hereof and those that neuer mourne for their sinnes doe suppose that they shall rise laughing The promise is made to them that mourne Blessed are they saith Christ that mourne to wit for sinne for they shall receiue comfort Matth. 5 4. Men thinke they shall come to heauen before their feete be colde and yet they delight themselues in their sinnes Nay goe thy way crucifie thy sinne and thy selfe to sinne or else thou shalt neuer see heauen nor come to glorie Would to God this were as well felt as it is knowne Now the meanes whereby this dying is wrought is Baptisme instituted by Iesus Christ that put away and abolished Baptisme not only representeth the crucifying and burying of Christ but also is powerfull in the baptized in the whole course of his life Circumcision and placed Baptisme in steede thereof I will speake somewhat of Baptisme but as it concerneth the matter we haue in hand It not onely representeth the death and buriall of Christ and as oft as thou seest it so often thou seest or at the least shouldest see Iesus crucified and buried it hath not onely the naked representation hereof but the vertue of that death and buriall It crucifieth the bodie that is baptized it burieth the old man it is the very power of God to the mortification of thy sinfull nature and the Lord is powerfull in it not onely at that instant when thou art baptized as the Papists say but also continueth so in thee in the whole course of thy life Thou thinkest it is but for children onely nay it is euen for old bodies also and if thou keepe it in thy sight and remembrance thou maist be perswaded that the Lord will worke most assuredly thy mortification as long as thou liuest Therefore neglect not thy Baptisme as thou wouldest goe forward in the mortification of thy sinne and thinke euer and The vse of baptisme in our whole life say O Lord I was baptized in thy name Lord let it not be gone out of my minde make it powerfull in me to the mortification of sinne and it shall haue force euen in thy very death I speake this because men thinke there is no more required but an outward shew but if thou knewest the force and powerfull working of the Lord thou wouldest remember thy Baptisme euen as long as thou liuest and if thou diddest finde it to haue any working in thee thou wouldest reuerence it more and more And so much for the first part of the likenes of Iesus Christ Then he proceedeth to the second part of this conformitie that is by Baptisme In whom ye are also raised vp This followeth vpon the other as the Apostle Rom. 6. 5. proueth this consequence where euer this buriall goeth before all the world cannot stay thee from life Thou that findest any mortification of sinne assure thy selfe of life but if thou finde not the death and buriall of sinne looke not to finde life And I say more there shall be no deferring of time for thy comfort as if thou shouldest first dye a long time before thou rise to Iesus Christ Indeede the last resurrection shall be in the last day but I say When the life of God begins in vs. thou shalt begin no sooner to dye to sinne in this life and find any compūction and heauines in thy heart for it but with the death of sinne and the buriall and slaying of it immediatly shall come life This life breaketh vp through death and ioy breaketh vp through sadnes al heauenly ioy riseth vp through an heanie heart so that thou shalt not feele ioy vnlesse thy heart be pressed downe with the heauines of sinne And this ioy as Peter 1. Epist 1. 8. saith is vnspeakable so that when a man is sighing most for sinne drawing sighes from the bottome of his heart then the quickest and sweetest ioy ariseth but whē thou art laughing and singing there is no such thing as ioy at thy heart Wherefore should I speake of these things Onely learne this to be sad and to sigh for sinne that with it thou maist get some ioy of thy heart which is an earnest peny that thou shalt be filled with it at the sight of that glorious maiestie Now to goe forward How is this resurrection wrought Euen as death was wrought by Baptisme for as it representeth the death of Christ so so often as thou seest Baptisme ministred thou seest in it the resurrection of Christ Yea and it raiseth vp the bodie of him that is baptized to life by vertue of the resurrection of Christ who is also manifested in Baptisme Immediatly and in one instant the Lord will work two contrary things he will cast thee downe to hell and then in the same moment he will raise thee vp to heauen And Baptisme hath this force continually so long as thou liuest if so be thou remember it looke for the vertue of it to the last houre of thy death In the words following least they should haue thought this signe of Baptisme should haue had this force as we say virtute operis operati to haue buried sinne and quickened a man againe without any more he ioyneth by faith not onely by Baptisme as if he would say we are buried to sinne and raised Faith required in baptisme to apprehend Christ and to receiue vertue from him to righteousnes but this great worke is wrought also by faith so that if thou haue not faith apprehending and taking hold of God if thou send not faith to heauen in the ministerie of the Sacrament and the word preached and if thou want faith to applie grace to thee the Sacrament and the word preached shall neuer doe thee good And if thou get not this faith at one time or other this Sacrament shall be a seale to thy damnation and the word preached shall aggrauate thy iudgement So if there were no other place to condemne the Papists error of opus operatum this place were sufficient to condemne it for Opus operatum the Apostle meaneth plainly that Baptisme hath no force without faith and this Gospell hath no power to thy saluation without faith Away then with that erronious doctrine of these vaine babling fooles of opus operatum It is diuellishnes and lying In the next words he sheweth the obiect of faith It must lay hold vpon something for faith is an holding fast an hand that taketh hold apprehendeth something It is an anchor cast out to hold thee by so this faith must haue some obiect to leane vpon otherwise thou wouldest be dasht on euery side Obiect of faith with each waue till thy ship be broken What is then the obiect of faith The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an effectualnes The Apostle to the Ephesians chap. 1. 19. taketh it to bee the effectualnes of the strong power of God that must be the thing to stay thee that must hold thy heart that it fleete not nor flow not
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
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
cloathing it is that thou hast first he calleth it a bodie it is a bodie then a massie lumpe this is a borrowed word from the bodie of man So the garment wherewith thou art clad by nature and which must be shaken off of thee if thou wouldest be saued it is no superficiall thing O vaine man Our naturall corruptiō no light or superficiall thing thou thinkest it a superficiall light thing No it is a bodie and a lumpe with all the dimensions thereof length heighth breadth and deepnes yea thou art not able to finde out the deepnes thereof Thou maist indeede feele the deepnes of thy bodie of flesh and bones but thou canst not finde the deepnes of thy heart For as thy soule is compassed with thy bodie euen so thy heart is compassed and clogged with an heauie lumpe heauier then the whole earth One sinne is heauier then the whole earth no marueile then if thou be drawne to hell if thou be not relieued Now let vs see whereof this bodie is He calleth it a bodie of sinne O stinking nature Then brethren ye see the arraignement of nature a bodie not of flesh bloud and bone but of sinne and of all sorts of sinne Wilt thou looke into thy heart thou shalt see it full of foule stinking cogitations and affections And if thou haddest any smell of it thou wouldest stink Naturall corruption how vncleane a thing in thy owne nose I forbeare to speake of the outward effects as foule speeches and the wicked deedes of the hands which returne to the heart againe and makes vp the stinking bodie The heart of man is drowned in the sinke of sinne and if thou relieue not thy selfe thou shalt be drowned in sin The world will not beleeue this nor yet learne this lesson In the next word he calleth it the bodie of flesh Wouldest thou haue the originall of sinne it is called flesh not this outward bodie that thou bearest but an inward hid thing and stinking corruption that is runne through thy whole soule and bodie and infecteth them so that there is not an inch of thee free So you see the welspring of this sinfull masse it is not outward it is within thee that ayleth thee the seate of it is in the heart and occupieth the depth of it and no part therof is free and it spouteth out vehemently this foule stinking venome of sinne as euer thou sawest any spout spout out water So that if thou grow not in regeneration thou shalt grow in sinne which poysons thee day by day till at the last thou drop downe like a poysoned bodie Therefore roote it out and digge it vp let this be thy occupation night and day as Kill sinne or else it will kill thee thou wouldest be saued or else it will destroy thee So thou seest this garment this bodie wherewith thou art so clogged must be cast off otherwise of necessitie thou must be a firebrand of hell In the end of the verse he taketh vp that which he hath spoken in one word I meane would he say by this of casting off the bodie nothing else but that circumcision of Christ that is to say not onely that that he suffered in his owne flesh passiue but that this is made by him actiue as we speake Then note shortly that all this of putting off this foule garment is not by the hand of man all the men in the world cannot get their hand into thy heart to plucke off this foule stinking garment hee may open thy breast and pull out thy fleshie heart but there is no hand that can pull off and draw out that foule heart but onely the hand of Christ Iesus Therefore if thou wilt be freed of that mortalitie craue his hand to pluck Christ alone doth circumcise the heart off this garment and crie O Lord put in thy hand and plucke this foule heart away fie on it it stinkes in mine owne nose When he hath thus spoken he leaueth vs not so but maketh it plaine shewing the manner how this is brought about Thou must not dreame of a grosse fashion for the manner is spirituall In old time a man would haue put to his hand bodily but Iesus Christ puts to his hand spiritually Now the circumcision of Iesus Christ standeth in a conformitie VVhat the circumcisiō of Christ is and likenes betweene Christ and vs. This likenes stands in two poynts first in the likenes with him in death and buriall thou must dye I tell thee thou that wouldest be made like to Christ thy head Secondly it standeth in a conformitie in life and in rising againe to life and truly thy life shall be more sweete and ioyfull then euer thy death was sower and heauie But he beginneth at his death his words are being buried Buriall presupposeth death no man is buried but he that is dead Then vnderstand how thou canst neuer liue with To be buried vvith Christ in griefe for sinne Christ vnlesse thou dye with him thinke not that euer thou shalt rise except thou bee first buried with him in griefe for sinne Well well wanton companions burie your hearts in teares and holy repentance Repentance if it be holy is thy buriall for who euer rose except he lay downe Can a man rise from death to life except he were first dead Canst thou rise to that spirituall and eternall life except thou be first spiritually dead It must be the death of this bodie of sinne of this body of flesh that is within thee that must bring thee to this buriall of Christ Couldest thou neuer sigh for thy sinne then wast thou neuer at deaths dore nor dead with Christ And except thou sigh continuallie day and night for thy sinnes and dye to them and euery one of them how canst thou say thou shalt rise with Christ Art thou a murtherer and greeuest not for it so that thou abstainest from it then thou diest not and shalt not therefore rise with Christ Art thou an oppressour and repentest not then thou diest not neither shalt thou rise with Christ Art thou an euill speaker of thy neighbour behinde his backe as this land is full of such people who thinke it no sinne and sorrowest not thou neuer wast dead with Christ neither canst rise with him O the villaine that will please himself in this sin the rest and yet will imagine to rise as well as the best men to life in Iesus But O foole thou art altogether vaine and thy cogitations are meere deceits for Christ will not be a Sauiour to any but to such as die with him mortifying their sinnes If thy buriall be not with him thou shalt neuer rise to spirituall life with him Thou maist indeed rise but not to thy comfort if thou be not buried to sinne in some measure in this life there shall be no resurrection for thee to that life which is in the heauens purchased in the bloud of Christ Iesus Men thinke not
that wee receiue in Christ Would to God wee could meditate vpon this life that is in Christ you shall know it best by this what a death wast thou in It was a spirituall death both of the soule and bodie standing in the want of the life of God Then this life must be spiritual also euen the life of God that thrusts out that death that is that corruption and fruites of the same If thou haue this life though thou werst dying bodily thou wilt be liuing in thy soule and when thou art dead thou shalt be liuing this is the aduantage of this life of God But if thou want this life dying thou shalt be onely dead and nought els and woe is that man or woman that is onely dead 2. Cor. 4. 10. Paul speaking of himselfe saith Euery where we beare about in our bodie the dying of the Lord Iesus meaning this dying in the bodie but yet saith he the life of Iesus is manifested in my bodie that is in dying bodily I liue spiritually And vers 16. The more that the bodie died the more he was renued daily Paul felt this in himselfe doest thou not feele this naturall life wearing away the strength of it decaying daily Striue theÌ„ with Paul that with the decay of the one thou maist feele the growth of the other in thee and woe is thee losing the bodily life if thou get not the growing of the spiritual life But if thou doest feele it keepe it well otherwise thou shalt die euerlastingly He saith not simply he had quickened them but he saith he hath quickened them with him that is with Iesus Christ in this order First he raised Christ from the dead then with him he beginneth their rising here in this life which shall be accomplished in the second resurrection that is to come If ye wil consider these words they import three things First there is none quickened alone so as if thou be alone Three things in our â—iuification to be considered and separate from Christ thinke not to liue conceiue not to get the life of God and therefore he saith hee hath quickened you with him The second thing is there is no man that is first quickened in order but Christ is first quickened and thou commest in the second roome thou canst not get life before him The third thing to be considered in this place is no man getteth life from God immediatly for first hee giueth life to Christ and thou being in Christ thou drawest a portion out of him He hath the fulnes if thou be ioyned with him thou drawest out a share of life where by thou doest liue And therefore take this admonition Wouldest thou haue life stand not alone but ioyne with thy head Christ and then with the bodie for if thou be not a member of this bodie though it seeme ignominious to thee thou shalt haue no life in thee Creepe then vnto Christ be neuer alone be euer in the society of the Saints And if Christ be the head then claime not to be the first to haue life but let Iesus thy head be first and then come thou creeping in to him striue to be next him as much as thou canst and striue not to be first for hee will be first in despite of thee The last is seeke not to get grace and life immediatly of God without Christ as if there were any life of thy own without him thou wouldest be deceiued in steed of life the curse of God will fall vpon thee Thinkest thou that the Iewes which looke vp to heauen and seeke life without Christ thinkest thou that they will get it Nay they get death in steed of life but thou that gettest a drop of his grace which is better then all the kingdomes of the earth to refresh thy soule that is parched as it were with the heate of sinne thou I say wilt get life in him for all grace is in him therefore seeke for it in him To goe forward he laieth downe whereupon this proceedeth It must be builded vpon a ground which is a remission of thy sinnes which is in effect the iustifying of thee in Iesus accompting thee to be a iust man notwithstanding thy sinnes saying I pronounce thee a iust man Then briefly mark this and looke by what order thou attainest to life This is the order to come by the life of God first before euer thou get that quickning How to attaine life spirit for it is the spirit that quickens thou must haue the bloud of Iesus For there are two things that come from Iesus his bloud and his spirit thinke not to get the spirit before the bloud but seeke the bloud bathe and wash that foule soule of thine Wash and clense thee againe and againe in that bloud shed on the crosse to the end that the guiltines of thy sinnes being washed away from thy soule for this is the vertue of that bloud to all that beleeue thou maist get the spirit of Iesus For being once washed in his bloud then thou gettest that that is called the remission of sinnes which are washed away Heb 9. 14. through faith in the bloud of Christ and hauing got this free remission the spirit will come and will pull out that roote of bitternes and digge it vp by the rootes all the power in the The power of Christs spirit world cannot pull it vp but the spirit of Iesus will doe it it will I say pluck vp that roote and all the branches and members of it howbeit he will not doe it at once yet hee will doe it by degrees Then if thou wouldest haue life goe on in this order and say to God Lord forgiue me my sinnes in the bloud of Two petitions Iesus say not Lord quicken me but say Lord forgiue me my sinnes and take away the guiltines of them in the bloud of Iesus It is most certaine that if thou haue faith in the bloud of Iesus thou must be forgiuen Then say in the second roome Lord quicken me giue me that spirit that may pull out this naturall corruption and put life in me Come on in this manner and if thou hast a faithfull heart it is not possible but thou maist obtaine remission of thy sins and be quickened Crie then continually Lord forgiue me Lord relieue me of the death which I lie in relieue me of this corruption put life in me and all this through thy beloued sonne Christ Iesus For it will not be the life of thy parents that will make thee to liue crie to root out that poison which thou hast from thy parents Our gentlemen thinke it enough for them if they be descended of such a descent of people Ha ha thou wilt die like a dog if thou haue no more be neuer contented til thou hast gotten a new birth For all they that will raigne with him must haue a new birth It is impossible for thee to be one of
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
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
