neuer one glimse but dyed in miserable darknes they were led blindfold to death and damnation As for the Iewes their case was better yet their light was but a glimmering they had 2. Pet. 1. 19. not the light of the Sunne The greatest they had it was but the light of a lantorne that is the light of the Prophets O then this behooued to follow that in the old world before Christ came many dyed in miserable darknes for without light and life in Iesus there is nothing but death Remoue thy light thy life is remoued remoue the Gospell thou dyest and perishest incontinently And therefore Paul Rom. 5. 21. speaking of this estate from Adam to Christ he saith Sinne raigned vnto death where the light of Christ is not there is nothing but the raigning of sinne to death and damnation Well then this tels vs how we should esteeme of the Gospell Alas if thou wist what miserie they were in that wanted this Gospel then thou wouldest account all thy blessing to be in the hauing of it To goe forward When he hath shewed how long it was kept close then he shewes when it was reuealed and brought to light Now saith he it is reuealed to his Saints Now that is in the fulnes of time as it is said in the Epistle to the Galathians chap. 4. 4. and Ephe. 1. 10. In the dispensation of the fulnes of time that is whē Christ was comen into the world that was brought to light Yet this word now reacheth further euen to the whole time that the Gospell is preached and shines in the world And it is that that in Heb. 3. 7. is called the day saying while it is day harden not your hearts and in 2. Cor. 6. 2. it is called that acceptable time Then here I see the world since Christ came into the world as we say is the blessedest come that euer came It hath bin a lightsome world and I see the Sunne hath euer shined and that there hath neuer been night but euer day no no interchaunge nor coursing about but where Christs Gospell is there is euer day Therefore it must follow that since Christ came there haue bin many saued They died and perished in multitudes before his comming but after his comming when that light and that Sunne of righteousnes rose vp looke as in huge heapes before they perished
here and there that which thou must rest vpon must be nothing else but the power of God the efficacie of the strong power of God Thou must not lay hold vpon Angels Saints or vpon Princes in the earth thou wilt be beguiled yea thou and they going about so to vphold thee will both to hell together Therefore suffer not thy selfe to be deceiued with an opinion of them I dare be bold to say that if the Angels and Saints would take the honour that the Pope and his Clergie Inuocation and worship of Saints and Angels would giue them they should all goe to hell and leaue the ioyes which they now haue So the stay of thy faith and that which thou must apprehend is the mortification of thy sinne and thy quickening to newnes of life it must not be by the mediation of man or Angell or of any Saint glorified but by the onely and immediate mediation of Iesus Christ there only thou gettest that spirituall power that quickeneth thee to life It is easie to slay a man and men now a daies think slaughter but a sport yea and rather then they will not slay they had liefer goe quicke to hell as they vse to say but the slaying of sinne must be onely by the power of God Sinne must be vanquished by faith and without faith thou shalt neuer mortifie sinne Therefore continually put out that hand of faith and pluck down that power of God for thy saluation euer crie for this hand of faith Draw draw spare not for there is no want in him That well of his effectuall power will neuer waxe drie and this bloud of Christ will neuer drie vp all power is through that bloud of Christ Then first by a true faith lay hold vpon Christ on the crosse and then sitting at the right hand of the Father and so thou shalt neuer depart with him till thy glorious resurrection be accomplished When hee had spoken of God when hee had said through faith of the effectualnes of God then he subioyneth Who raised him from death Hauing once spoken of that God who is so effectuall when hee nameth God hee leaueth him not but hee subioyneth some glorious description of him so speaking of him here hee describeth him first in respect of Christ and his resurrection Secondly in respect of raising of the Gentiles Thirdly in respect of the abolishing of the law and quickning of the Iewes And in respect of Christ hee saith who raised him from the dead to wit by the effectualnes of that strong power that is in him The first that euer he raised by that power is Iesus Christ And therefore he is called the first borne of the dead chap. 1. 18. For this resurrection from the dead is first by decree afore all times and then in time it begun at Christ who was that lambe that was sacrificed from the beginning and gaue grace to all other sacrifices so that they in his sacrifice Resurrection following regeneration and both depēding on Christ were accepted of God and then his resurrection is deriued to all them that doe or euer shall rise hereafter in Christ for they that are not in Christ haue no resurrection for them because there is no regeneration for them in this life and consequently no resurrection for them hereafter It is true that by vertue and power of that Godhead the most wicked and vnregenerate shall rise but they shall not rise in him that is new creatures who before in this life were regenerated and liue the life of Christ There shall be no such thing to follow them in their resurrection Againe you shall perceiue in the writing of the Apostles when hee would set out that all-sufficiencie of God and his mightie power he deliuereth it by the effects for therby it is knowne Now what an effect chuseth he not the creation of the world for he leaueth that and maketh choise of the raising of Iesus Christ as though the all-sufficient mightie power of God had neuer been so powerfully declared as in the death of Iesus Christ his resurrection Reade in the Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 1. 19. 20. where you shall finde this manifestly proued how God shewed this his power when hee The greatest power of God manifested most in Christs death and resurrection raised vp Iesus from the dead and placed him at his right hand Rom. 1. 4. There was neuer such a power vttered as this was in raising Christ from the dead What can be the cause of this Is it not a great power to create a thing and to create all things of nothing Iesus was something lying in a graue I answere that that power was so much the greater in respect there was neuer any so humbled as Iesus was so cōpassed with the bands of death as he so that by loosing of those bands there must of necessitie appeare the greatest power that euer was or should be for the strongest bands require the mightiest power to loose them There were neuer bands so strōg as Christ God equall with his Father was bound withall As for thee and me the bands of death wherewith wee are or shall be bound they are but gentle and it is but an easie matter to binde any of vs. Neuer any was bound as Iesus and therefore a stronger power is required to raise him then to raise any of vs. Well the Lord he raised him vp by the efficacie of his great power Now hee being raised who was bound in such strong bands despaire not thou but take thee comfort and say My Lord when he was bound with a strong power God raised him therefore it is an easie matter for him when I am dead and laid in graue to raise me in respect of him if he did raise Christ with his whole hand he will raise me with his little finger But beloued learne if by faith thou be not bound and ioined with him in his death and burial for thou must be conioyned with him in his death and thou must lie as it were vnder him in the graue if thou be not so conioyned thou shalt not rise with him But if thou be bound with him by faith as I haue said as he rose thou shalt rise and thou shalt be pulled vp out of that graue with him otherwise when the Lord raiseth him thou shalt lie still Then seeke faith in Iesus and that blessed coniunction with him through faith sticke by him in death and in the graue and let him not be raised without thee fixe thy heart to him and assuredly thou shalt rise with him in that day and he shal pull thee out so glorious a bodie as that then he and his father shall take pleasure in thee and thou shalt raigne with him for euer and euer Now to this powerfull God that raised this Lord Iesus with the holie Spirit be all honour and dominion Amen THE SEVENTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE Epistle of PAVL to the Colossians
doe promise thee if thou doe it thou shalt haue the bitternes of thy nature taken away otherwise thou shalt neuer possesse a contented heart What a death this was he expresseth when he saith which were dead in sinnes there is the first cause of this death sinnes and trespasses that is all the actuall sinnes of their life all the foule thoughts of their heart all the prophane words of their mouth all vnruly actions of their hands all these be vnderstood vnder this word sinnes in the plurall number Then brethren this word importeth first the kinde of this death Death in sinne that man lieth in before he be in Christ it is not the death of the bodie In the bodie thou wilt seeme to be quicke enough when as thou art but dead but this death it is the death of the spirit it is the death of the soule for when thou goest on in sinne thou doest nothing else but stick and goare thy soule and besides in the end thou wilt slay the bodie also so as if thou continue in it it shall neuer leaue thee till it slay both soule and bodie for euermore Thou maist be a wanton harlot and a cruell murtherer but yet take thy delights howsoeuer thou wilt promise thy selfe as great assurance of life comfort and ioyes as thou canst imagine yet thy perseuerance in sinne shall slay thee with death in this world and in that to come For the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 28. Then this cause of death importeth not onely that this death is spirituall but also it importeth that it is a death exceeding fore and withall the dissoluing of this very bodie into powder and ashes Death in generall is