is of such things as are proper for such a life I tell you this earth and all the things in it your siluer gold drinke and all the rest the knowledge of these things serueth not for the life of heauen but if thou wilt haue such a life thy knowledge must reach to heauen and howbeit thy knowledge be finite yet it will compasse things infinite if thou haue the spirit of Iesus saith the Apostle it compasseth the breadth and depth of him Ephes chap. 3. verse 18. 19. Knowledge of heauenly things necessarie if we be in Christ So this heauenly life requires wisedome in heauenly things Iesus Christ when hee rose the eye of him went vp to heauen he knew no more these carnall things all went away and the minde of him was occupied vpon heauenly things so if thou rise with him thy minde will to heauen and in some measure thou wilt vnderstand things and thou wilt be wise in God If thou haue not this I say thou hast not risen with Iesus but art yet filthie wallowing in thy owne bloud to thy eternall damnation Now he is not content to exhort them that they be wise in these things aboue but hee excludeth things of this earth to teach thee that thou canst not be wise in these heauēly things in case thou be wise in these things beneath yea these heauenly things shall bee but foolishnes to a wise man in earthly things for they shall be but as a dreame and imagination to such the speech of the Gospell shall be follie to him So think not to take both in thy armes when thou art looking downe how canst thou looke vp Thinke not to compasse heauen and earth both together for in compassing the one thou shalt lose the other Therefore the Apostle sundreth them This seemeth to be hard for how can we cast all care of this world away we must eate drinke and be cloathed and haue some care of these things so long as we abide in the earth The Apostle answereth in the first Epistle to the Corinth chap. 7. vers 29. for hauing spoken of mariage he saith the time is shortned As if hee would say ye will not be long in this life Therefore ye that haue wiues be as though ye had them not By the which he meaneth not that we should cast all care away of this world but that we should take the things of this earth by the way as it were that is to say let not thy chief care be on them but so farre as they serue for heauen Doe euen as though thou were going on a pilgrimage yee will take meate drinke gold siluer and such other things to helpe you forward in your iourney yet your care will not bee on them but your care will bee chiefly on your iourney euer hauing your eye vpon the end of it Thou wilt not sit downe vpon thy riches vpon thy meate and the rest Simile while thou art in iourneying but wilt be euer going forward in thy iourney vsing these things by the way euen so the Lord in this our iourneying to heauen hee will not haue vs to sit downe and set our care chiefly on these things in the earth but to take them as it were by the way hauing thy chiefe care Matth. 6. on him and the things with him therefore sit not down vpon any thing in this earth if thou doe thou shalt neuer come to thy iourneys end yea thou shalt lose the remembrance of it Now to goe forward in the words following There are two arguments to this purpose set downe by the Apostle the first is to disswade them from earthly things ye are dead The next is to seeke heauenly things your life is hid with Christ in God To speake then of the first argumēt which is ye are dead to the earth therfore striue not to be wise in y e earth Ye knowe that a mā that is dead supposing that he had neuer so great care of this world and could neuer get a fill of the things in it so long as he liued yet when life is gone the bodie lieth still and will not giue a peny for all the world all pleasure goeth away and Simile as a man dieth he will begin to spit at the world yea a man full of the honour of it he will at his dying day spit at it Euen so brethren the soule dying with Iesus spiritually as the bodie dieth naturally to sinne to the earth and to all earthly things to what end should it care for these earthly things Nay if thou didst finde that death of Iesus thou wouldest loath these things In deede it is vnpossible to be altogether voyde of the care of these things of the earth as long as we are in the bodie here but if thou be buried with him certainly thou wilt loath all these things beneath and despise the wisdome of them and begin by little and little to seeke the things of heauen And if thou be thus wise dead it is a sure argument thy soule is mortified lying as it were in the buriall of Iesus vntill the time thou rise glorious in that great day As by the contrarie if thou be not buried with Iesus in thy soule and bodie thou art liuing to sinne thou wantest the life of God and hast nothing but a sinfull life Brethren ye heard before he sayd they were liuing now he saith they are dead How can these two stand Obiection Answere together I answere a spirituall death in the soule when it dieth to sinne to foule affections and to earthly things such a death as that standeth very well with a spirituall life yea this death is so ioyned with the spirituall life that except the spirituall death precede the life of Iesus will not enter into thee Thinke not to enioy both together at once the life of sinne and the life of God but ere thou get the life of God the eye thou hadst to earthly things must be closed no thinke not to looke vp and downe together at once No no be dead to the world ere euer thou minde to open an eye to heauen So then the death to the world and the life to heauen standeth well together The last argument followeth perswading to the things aboue your life is hid aboue with Christ. There are the words and why should ye not follow him and set your heart and your eye vpon him where your life is Brethren I see there are many things to moue vs to seeke heauen and to be wise in heanenly things Now I would to God one of them could moue vs but alas as for a stonie heart speake and reason with it as ye will and conuince it as ye please it will abide hard and will not be moued Wouldst thou goe downe to the things of this life that death that thou diest forceth thee vp to heauen it giueth thee wings to flie vpward and closeth thine eyes from the world
the gripe and holde of Christ and make thee to loue the Saints But how got they it of the which you haue heard saith he looke the word Then they got it by hearing Well you that count so little of hearing take heede to your selues they got it by the very eare and that of the Lord. They knewe it not before they heard of it No knowledge of life euerlasting by nature Thou shalt not know that Thou that wouldest liue after this life and after the fashions of it Indeede thou shalt know that thou shalt perish and dye euerlastingly Adam knew this when hee fell from God death seased on him and this was his knowledge of good and euill that he got that he knew what blessing he had lost and into what damnation he hath fallen But no sight of his rising before he heard so no light by nature of life after this life but a sight of euerlasting death and damnation Long may a sinner lye still dead in sinne before he thinke of life he is no more able to thinke of it then a dead body How got they it then by hearing What heard they a word the obiect to the care is a word or sound What word not a word of lyes of men of dreames of fables No how be it thou heare a thousand yeeres all the inuentions and dreames that Monkes in their cloisters haue dreamed build and rest on them as thou wouldest yet thou shalt neuer see life by them What kinde of word must this be then the word of truth a true word must let thee seethe heauenly life What truth is this the truth of the Gospell Euery science hath it owne truth but there is no truth that will saue thee and make thee see that inheritance but onely the truth of the Gospell and therefore the Gospell for the excellencie thereof is called the word of God and for the excellencie of the truth of the Gospell it is called the word of truth Then in a word to speake homely and familiarly to you the charter and the euidence of that heauenly inheritance is the Gospell of Christ Thou hast no other euidence looke The Gospell is the onely euidence of saluation to thy charter chest in heauen earth or hell thou shalt neuer get an euidence of thy saluation but the euidence of the Gospell Wilt thou keepe the charters of thy land and heritage on earth and close them fast vp in a sure chest and reade them at all times and forget this onely euidence of thy saluation and not care for it nor take pleasure to reade on it I denounce vnto thee what euer thou bee that thou shalt neuer see life but thou shalt bee shut out of heauen To doe this it is not a worke of thine own power nor of thine own nature and grace to drawe thee with some delight to turne ouer the euidence of the Gospell to heare it and to take pleasure in it in some measure so long as thou art from the full fruition of heauen and life euerlasting Thou shalt neuer brooke it in heauen and thy pleasure be not in some measure on this euidence whilest thou art here on earth I denounce ouer againe and that by the ministrie of this word thou shalt be shut out thou shalt not haue a furrow of land in heauen Count of hearing as you wil by hearing is your life and there is no pleasure but in the word of life and the oft turning of it ouer When he hath spoken of this Gospell he falleth out in a commendation of the Gospell you shall finde this in Paul when he falles in speaking of the Gospell he cannot be easily drawne from it No question he found the power of it so forcible in himselfe and sawe it also so effectuall in others that where hee speakes of it he cannot goe lightly from it He loued it so well and it was so sweete to him yea as it is said Psalm 119. It was sweeter to him then the honey and the honey combe Well then he commendeth the Gospell to them and there are three arguments of the commendation thereof First which saith he is come to you Brethren the Gospell commeth to vs and wee The Gospell commeth to vs and we goe not to it neuer go to it and it comes vnsent for it would bide long from vs if it stayed till we went for it and though thou wentst for it I tell thee thou art no more able to bring it then thou art able to bring the sunne out of the heauen For except the Lord send it to thee in his mercy and free grace thou shalt neuer get it But to come to the purpose Doe you scar at this Gospell that you haue heard because it is Epaphras that hath founded you you doe euill