nothing els but the depriuing of life A mā is said to be dead when he wanteth life Now these sinnes which he speaketh of here doe depriue thee of the quickest and sweetest life that euer was and what a life is it that sinne depriueth thee of euen the life of God the best life that is or can be Woe is thee that euer thou gottest life in the bodie if thou want this life of God that thou maist liue with Iesus Christ for euer Yea woe is thee for euermore that thou sawest either Sunne or Moone if thou want the life of God in Iesus Christ and there is nothing but sinne that can depriue thee of it And further it not onely bereaueth thee of life but it maketh thee guiltie of eternall death both in soule and bodie Thou hast these two Tvvo aduantages sinners haue by sinne aduantages delight in sinne as thou wilt sinne ruling in any man so long as hee liueth without Iesus Christ remission of sinnes and sanctification it excludeth the life of God from him and more then this it holdeth him poore miserable wretch vnder the guiltines of euerlasting death for euer You will aske how can a man be dead in sinnes Is he not liuely in actions is hee not counted the gallantest fellow in all the Realme and the liueliest that is the greatest swaggerer that can commit most euill Is hee not counted the liueliest that is the greatest murtherer I answere thee the quicker hee is in murthering in adulterie and such like the more is hee dead because first he wants the life of God And further all these are but dead actions dead workes comming from a dead man and they are as it were a stinking sauour from a filthie carrion so these men trimme them vp as you wil they are but stinking carrions O thou murtherer thou defilest the heauens the earth and the ayre O thou harlot thou defilest all the house and the bed thou liest in Thou oppressour thou defilest all the world though thou werst an Earle a Duke or a King thou art a dead stinking carrion worse then a dead dogge To come to the next words he ascendeth to a higher ground of this death and he saith they were dead not onely in actuall sinnes but they were dead in a sort of sinne that did cleaue faster and neerer to their ribbes You were dead saith he in the vncircumcision of your flesh that is in your originall sinne Hee setteth downe this by an allusion of the foreskinne the Gentiles vncircumcision was a signe of their originall sinne which Originall sinne was inherent in them as circumcision was a signe of the taking away of the same Then the cause of thy death in bodie and soule is not onely these actions that passe away as when thou hast murthered the action goeth away although the guilt remaine for the action that passeth it leaueth vpon thy backe a guilt which shall bring downe damnation vpon thee The cause I say of thy death in bodie and soule is not only in these fleeting actions but the grounded cause of it is original sinne the sinne conceiued in thy mothers wombe Thou art borne in sinne and it sticketh fast to thee and therefore it must follow that seeing the cause is a sticking and biding cause the death must also be abiding death I called it before a sore death now I call it an abiding death that greatly encreaseth the miserie You know that a disease naturall that commeth of any vitiositie of nature as of the birth so many as haue that disease it doth still accompanie their bodie It may wel be that they get it mitigated but they cannot fully clense it They may procure a relenting of it but neuer be able to take it away And therefore this death hauing the ground in that foule feede that thou art conceiued in by the generation of all thy forebeers it will passe the power of the world to get it away No the Angels of heauen will not bee able to relieue thee of it nothing will free thee of it but grace which is contrarie to that corruption of nature You know the prouerbe That which is bred in the bone wil hardly be driuen out of the flesh It therefore thou wouldest be cured of this rooted euill thou must crie for grace and say Lord send thy spirit of grace into my heart to rid me of this corruption of nature It thou crie not for this night and day yea and finde it in some measure working in thee thou shalt neuer be relieued Crie therefore and say Lord I was conceiued dead I was borne dead I A good prayer am euery way dead send thy spirit of free grace and free me of this death that so sore setleth vpon me that I may once enioy that life of Iesus Crie this way night and day and all thy time and then I assure thee thou shalt finde deliuerance and shalt taste how sweet the life of Iesus is And this for their former estate which is miserable being out of Christ Iesus Now followeth the estate in Christ He hath quickened you that is the father hath put life in you It is a quickening when death is expelled and life commeth in his place but what a life is it