would he say Therefore he saith ye heard of him nothing but that which is spread throughout the world And Epaphras his Gospell is that that is my Gospell which I haue preached vnto others which is the Gospell of Iesus Christ Take out here a lesson wouldest thou haue a note or token whereby thou wouldest knowe that the Gospell which thou hearest and that we preach this day is the true Gospell the Gospell that must saue the world looke if it be the same Gospell that was spread through out the world in the dayes of Obserue these Apostles or if it be that Gospell that Paul and Peter preached How shall you know if it be that Gospell of the Apostles It is a long time since where shall you knowe it better then by their owne writ Paul nor Peter preached nothing but that which they wrote Neuer a sentence of saluation was preached by Paul but all is written He preached the whole counsell of God Act. 20. I say and will affirme and will dye with it that Paul preached the whole counsell of God and wrote euery word of the same Away with the clouted inuentions of the Papists and that rabble of the cloyster Then I pray you examine all our preachings by the rule of this written word And would to God brethren that they would suffer that to be the onely touchstone Oh vaine Papist thy cause would perish if thou wouldest take thee onely to this touchstone Thou shouldest finde all their inuentions to be but lyes But thou wilt hold thee by lyes and therefore thou shalt perish and they both Then thou that findest this Gospell that is preached to be the written word of the Apostles hold thee by it and take it for the true word of God the word of life and saluation Now I pray thee as thou wouldest find life and grace in it put away all preiudice of the minister whether he be come Preiudice against the Preacher from Rome from the Pope or not and the Gospell that he preached be as good as the Gospell of Paul and Peter if it be no other stand not vpon the man if thou countest more of the man or of
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
as was betwixt God and vs before the reconciler came there was neuer Before the calling of the Gentiles by the Gospell so much bloud shed as was from the time of the fall of Adam to the cōming of Iesus Christ So there is a higher degree of miserie not onely strangers but enemies fighting against heauen with an vplifted hand This degree must follow the former It is not betwixt God and man as it is betwixt man and man One man may be a stranger to another and yet not his enemie but if thou be a stranger to God thou art his enemie A stranger to God is an enemy to him For Christ saith He that is not with me is against me Beware then of the first Turne not so much as thy foote from him but striue to be at home with him and to creepe to his house and to creepe vnder his boord otherwise thou shalt take vp a banner against him Now to goe to the words where begunne this strangenes and enmitie where is the first seate of it which is the fountaine whereof it springs It is not the bodie first it is not in the eye howbeit it be an enemie to God if thou stand in nature thou wilt lift vp a proud eye testifying that thou art an enemie to God it is not in the mouth howbeit thou blaspheme God therewith it is not in thy hand suppose thou fight therewith against the heauens but it begins within thee and the chaire wherein it sits is thy soule If thy soule were not an enemie thy eye and the rest of thy members of thy bodie could not be enemies It comes out of the heart that defiles the man saith Christ Matth. 15. 18. Then againe it begins not at the inferiour powers of thy soule at the sensuall appetite it goes further it begins at the minde of man so saith the Apostle that is to say at the chiefest power of the soule the Ephes 2. 3 minde the eye and the light of thy soule The Mistrisse the Queene that should haue kept all cleane she hath set vp a vile whore and troubles the whole soule This reason which should haue made the soule to see and know God she is the first enemie Very reason in the naturall man an enemie to God of God The very reason whereby thou not onely excels the beast but euen thy selfe is become a whore and greatest foe that God hath in man and abuseth the whole soule of man with her foule cogitation and it defiles the whole parts of the bodie the eye the hand and all the rest with her motion What is the cause of this that the first seate of this enmitie is in the minde and reason of man because all her musing is vpon euill workes she is set vpon them Nay muse what thou wilt if thou bee but in nature all thy musing and thinking shall be but enmitie against God For thou shalt muse nothing but of euill workes Ye know brethren the first deuiser of any mischiefe is the first enemie and not the executor he that abuseth others is the first enemie and lowne and should first dye But so it is the first deuiser of all euill workes is this corrupt minde of man If it come not first in thy mind would thy hand cōmit the euill No no it is first in thy minde and then she puts it out into the inferiour parts of the bodie And therfore if thou gets not grace the first thing that the Lord shall torment shall be thy mind and he shall so torment it y t thou shalt crie would to God when I had had a reasonable minde that I had been a beast Let the Philosophers speake of it as they please as Plato that sets vp the minde as a Queene and the Pope with his philosophicall reason disputing so finely as he troweth extolling nature and free will to good Note That mind of his and his rabble shall one day be wrung and rent in peeces with such torments as the tongue of man and Angell can not expresse And therefore it is that Paul commaunds so earnestly the Ephesians to bee first renued in their minds Eph. 4. 23. The greater reason not sanctified an argument of greater damnatiō It is the mother of all mischiefe and Idolatrie thou hast not to glorie in thy reason if so be it be not sanctified yea the greater conceit thou hast in reasoning the greater damnatiō except it be sanctified in that spirit of Iesus Christ This is the estate they were in before they were reconciled which the Apostle remembers them of that it should neuer go out of their minde Let neuer the stinke of nature goe out of thy mind but Let neuer the soule sent of thy naturall corruption goe out of thy minde weigh it diligently that thou maist giue thankes and praises to God for his grace and deliuerie Next he sheweth the manner how he reconciled them to himselfe and his father for all is alike marke the manner It is two-fold First in that bodie with an emphasis of his flesh The meaning is this he reconciled you by assuming and taking to him a true fleshy bodie hee calles it The bodie of the flesh to let vs see that the bodie which Iesus Christ bare in the world and that hee beares now in glorie at the right hand of the father is not a phantasticall bodie or an appearance of a bodie without soliditie as the Heretikes called it a mathematicall bodie a maiestaticke bodie All is but vanitie but it is a reall bodie as reall as euer the bodie of man was or is of flesh bloud and bones otherwise The bodie of Christ a reall bodie hee could neuer haue been a Mediatour to vs and wee could neuer haue been the better for him either in his death or life Then the first manner of our reconciliation is the assuming of this flesh of this bodie of man hee is first the sonne of God Bodie and soule then he takes to him the bodie the flesh and the soule of man The next word is by death that is by becomming a sacrifice in that bodie which he tooke to him For otherwise if hee had not offred vp his bodie he could haue done vs no good for it is the pearced bodie the shed bloud the vexed soule the tormenting of the man that redeemes and saues thee And therefore Christ suffered in soule when thou hast recourse to Christ goe not to him as hee is in heauen or as he was going vp and downe in Iewrie but goe to him hanging on the Crosse that is to his bloud to sprinkle thy soule otherwise he shall neuer profit thee The Father was not appeased in his wrath vntill hee got his bloud nothing will pacifie the conscience but onely this bloud of Iesus Now marke the Father reconciles vs to himselfe the Sonne againe he reconciles vs to himselfe This is common but in this worke there is a great
all is but dung before God So you see what should be the first thing we should begin at to wit at a standing and perseuering in the faith of the Mediatour Abide in this and all shall follow of their owne will holines weldoing and the rest In the words following he shewes vs the way how to perseuere in faith If so be that you abide in the faith grounded founded The word is borrowed from building on a ground stone How to perseuere in faith the second word is and established euen as you see a man set down in a chaire resting without mouing or wagging sitteth still immoueable If thou wilt abide in faith thou must bee grounded and set downe and must not goe wagging fleeting and flowing as you see some doe Then what is this foundation whereupon thou must be grounded It is euen this same faith Thou must be grounded on it or else thou shalt not abide in it and if thou bee not built vpon it as vpon a building thou shalt not abide in it Faith then must bee the ground It must not be built as it were vpon thy heart it is the falsest ground The heart must be built and rest on faith that euer was but thy heart must be built on faith For faith in Iesus is a fast and established ground Now what is the seate euen this same faith Faith must not sit vpon thy heart which is but a ioggling seate a loose seate but thy heart must be turned ouer vpon the faith of Iesus Christ that is a fast seate so that all the powers in the world will not moue it In a word if Rest not night nor day till thou seele thy faith lying vnder thy heart and thy heart resting firme and stable on it thou abide and perseuere in the faith of Iesus Christ bee built on it rest neuer while thou rise vp vpon it as a building Rest not night nor day till thou feele it lying vnder thy heart rest not till thou finde thy heart setled without staggering sitting downe as it were on a fast stoole and seatc If thou be once setled and builded all the waues of temptations shall not once moue thee thou shalt stand fast like a house built on a strong rocke but if thou be not built and setled on it the least blast of winde of false doctrine and of affliction wil blow thee from Matth. 