Gods children and of Christs and to haue place in heauen if thou be not borne anew againe by the spirit and water as saith Ioh. 1. Epist 5. 6. And so much for the second effect of the strong power of God Now followeth the third effect in quickening of the Iewes The third effect of Gods power there must be something supplied in the text And vs that is the Iewes so I shall stand vpon these words where he saith he hath put out the hand writing Note The order whereby the Gentiles were quickened was the remission of their sinnes but the order whereby the Iewes are quickened is otherwise before euer they gate life there must be an hand writing blotted out and if we looke to it the Iewes were more bound to death then the Gentiles because they had subscribed to their death and that publikely in the face of the world But to come to the words We haue to marke these things first who is this that blotteth out and scrapeth away this hand writing Secondly what is meant by the blotting out Thirdly what is the thing that is blotted out Fourthly wherefore serued this hand writing he telleth it was against them it serued to their condemnation I shall goe through these foure as time shall serue As for him that is the blotter out his name is not expressed it is Iesus Christ the sonne of God for I see here that which I noted Foure points in the 14. verse in the first chapter the person is changed he said it is God the Father that quickened the Gentiles now he changeth the person There is no fault in this for that that the Father doth the Sonne doth To let you see that all is common to the Father and to the Sonne The Father worketh and I worke saith Christ Ioh. 5. 17. Then what is meant by this blotting out The word in the originall signifieth a perfect scraping out as it were of an obligation so that there remaineth not behinde any memorie of that that is scraped out there rests not one letter or tittle vnscraped out Then Christ Iesus is made a Chauncellor of the Father to cancell to blot out at his pleasure and as hee pleaseth Hee hath rent the obligation and drawne lines through it so thou that wouldest haue thy obligation cancelled get thee to him for wee haue bound our selues to him Thirdly what is that that is blotted out The handwriting standing in ordinances that is in rites and ceremonies Then it is the ceremonies or rites that be blotted out which was an obligation of the Iewes subscribed with their owne hands Now wherfore serueth it He saith it was against vs not for vs it did vs no good but euill It bound and tyed vs to death and sealed vp to vs the guiltines of death and damnation He exempteth not himselfe from this death hee subscribeth it with his owne deede To make this plaine the Iew in vsing of circumcision he protested hee had originall sinne and so was guiltie of damnation in vsing of these washings he protested and proclaimed hee was all filthie and so guiltie of the curse of the law and so subscribed to his owne death How the Iewes in the vse of the ceremoniall law proclaimed their owne guiltines and death And last of all in sacrificing hee protested hee was sinfull and that he had deserued that death which the innocent beast sustained for his cause and therefore guiltie of iudgement and damnation and so subscribed to his owne death Brethren this was marueilous the rites and ceremonies were figures of Christ and serued to leade them to Iesus Christ to see that bloud of Iesus in a figure which washeth away the sinnes of the world How is it then a handwriting against them I answer it is true if their ceremonies be taken as figures of Christ they were no handwriting against them if they had an eye to the bodie that is Christ and sought not life in the ceremonies but in the thing figured But brethren take them from Christ take washings and sacrifices as a kinde of religion without Hovv the ceremonies vvere an handwriting against the Ievves Christ all was but a handwriting against them And whatsoeuer Iew he was that looked not to Christ in his Circumcision in his washing and rubbings and in sacrificing that Iew perished and all his doings was but the subscribing to his owne death Now to come to the Apostle hee taketh the ceremonies as separate from Christ and so they were a handwriting against them He was a rare Iew that vsed them with respect to Christ but the multitude tooke them as a religion without Christ and therefore the greater multitude perished And so I say that outward ceremonies cannot saue vs. In comming to the Church thinke not to get life except thy heart pearce into Christ Iesus all thy outward worshipping shall not helpe thee but shall be an obligation to thy owne condemnation as the outward Ceremonies of the Iewes were to them a handwriting against them to their owne destruction And if thou abuse these Ceremonies which we haue in religion in preaching Spirituall vvorship praying and outward meeting I assure thee thou shalt not escape the iudgement of God And therefore beware and neuer content thy selfe with the outward worshipping fie on it all if thou haue not an inward worshipping in thy heart Againe I see no man that goeth to hell but before hee goe hee subscribeth to his owne death I subscribe with my owne hand that I am worthie of death The obligation passeth against thee either secretly or openly in thy owne conscience and then thy mouth shall be closed and the Lord shall cast thy handwriting before thee and shall say Seest thou not thy owne handting knowest thou not that thou subscribedst this And if thou werst an Emperour thou shalt keepe thy mouth close then and goe from him with howling and scritching And therefore neuer rest as thou wouldest haue life till thou get that handwriting taken away Thou wouldest be busie to get that handwriting taken away which thou seest and knowest will doe thee euill here and that may trouble thee in thy person goods or lands fie on thee that shouldest be so busied about trifles and vanities and forgettest to take away this fearfull handwriting which if it stand vntaken away may doe and shall doe thee more harme then the losse of this whole world can doe Seeke therefore continually night and day to haue this handwriting of thy sinne and guiltines taken away as thou wouldest stand with ioy in the presence of thy maker at that day To whom with the Sonne and holy Spirit be all honor for euer Amen THE EIGHTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians beginning at the midst of the 14. verse COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 14. 15. 14 Which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse 15 And hath spoyled the
followed For brethren the sinnes of the world were laid vpon Christ and for that cause he came into the world to take them of the back of the world and to lay them on his owne backe as is said Esai 53. 5. The Lord laid on him all our iniquities tumbled them on him so that when Christ was lifted vp vpon the crosse there was neuer such a lift lifted vp Take all the mountaines and lay them on one person and there was a heauier burthen lying vpon his backe For the wrath of God was lying vpon him who felt it the Iewes Nay the Lord Iesus felt the weight of that fierce wrath and he hanging on the crosse all hanged with him thy malediction thy obligation thy death and curse were on his backe and hung with him Therefore Peter in his first Epistle and second chapter vers 24. saith that he bare in his bodie our sinnes all hung with him Now brethren think ye that his burthen was light That handwriting of the curse of God for sin thy sinne and euery particular mans sinne that beleeueth or should beleeue in him their death and torments due to them haue they escaped Christ crucified on the crosse No no all were laid on him and al were crucified with him and the same nailes that were driuen into his hands and feet were also really beaten into thy sinnes and into that death due to sinne and they were driuen through hell the last torment for sinne But who did this The Iewes had little minde of this no not of their owne obligation Who was it then that crucified them The Iewes nailed the Lord but the Lord nailed them The very death that Iesus dyed was the nailes that were striken thorow The Iewes nailed Christ on the crosse but he him seise nailed our sinnes the obligation death and hell to that his crosse that obligation and the sins of all the beleeuers to the vtter ouerthrow of all things that before had offended his father in the elect or that should offend him thereafter For in that hee died it was not for sinne done before alone but for sinne also that after should be done by any of his elect for he is the mediatour that taketh away the sinnes of the world for euer and euer as he was the lambe of God that was slaine from the beginning O then let neuer that powerfull death of Iesus goe out of thy minde as thou wouldest be saued and haue comfort in the day of thy death The Lord Iesus in his death was the most blessed agent that euer was the very death of Iesus slew all the sinnes in the world Now to goe to the next verse To the end that they should not doubt of the destroying of the hand-writing the Apostle telleth them what more he did when he was on the Crosse that seeing the greater thing they should not doubt of the lesser for he that can doe the greater he can doe the lesse What did he He tooke all the diuels in hell he disarmed them he spoyled them and led them in a triumph like slaues with their hands bound behind their backes and hee mounted vpon the crosse as vpon a chariot triumphing ouer them and that is more Now to vnderstand this the better we must vnderstand there were two things against vs howbeit he speaketh of the Iewes yet all may be drawne to vs generally first there was thine owne hand it stood vntaken away then there were powers and principalities and diuels there was not one diuell but he Two things against vs all was against thee accusing thee vpon thine owne obligation There is his obligation saith he how can he escape iudgement and condemnation And they neuer cease to accuse thee yea within thy owne conscience and they make it to condemne thee Now what doth Christ He taketh thy obligation and all that may be laid to thy charge and abolisheth it and then hee turneth to the accusers and fighteth with them disarmeth How vainly vaine men speake of Christ crucified thē and leadeth thē captiue in a triumph O would to God we could weigh y e mercie of God! O vaine bodie it is but a word to thee that Christ was crucified as if thou werst speaking of a hanged