7. 24. 25. thy faith thy faith from thee like chaffe Alas see we not this inconstancie in fleeting and flowing A vaine lowne he is here to day and away to morrow a Protestant to day a Papist to morrow a Christian to day a Turk or Pagan to morrow and what ye will haue him What is the cause of this O that heart of thine was neuer established by grace A vaine and emptie heart was neuer grounded vpon faith in Iesus Christ And therefore it is that these miserable creatures are caried away as they are and be assured let thy heart abide in that miserable estate of inconstancie till the Lord come thou and it shall be turned into hell headlong as the lightest and rottennest thing in the world Thus much for this first perseuerance in faith He ads to another perseuerance and he saith If you be not 2 Perseuerance in hope of the Gospell moued from the hope of the Gospell that is if you perseuer in the hope of all these faire graces and mercies especially of that life euerlasting promised in the Gospell Now brethren would you know what this Gospell is The Gospell of Iesus Christ is like a mirror or looking glasse so the Apostle cals it 2. Cor. 3. 18. In the which we may see many faire things First we see Iesus Christ the Lord of glorie and then all the faire graces that followes on him thy remission of sinnes thy iustification 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. thy sanctification the heauen and life and all things what wouldst thou haue more Now the eye that lookes in it is not the eye of the bodie but the eye of faith quicker and cleerer than all the bodily eyes in the world The hand that holds vp that mirror is faith faith is an eye and a hand it sees and holds Now as faith is looking in the mirrour to Iesus Christ and to all the graces that followes him and to that life and glorie that neuer shall haue end in comes this hope and she awaiteth constantly for the accomplishment of all those graces Hope what and of that life euerlasting that faith sees in the mirror and she awaites till Christ come with that life in his hand with the glorie in his hand that he shall bring with him for them who awaits for him As soone as he comes the mirror fals downe The word goes away there shall be no more preaching when he comes And as thou sawst him before in the mirror so then thou shalt see his glorious face as he is so the mirror shall goe away that faith of thine shall goe away What shall be then in steed of all this Thou shalt get that that Paul saies 2. Cor. 5. 7. Now we walke by faith but then we shall walke by sight Our reioycing shall be in the sight of him for euer Now brethren you shal marke here briefly it is not enough to abide in the faith of the promise wherein thou hast promised to thee life euerlasting but with the faith thou must haue a hope awaiting constantly for the thing promised as thou beleeuest the promise that is the word so thou must hope for himselfe and his comming and that life he brings with him Ioyne these two together faith in the promise and hope in the performance of necessitie thou shalt get life That hope shall Faith and hope companions Rom. 5. 5. 6. neuer make thee a shamed It is a thing impossible that a man that waits for Christs comming can be disappointed for heauen and earth shal perish ere that man be disappointed of that he hoped for so then saith he if you be not moued from the hope of the Gospell I say then so long as we liue we must not want Take away the Gospel yee take away faith and hope this mirror of the Gospell Take away the mirror thou shalt see nought Take away the Gospell thou shalt not haue faith Take it away wherein shines all these heauenly graces thou hast nought to hope for and if thou hearest not of a life after this life thou canst not hope for it So these men in the world not onely among Pagans but amongst Christians Lords Barons that haue no pleasure in hearing of the Gospell to looke into Iesus that is in it trowe yee if thus they continue that they shall goe to heauen thinke ye that they can haue faith and hope no no more then a dog hath and their death shall be worse then a dogs death As euer then you would haue life faith and hope keepe the
Gospell Thou wilt looke in a glasse to decke thy selfe and wipe off the spots of thy face but wilt thou looke to the Gospell thou shalt see a more beautifull face euen the face of Iesus and the more thou lookest How powerfully the power of Christ transforms vs if we looke vpon his face in the Gospel on it the more it casts out these beames of glory and transformes thee from glorie to glorie So as euer thou wouldest haue the sight of Iesus let thy pleasure be to looke into the mirror of the Gospell for he who takes not pleasure to looke in the mirror shall neuer see the Lord Issus face to face This is a decree and I pronounce it against all these contemners of the Gospell they shall finde it sure they shall neuer see Iesus Christ but to their damnatiō Thou who contemnes All contēners of the Gospell goe to hell this mirrour of the Gospell thou art the diuels slaue and shalt be condemned with him in that great day for euer O if wee should be carefull to keepe this preaching of Christ it stands vs vpon paine of life and death See then what enemies they Preaching be that would take this mirrour from vs by the which wee are Papists comforted and kept to life euerlasting To come to the next words The Colossians might haue said what a Gospell is this thou speakest of It is that which Epaphras taught to vs. Is it his in whose hope we should abide Countest thou so much of his Gospell It should seeme that the person of the man offended them He answers it is the same Gospell that Epaphras preached that I recommend to you Well you see this how readie wee are to be offended with the good Gospell of Christ and to cast off the word because of the persons of men because he is a sillie man This our nature is a stumbling nature we haue a stumbling heart stumbling like a horse Thou wilt heare a man and accept of him and his doctrine and thou wilt heare another and count little either of him or his doctrine euen as though thy faith should leane vpon a man and not vpon the Gospell What hast thou to doe with the man if he speake the true Gospell shouldest thou be holden back from the word because of the basenes of the man This cannot be gotten away this day in Edenborough Ye see againe he is very carnest to commend this Gospel of Epaphras and to remoue the slaunder that they tooke vp against him It teacheth all preachers that euery one of them recommend the doctrine taught by others so it be the same doctrine let the person be what hee will this man hath deliuered sound doctrine A good lesson for preachers Yea if he haue greater graces he should recommend him which hath the simplest as Paul recommends Epaphras So it sets not one minister to detract another but if hee deliuer sound doctrine he should recommend him and speake to his praise for looke what dispraise or reproch thou puttest to the man it turnes ouer vpon the Gospell that the man preacheth as experience this day plainly proues For see ye not men who because of some infirmities of the preacher either will contemne the doctrine of the Gospell which hee preacheth so that they will not abase themselues to come and heare him or else if they come they are so preoccupied in minde that they begin Preiudice against the person of the preacher keepes many from profiting by him to scoffe at it Away with this kinde of dealing and beware what you doe when ye either speake euill of the preacher or suffer others to speake euill of him for if thou doe so thou shalt not faile to loath the Gospell and so consequently ouerthrow thy selfe Now the arguments of the recommendation followes Ibid you stand saith hee in hope of the same Gospell because it is the same Gospell that hath been preached to euery creature vnder the heauen through the whole world As if hee would say Epaphras hath not taught a doctrine diuers from mine and I another diuers from his but all is one and the same doctrine and Gospell that hee and I both haue taught Then take vp the note which Paul here giues thee of the true doctrine seeing our life A note of the true Gospell of Christ stands in the trueth of the Gospell wee should be carefull to know the true Gospell Looke if it be that Gospell that hath been preached to euery creature to al the world Christ saith Preach to euery creature Mark 16. 15. but this is not enough The Papists doctrine hath been preached throughout all Europe and further yet it is not the true Gospell of Iesus Christ There must be yet more then this vniuersalitie look if it be in the beginning preached by the Apostles and in their daies if it be so thou art sure thou hast the veritie of the Gospell But thou wilt say how shall I know this Looke their writings go no further The surest warrant is their writings Looke Pauls writing Peters writing and the rest of the Apostles and Euangelists The written word our warrant writings their bookes shall testifie of their writings for they haue written no other thing but y t they spake There is not a sentence left out that euer the Apostles taught that is not written in this booke of the new Testament as concerning the substance of it So if thou haue their writings be assured thou hast their Gospell preached by them and consequently Christs owne words and his Gospell And if an Angell would preach to thee another Gospell then this written Gospell in the old and new Testament then say thou Anathema to it Gal. 1. 6. cursed be thou and thy Gospell both cursed be thou Papist and thy gospell which is nothing els but the vaine traditions of men And as you would be free of the curses of God flie frō a Papist and his gospell both he is vaine and his gospell is the peltrie of men Then the next argument of recommendation is from his own testimonie in particular as if he would say It is euen that which I haue preached I giue my assent that it is the same with my owne gospell O the testimonie of an Apostle is a great thing yea greater then the testimonie of many thousands because they were inspired by Gods spirit that they could not erre Others might erre and haue erred and there is none now but they may erre and may teach heresie and haue taught heresie when they past a iot from the written veritie as especially may be seene in that beast of Rome and shauelings and Clergie O that damnation that abides him for many thousands that haue perished through his false erronious doctrine Yet I say more if a holy man shall giue his consent it auaileth if it bee agreeable to the doctrine taught by the Apostles otherwise it is worth nothing if it
so now millions and great numbers are saued And whereas before it was but now one and then one that preased into the kingdome of heauen now they come in multitudes striuing and thrunging who should first enter into heauen Matth. 11. 12. For it is impossible that this light should be without life If thou take a pleasure in the light it is not possible that thou canst dye but if thou take no pleasure in it woe be to thee a double death The calling of the Gentiles shall befall thee Woe is to that man who dyes in the light of the Gospell without taking pleasure in the same Well it had been to thee that thou hadst dyed in darknes with the Gentiles for thy damnation shall be doubled Take therefore a pleasure in it and all the world shall not make thee to perish and that is that which Paul saith Sin raigned to death but grace raignes by righteousnes vnto life through the Lord Iesus Rom. 5. vers 21. But looke to the last words of the verse Vnto whom is the manifestation of the Gospell made Not to euerie one beguile not your selues for the Lord will not vouchsafe to manifest himselfe and grace in him to euery man but hee calles them his Saints to whom chiefly hee manifests himselfe Looke your books ye that scorne at the name of Saints if thou be nota Saint thou shalt neuer see heauen then this If thou be not a Saint thou shalt neuer see heauen manifestation is not made to euery man It is true brethren it is preached to all and all heare it it strikes in euery ones eares yet it is also true all men see not It is to many as the light of the Sunne is to a blinde man and the great multitude Simile gets no more good of it then a blind man gets consolation of the Sunne Who is it then that sees it None but the sanctified one that is none but they that are sanctified by the holy Spirit Nay no spirit no sanctification no sanctification no sight of God and so thou art no Saint but the diuell possesseth thee So none sees what this Gospell is but the sanctified ones and that man is he that hath gotten the spirit of Iesus to open the eye of his soule for it is the spirit of God that opens the soule to see what the Gospell of Christ is and what vertue comes with it when it comes If thou hadst the quickest spirit that can be if thou haue not the spirit of God thou shalt not see one whit in God because as it is the spirit of man that searcheth the spirit of man so it is the spirit of God that searcheth all things yea the most secret things of God 1. Cor. 2. 10. So none sees what the Gospell is and what it brings with it but such as are illuminated by the spirit of God Heare as long as thou wilt thou shalt a bide in blindnes till thou come to a desperate hardnes of heart if thou be not enlightened with the spirit of Iesus this is to be had in and by the Gospell Therefore brethren say euer Lord make me a Saint make me one of that number and make me to crie for the spirit of Iesus to sanctifie and Luk. 11. 9. 10. 15. enlighten me for otherwise thou shalt perish for want of the light of God Now to come to the next verse when he hath spoken of the Saints he insists vpon the reuelation of the mysterie made vnto them and hee sets it out in sundrie circumstances First hee sheweth who is y e Reuealer to wit God Secondly what cause moued him to make this reuelation to the Saints to wit his The reuelation or manifestation of the Gospell good pleasure towards them Thirdly what thing is reuealed to wit this mysterie And he termes it not simply a mysterie but he calles it the riches of his glorious mysterie and not that onely but the mysterie of Christ Fourthly among whom is it reuealed to wit not among the Iewes onely but among the Gentiles also through the world All tends to this to let vs see the glorie of the grace of God as it is said Ephe. 1. 6. So that this Gospell is shining bright and aboundantly in such a wonderfull great mercie that there is not a circumstance but it lets you see a wonderfull grace in God To come then to the first The reuealer of this mysterie is no other but God He was the author of the reuelation of this The first circumstance mysterie of the Gospell The Saints they begun not to see first but God first reuealed before they saw or could see yea they had neuer seene one glimse with their eye if God had not begun to reueale it no thou shalt neuer see any heauenly or spirituall Flesh and bloud can not teach vs spirituall things thing vnto the time it please the Lord to reueale it vnto thee Then in that hee is the beginner of grace herein appeares the more the glorie of his grace and the matter of praising of him but it staies not here We will come then to the next What moued him to reueale this mysterie to his Saints both of Iewes and Gentiles The Lord doth nothing rashly he hath The second circumstance euer good causes mouing him wherefore he doth this or that He is not like a vaine man that doth and vndoeth again and wots not what hee doth Saw hee any thing in these Saints to moue him Some Papist will say hee foresaw some merit in them O but the text saith that there was no such thing at all without himselfe which could moue him hee saw nothing I Nothing in the world did moue God to send Christ and his Gospell vnto vs but his owne loue and good pleasure say in the same or yet in the world which could moue him but his owne goodnes His good pleasure which was ere euer they were Saints is it that moued him to reueale this mysterie Then againe they were not Saints before the reuelation was made There is not a Saint before Christ be reuealed to them It is the sight of Christ that makes a man holy so there was neuer none holy but he that first gat that sight of Iesus the sight went before holines and holines followed vpon the reuelation because holines is the effect of the reuelation of the Gospell Then ye see that as the Lord is the beginner of the reuelation so it is not our deseruing but his owne good pleasure that moues him thereto The Lord of his good pleasure shewed himselfe to the world and no question this is spoken that thou shouldest euer glorie in God Alas would to God as we haue matter to glorifie God that we could answere to the thousand part of it Then to come to the third circumstance What is the thing The third circumstance that he hath reuealed He calles it a mysterie and
see so much as a iot of glorie without Christ Therefore when thou hearest speaking of glorie and riches call it all Christs and then sticke not here but when thou hast drawne all to Christ then take him to thy selfe What auailes me all the glorie of God and of Christ if I haue no part of it for it is the greater damnation to thee if thou haue no part of it The more power he hath the greater terror is it to thee the greater mercie the greater sadnes to thee So take him and put him in thy heart and trowest thou not that God will dwell in thy heart The Scripture saith he dwels in the heart Eph. 3. 17. Well then take him and put him in thy heart and thou shalt get the fulnes of glorie and all his glorie shall be in euery one So getting Christ thou shalt get all glorie It is a small matter to know that in Christ is all glorie except thou get Christ applied to the heart him applied to thy heart O the consolation that will be in the heart that hath Christ and without him fie on thee and thy stinking heart both All the things vnder heauen shall not minister ioy to thy soule if thou want Christ in thy heart Alas all other ioy is but vanitie and from the teeth forward Now in the last words when hee falles out in speaking of Christ hee cannot leaue him Would to God wee could finde Christ as powerfull as Paul did Alas wee haue nought but a castlesse word of him and away with him If he were in thee as he was in Paul thou wouldest not speake of him so slenderly but thy mouth would euer speak of him in great aboundance and thou wouldest thinke that thou couldest neuer speake enough of him And why should wee not learne of Paul and such holy men to speake as they spake of Christ Then I say he falles out and calles him that hope of glorie as if he would say that glorie that is hoped for Iesus Christ is that glorie that is reuealed in mysterie Iesus is the riches of that glorie and is that same thing that wee looke for Hee is glorie here in this life and he is that glorie we hope for in the life to come Think not that thou shalt see another glorie in substance but that thou seest now in the Gospell as in the mirrour of all glorie Seest thou not this glorie of Iesus Christ in the reuelation of the mysterie thou shalt neuer see this glorie after this life Looke if this be a streight band it bindes thee with life and death As euer then thou wilt see Christs glorie after this life looke that thou see his glorie in the mirrour of the Gospell We must see Christs glorie in the Gospell if we will see him after this life O vaine foole wilt thou take pleasure to looke in a mirrour to see thy vaine foule face and wilt thou take no pleasure to looke in the mirrour of the Gospell to see the sweete face of Iesus that casts his beames not to thy face onely but downe to thy heart also and makes it light and illuminates thy blinde minde and makes a faire soule Well is the man that hath a lightsome soule O foole thou wilt be carefull to haue an eye in thy head but it had bin good if thou neuer hadst had one if thy soule abide blind It is y e light of Iesus that makes a soule a soule When he shall come in his owne person thou shalt see him no more in a mirrour thou shalt heare no more of the Gospell but in steede of it the Lord Iesus shall stand vp in proper person and the beames of his glorie shall transforme thy face and all the parts of thy bodie shall begin to bee more glorious then the Sunne in the noone day Thou shalt be made conformable to his glorious bodie Phil. 3. 