man so vainely thou speakest of Christs crosse Then this I marke generally I see Iesus Christ when hee was on the crosse dying hee was the most occupied that euer was in any action thou when thou art dying thou doest no more but Iesus Christ when hee was in dying hee wrought and sought most busily So that the death of Iesus was ordained for the abolishing and destroying the aduersest powers in the world thy sinne and hell and whatsoeuer was contrarie to thee and thy saluation Brethren the argument that the Apostle vseth is from the greater to the lesse he hath spoyled the principalities and powers therefore concludeth he be assured he hath taken thy obligation away When thou hearest this doubt not but thy sinnes are forgiuen thee the one thing is the smaller the other is the greater When thou seest the diuell rageth not in the world when thou seest his dominion empayred An argument to assure vs our sinnes are pardoned because that Sathā and sinne doe not raigne in vs. make thy vantage of it and say O my sinnes are forgiuen For be ye assured if there were not remission of sinnes the diuell would raigne and rage and therefore this restraining of him is a sure argument that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For if thy hand writing were not rent hee would raigne in thee as hee raigneth in such men as rage in their wicked lusts of adulteries and murthers Thou that art exercised in thy pollutions and murthers and such like thou hast no warrant that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee for as yet the diuell raigneth in thee Seeke therfore to this Lord Iesus and the vertue of his crosse that the diuell raigne not in thee O miserable is that creature whatsoeuer it be that walketh in sinne whatsoeuer it be thou maist be assured for that handwriting of thy curse standeth as yet against thee and will condemne thee in that great day It will be dasht in thy teeth to thy shame and confusion for euer He saith Hauing spoyled The word is stripped taken off all that cloathing of theirs Of whom no small creatures but of principalities and powers that is the diuels of whom one is stronger then al the men in the world He were able to destroy all liuing men and there are millions of them O if thou knewest them thou wouldest feare continually Thou wilt looke to a sillie creature and wilt stampe vpon it but thou hast enemies aboue thy head and if thou sawest them thou wouldest take little thought of the enimitie of men looke Ephes chap. 6. vers 12. This power of the diuel is restrained only in the beleeuers for he rageth euery day more and more fiercly in vnbeleeuers towards the end
hath his faith in him for he shall ouercome the diuel find strength in the day of temptation Cast Gorgons head or Medusas so many as did looke on it were turned into stones as Poets faine vp Iesus Christ as it were Gorgonis caput the diuell dare not look vpon thee but if thou appeare in thy own nature without Christ lying in thy stink he will boldly and fiercely set on thee He will cast vp his face assaile thee mightily he shall not leaue thee till he destroy thee for there is no mercie or pitie with him he is more cruell theÌ„ a Tiger Well seek to Christ as ye would be saued and stand fast in the day of temptation He led them through saith he openly That is in the sight of God his Angels and all the world and these that stood about the crosse What auailes a triumph that is done in secret The glorie of this triumph stood in that that it was done so openly I tell thee his crosse was no more open then his triumph was his glorie was as open as his shame But thou wilt say who was this all the Iewes and the nations about saw him crucified ignominiously who saw this triumph alas if they had had eyes they might haue seene it Whereto tended his death but to the vanqâ—â—â—â—â—ng of the diuell so the fault was not in the crosse buâ— in them that they saw not If there were no more but that title Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes which Pilate would not alter if they had taken heede to that title they might perceiue hee was triumphing But howbeit they all saw it not yet I doubt not but there were some secret ones that saw it both God and his Angels saw it and Paul looking back againe to the crosse he seeth that triumph There is none of vs but when we looke backe to the crosse of Christ Iesus wee see in the crosse a triumphing King sitting in a triumphing chariot this is Pauls sight and it is the sight of euery faithfull soule They see it and they feele it daily and out of my sight it shall neuer goe nor out of thy sight that beleeuest in the Lord Iesus In the last words he taketh vp in one word the triumphing He coÌ„pares Christs triumph with the Romanes triumphes ouer them ye know the greatest glorie of victorie when men triumph ouer their enemies is to be set aboue them and al the Romane Emperours neuer got so great glorie as when they got a triumph But all is nothing to this glorie of the triumph of our Iesus for he getteth the greatest honour he getteth the triumph which is worthily called a triumph What is his triumph The Romanes got their triumph when they had oppressed men most vniustly and so it was but a tyrannie but the Lord Iesus triumpheth not because hee oppresseth this or that man but he triumphs because hee oppressed principalities and powers that is the diuels Neuer a Caesar ouercame the diuell but the diuell ouercame them when they were in their greatest royaltie so that the diuell was leading them to hell fastest when they triumphed most vniustly but Iesus Christ triumpheth after a iust victorie The spoyling of them was most iust and so it passeth all the triumphes of all the Romane Emperours and Caesars Their Chariots are not to bee compared with that crosse of Iesus So wouldest thou triumph with Iesus Christ and after a iust conquest Alas alas seeke not to triumph ouer men ouer this or that King this bodie or that ouer poore tenants to shed their bloud to wring thy hands in their heart bloud as thou wilt O villaine villaine stay let not that King of Spaine that slaue subiected to that beast of Rome reioyce in that by his crueltie he triumphs ouer many nations O thou wilt call thy selfe a Christian King learnedst thou of Christ to oppresse thy neighbour countries No if thou werst a Christian King thou wouldest learne to oppresse the diuell that raigneth ouer thee But to leaue them and to speake of this victorie of Christ thou that wouldest haue a true triumph seeke to haue the victorie ouer the diuel that seeketh to triumph ouer thee and that in Iesus Christ for without him there is no true victorie To end in a word ye would marueile if you looke to this writing of this Apostle and I doubt not that meÌ„ in this world that know not what Iesus and his crosse meane would scorne all this language for the wisedome of God is foolishnes to this world What is this he is telling He is speaking of an ignominious crosse of Christ and againe he is setting him vp as it were a Caesar There was neuer an Oratour that spake more highly of an Emperour then hee doth speaking of the crosse of Iesus Christ He is making a glorie of an ignominie and a Chariot of a gallowes a triumph of a man that is hanged Brethren this same speech of the Apostle would to God we could see as he saw it is a triumphing speech of a triumph testifieth plainly that hee felt in his heart the power of the crosse and A triumphing speech in the Apostle of Christs triumph death of Iesus Christ as he saith Galath 6. 14. God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ It testifieth that his heart was full of the power of God and of the death of Christ and that the obligation was cancelled and the diuell vndone and by this effectuall feeling the mouth and the heart are opened Alas alas he would not haue compared the crosse of Christ with the triumph of Emperours if his heart had not felt the vertue of the crosse of Christ O then seeke a sense of the death of Christ and the power of it otherwise reade not these words for thou wilt scorne the Gospell Againe I say thou wilt scorne the Gospell if thou finde not the vertue and power of the death of Christ in some measure sensibly in thy heart yea and the wiser thou art thou wilt euer account it the greater follie Therefore as euer thou wilt account of it and speake of the crosse of Christ to thy ioy seeke to feele sensibly the power of that death of Christ for it is not like a common death In the death of the man Iesus Christ what was there There was the life of the Sonne of God that quickened the death of the man So that it is more powerfull then all the liues of Angels or men that are or that euer will be So all tendeth to this seeke to finde the power of that death that thou maist reade it with ioy and heare tell of it with ioy And certainly if thou shalt feele the power at the hearing and speaking of it if thine hart shal leape for ioy it is argument for thee that Iesus Christ hath triumphed ouer death to thy saluation To this Iesus with the Father and the holy Spirit be
God Therefore seeke it of him He calleth it the growth of God because the furniture is of God for where the furniture is of God there must be the growth of God As the naturall furniture maketh the naturall growth euen so where the spirituall furniture is it maketh the spirituall growth and as the one failes see that the other grow daily Endeuour to grow spiritually otherwise this life is most miserable and a wofull death will abide thee Therefore haue a greater respect to the spirituall growth then to this temporall If it be a great corsiue to this life to be bereft of visible and earthly things what a sore sting shall it be to be depriued of the life to come and the ioyes of heauen and the sight of the spirituall things there There must bee sorow of sorrowes the greatest and wofullest sorrow that euer was Further I see there is set downe here an opposition betwixt this growth of God and the swelling vp of the false Apostles Where Iesus is the head and furniture sent downe from him Where Christ is there is the growth of God where he is not and no furniture from him there is no solid growth there There may well be one blowne vp with a vaine winde of poyson as a bodie that will swell foote and hand he may well swell vp in the wombe of sinne but if there be not a furniture from Iesus thou shalt neuer grow truly either in knowledge or sanctification thy estate shall be as the women learning but neuer come to the knowledge of the truth Our Noblemen will take in Iesuites into their chambers and will giue eare to them but I say to thee heare as thou wilt there is no solid growth to be had of his speech There is no sound spirituall growth in the kingdome of Antichrist It may be ye thinke it growes because the world followeth it for the kingdome of the truth of Iesus is in a narrow bound but I say vnto you there is no good growth in that kingdome of Antichrist therefore flye from them flie from Babylon for Babylon shall be destroyed flie away then from them Shame shall befall them that ioyne with them This for the description of Iesus and the growth in him In the next verse hee returneth to his admonition and he saith be not burthened alas these traditions are a burthen of Traditions such weight that whosoeuer will take them on they shall presse them downe to hell and damnation The argument that he vseth ye are dead with Christ and by his crosse he hath freed you if saith he ye be dead with Christ why should ye suffer your selues to be burthened with such trifles as the false Apostles would haue you berthened with as if he would say it is a great indignitie done to Christ if ye doe so He said before they were buried with him now he saith they are dead with Christ Who euer thou be then that hast any part with Iesus thou must be dead with Iesus There is none but they must be dead in this world with Iesus if they would haue any part with him A man that is quicke in this world giues a token that he hath no part with Iesus But heare this death described Yee were dead saith hee with Christ then hee hath a companion that is a blessed death that hath the fellowship of Iesus It is better to die with Iesus then to liue with all the world The word which he vseth imports further To die by vertue of his death so it is his death that maketh vs to die O there is a double happines blessed is that soule that dieth by vertue of the death of Iesus So then it is not so much thou that diest as it is sinne that dieth in thee by vertue of his death Yet more he saith ye were dead with Christ Where from from the ordinances or elements that is the grosse rudiments of Religion that imported a subiection and a thraldome to the law Looke if this be a burthen or not So in a word there is the greatest happines to die with Christ for to die with him is to be freed of the law and of sinne So wouldest thou haue a blessed death dye this death with Christ for it bringeth to thee a faire libertie It is better to dye with Christ then to liue a slaue with sinne And if thou wouldest liue a free man leaue Libertie sinne and seeke the libertie that is in Christ He saith if ye be dead with Christ why are ye burthened with traditions somewhat sharply and angerly Fie shame fie shame on thee that goest to put thy necke vnder traditions wherefrom thou wast once freed fie on thee man that makest defection to Papistrie why goest thou to be burthened with such vanities Now he lets them see that it was a mischieuous thing that they cast off Christ to liue to this life This is a miserable case with the wofull and sinfull life in this world O thou Papist woe is thee that makest this choice thou that hast dyed with Christ thou wilt begin to liue with the Pope and his vaine traditions It shall neuer make thee to haue life no not in this world as quicke as thou seemest to be I insist so much the more in this that ye that stand should be moued to stand still and not to be chaunged from your Christ as many doe when they goe to these parts of the Popes dominions O it will be a blacke day to you if ye stand not fast euer by Christ and his truth Be ioyfull that ye are crucified with Christ and be not wanton with the world but be sorie for sinnefor if sinne liue in you ye shall dye but if thou leaue it in the teares of repentance thou shalt liue for euer I loue not a wanton sinner be therefore buried and dead with Christ that ye may liue with him To whom with the Father and holie Spirit bee euerlasting praise and glorie for euer and euer Amen THE XXII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 21. 22. 23. 21 As touch not taste not handle not 22 Which all perish with the vsing and are after the commaundements and doctrines of men 23 Which things haue in deede a shew of wisedome in voluntary religion and humblenes of minde and in not sparing the bodie which are things of no value sith they pertaine to the filling of the flesh YE heard the last day welbeloued brethren in Iesus Christ the Apostle when he had set downe that faire description of Christ the head of the bodie he returned to his purpose and that admonition which is through this whole chapter that they should beware of false teachers and false doctrine and especially that they should not take on thē the burthen of ordinances that is to say y e burthen of the rites and ceremonies of the law that sometime had place in the Church of the Iewes