21. Hold on therefore To looke on Christs face in the Gospell till we see him face to face in looking on the mirrour till hee come He is comming behinde he is at thy backe he is at thy hand the mirrour will away and then he shall shine on thy face Hold on therefore and looke in the mirrour till he come and fill thy soule with glorie and honour for euer Now to this Iesus with the Father and the holy spirit be euerlasting praise Amen THE TWELFTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 28. 29. 28 Whom we preach admonishing euery man and teaching euery man in all wisdome that we may present euery man perfect in Christ Iesus 29 Whereunto I also labour and striue according to his working which worketh in me mightily I Shewed you brethren the Apostle in the end of this chapter he speakes especially of his owne person to the end he might gaine authoritie and reuerence to his doctrine and exhortation First ye heard he spake of his sufferings The sum of the last Sermon remouing the offence which the Colossians might haue taken at them Secondly he speakes of his ministery that he was a Minister of the Church according to the dispensation giuen to him from God for the Colossians in speciall to this end to fulfill the word of God After this he speakes of that hid mysterie for he defines the word which he preached to be that mysterie so long time hid and at last reuealed to the saints and he interprets it to be of Iesus Christ who is said to be the riches of the glory of this hid mysterie Thus far we haue heard When he hath spoken of the mystery he returnes and speakes of his owne person And in the first part of these words to speake of them word by word as they lye he saith whom we preach that is the which Iesus Christ that hope of glorie as he tearmed him before we preach that is I and the rest of my fellow laborers So no question in these words he endeuours to purchase authoritie to his ministry from the subiect of his preaching All his preaching was of the most glorious things that euer were or shall be in this world All his preaching was of Christ the riches of that glorie that so long was hid and at the last was reuealed Briefly we see of these words of Paul a Minister of the Gospell of Christ hath gotten in trust committed to him a faire and precious thing He hath vnder his hand The word of reconciliation committed to the Ministers of the Gospell the riches of the glorie of God to wit Iesus Christ He is a treasurer to speake of it so and hath in his custodie a treasure but such as is the richest that euer was is or shall be in the world And he hath a commission not to keepe it close but to giue it out and deale it to the world that euery one should haue their portion of it And therefore what is the glory of the Minister
He that loues will straine himselfe if it were to the death for the weale of them he loues So if he be not painfull I doubt if euer he shall present himselfe let by other men Therefore the people should be carefull to haue a painfull man to watch ouer them For the Minister is ordained to present thee before the Lord and hee cannot do that if he be not painfull I will neuer giue the people counsell to hold a man that is not painfull to present and gaine them to God And cursed be that Pastor that takes his ease and rest and lets the sheepe of the Lords pasture goe here and there astray cursed be he and the Lord himselfe curseth him in Ierem. 48. 10. that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Alas it will not bee the studying nor the preaching of a Sermon that will make thee to be a painfull Minister but it must be the continuall teaching of thy flocke and euery one of them admonishing them that are out of the way and by thy trauels bringing them home and instructing them that are in Idlenes in the Ministerie dangerous the way of grace to goe on that they goe not to the left hand nor to the right hand but that they hold out the high way to Christ Iesus neuer resting till they get his presence and night and day to be watching and on his guard praying for the people this man is a painfull man that doth thus So a Minister should not be an idle bodie neither can he be idle if hee haue any whit of conscience in his calling And I count a sluggish Minister worse then a theefe he will goe and studie a peece of a Sermon and vp to the pulpit and preach that and then come his way hee thinkes hee hath done enough and neuer more thought nor care hath he of the people of God O vaine man thou art a sluggard worse then a theefe thou shalt present but few or none at that great day And therfore thy damnation shall be the greater for the bloud of all these soules that through thy default dye ignorant shall light about thy shoulders and presse thee downe like milstones in hell where thou and they shall be tormented euerlastingly Yet there is more here this presenting craues more then labour or paine He saith he stroue as a man fighting a combat or as a souldier vnder a banner And to speake the truth this mans life is but a battaile as is plaine in the 2. Tim. 4. 7. I haue saith he fought a good fight yea and the sorest fight that is fought is to fight for the soule to bring it out of the diuels hands and to put it in Christs hands to bring it from hell and to set it in heauen How hard a thing it is to winne a soule from death to life that is a sore fight The man therefore that will bring soules to God he must not be a painfull man onely but he must be a warriour and he must oppose himselfe standing and fighting with euery one who oppose themselues against Christ if they were Emperours or Monarchs and hee must fight the battaile to the end otherwise if he be not painfull and a fighter also I doubt if he shall present himselfe much lesse others in that day to Christ A coward that will take a backe side he will not be meete to present one he is not for the field away with him Of al this I marke it is a hard thing to winne a soule to God nay the soule of one cannot be won but with great paine and labour and fighting Why then labour ye not with striuing and wrestling for the safetie of your soule that you may present it to the Lord safe and sound The soule of euery bodie hath many enemies and mightie enemies O if thou wist how many enemies thy soule hath to stay The enemies of the soule thee from going to heauen thou wouldest not sit in such ease as thou doest neglecting thy selfe and the time both but thou wouldest euer bee labouring and painfully labouring and fighting to keep thy soule safe to the Lord. Againe we see that heauen is a faire thing For this is true Difficilia quae pulchra The more glorious the harder to get so heauen is too faire a iewell to lose through sluggishnes No these things in the world haue no ioy A heape of stones is no iewell and if thou wilt lose the iewell of heauen for that looke what aduantage thou wilt make Now let vs see what fruite reaped he of his paines according to his working the effectualnes of him saith he who worketh in me mightily the end of his labour was effectualnes he was effectuall in the hearts of them who heard him In despite of the diuell and his impes he drew great multitudes by the power of the word out of the kingdome of the diuell and darknes and wanne them vnto Christ Take paines on thee meete the diuell fight on to relieue soules and be assured thou shalt see the effect of thy labours for there was neuer none that stroue but he shall be presented at that day glorious Yet albeit men would labour and striue neuer so much some will perish All shall not perish in that great day therefore let vs fight with paine and labour To whom giues hee the glorie of his labours and effectualnes ascribes hee it to himselfe saies hee according to my effectualnes No how then According to his effectualnes that workes in me mightily that is God So that all power and al the effectualnes that is in his hand is not in himselfe but in God and of God and that power of God is craued and is needfull to the recouerie of a soule yea of the silliest soule of you all The silliest soule that is shall neuer be safe by any power or vertue of man of the Minister there is no power that can free a soule but the almightie power of God The power of God only must free a soule This his power comes downe from heauen while the Minister is speaking and it gaineth conquereth the soule that heares the word Therefore looke not to the man that teacheth but pray that the power of God would come downe and free thy soule from bondage And as thou shouldest depend vpō God so when thou hast trauelled all thy daies turne back thy praises vnto God and thank him for it The Apostle takes nothing to himselfe Marke and behold the words he saith according to his effectualnes that worketh by me that is in a word hee taketh the honour and reputation of an instructer of a Minister and seruant of God and God giues him that honour As the Lord will haue the honour of the principall worke to himselfe and good reason he haue it so when hee hath imployed thee hee vouchsafeth to impart honour vnto thee He will giue thee a honour that thou art his seruant and therefore 1. Cor.
COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 13. 14. 13 And ye which were dead in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him forgiuing you all your trespasses 14 And putting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against vs. REmember brethren the last day we had in hand the circumcision not made with the hands of man but standing in a putting off of the bodie of the sinnes of the flesh he tooke it vp in one word and termed it the circumcision Summe of the last Lecture of Christ that is an inward circumcision made by him and by his vertue Now to make this more plaine he insisteth in the next verse on the circumcision of Christ and hee made it to stand in a conformitie betweene Christ and vs that as Christ after his death was buried so wee should be buried with him that is our old man and the corruption of nature should be buried with him Next as after his death and buriall he was raised vp to life so we being dead and buried to sinne should rise vp to newnes of life in him Now this is obtained not by the Sacrament of Baptisme onely but by faith laying hold on God and his mightie power After this when he had spoken of the effect of this strong power of God he abides on it describing God himselfe his omnipotent power The description ariseth of the effects that proceede from him The effects of Gods power You haue heard the first effect it was in raising Christ from death in which worke the power of God chiefly appeared there was neuer a worke that God wrought from the creation to this houre or will worke to the end of the world in the which so mightily appeared the power of God as it did in the raising of Christ because there was neuer a creature so humbled and so bound with the bands and dolor of death as was Iesus Christ Now in this that we haue read presently followeth the rest of the description of God in his power and first wee haue his The second effect of Gods power description from the second effect and worke of his power It is the quickening of the Gentiles that were dead with Iesus who was first quickened namely the Colossians to whom he writeth Then followeth the third effect the quickening of the The third effect Iewes that were as well dead as the Gentiles But to speake of the quickening of the Gentiles and namely of the Colossians and so to come to the words he saith And you that is you Colossians and all the rest of the Gentiles when you were dead in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of the foreskin of your flesh then he quickened you and raised you vp from the death that ye lay in with him meaning Iesus Christ whom hee raised vp first and that in this order He hath freely forgiuen you all your sinnes these are the words Now brethren this is to be considered he setteth not downe the quickening of the Colossians and of the rest simply but he setteth it downe in a comparison with their former estate wherin they were before their quickning calling them to remembrance that before they were quickened they were dead life followeth death the first gate to life with Iesus is to be dead with him so it behooued that before they were quickened they should be found dead Now in the comparison and example set downe here mark first it is the will of God whatsoeuer grace hee giueth vs wee doe much esteeme it and if he giue thee life he will haue thee highly account of it The spirituall grace that is gotten in Iesus Highly price the least grain of the grace of Christ Christ it cannot be highly enough thought of in the heart of man For when thou hast put it in a ballance with al earthly things all is nothing the least graine of this spiritual grace gotten in Iesus Christ is worth them all Therefore the Lord that giueth thee it will haue thee to make much of it Now the way to weigh aright this heauenly life receiued in Christ is this to cast thy eye back and looke ouer thy shoulder to that death wherein thou latest before thou gottest it looke what thou wast before looke whether thou wast dead or quicke before thou gatest this spirituall life And therefore there is nothing more required then a sanctified memorie in a Christian Remember wealth and woe both good estate and ill what euer it hath bin Now looke to the working of God for rather then his own elect shall be forgetfull of their former estate of their death they lay in before they got life he wil make y e very stink of their sinful nature wherof they haue yet a remnant he will make it I say to strike them in their nose and make them feele that stinking sauour For he keepeth still the remnant stinking The remnant of sin in the regenerate what vse is hath in them that they may remember what estate they were in before they got this life in Iesus Christ that they might remember the life they haue gotten to be the sweeter Nay marke it thou shalt neuer feele the sweete odour of the life in Iesus Christ except thou feele the stinke of thy nature And if thou take a delight to looke into thy owne nature and thinke it delicate thou neuer thoughtest what grace meant yea thou shalt neuer account of it but once tasting of the life of Iesus and the sweetnes of it then thou shalt abhorre that stinke of nature wherein thou before delightedst For whē once thou hast tasted of that sweetnes for all this world thou wouldest not returne againe to that death of sinne wherein thou liuedst before it was taken away by the quickening power of God But to insist vpon the words When ye were dead as if hee should say ye Colossians did imagine that you were quicke but I say ye were dead not onely ye but all the Gentiles were dead Then brethren ye may see a man if hee were neuer so quicke being out of Christ he is but dead as Paul speaketh of the wanton widow 1. Tim. 5. 6. and the quicker thou thinkest thy selfe if thou be out of Christ thou art the deader But here is our miserie wee feele not that we are dead alas these miserable creatures that wallow in sinne they haue dead bodies but they feele it not and certainly there is no man that getteth the sense of the bitternes of that death or that loathes and is squeamish at the filthines of his nakednes vntill he be in Christ and vntill he feele the sweetnes of the life of Christ hee The sweetnes which the faithfull feele by Christ in their regeneration neuer knoweth himself to haue haue been dead or vnder the power of death And therefore whatsoeuer ye be which he dead without Iesus striue to get a feeling of the sweetnes of that life which is in him I
doe promise thee if thou doe it thou shalt haue the bitternes of thy nature taken away otherwise thou shalt neuer possesse a contented heart What a death this was he expresseth when he saith which were dead in sinnes there is the first cause of this death sinnes and trespasses that is all the actuall sinnes of their life all the foule thoughts of their heart all the prophane words of their mouth all vnruly actions of their hands all these be vnderstood vnder this word sinnes in the plurall number Then brethren this word importeth first the kinde of this death Death in sinne that man lieth in before he be in Christ it is not the death of the bodie In the bodie thou wilt seeme to be quicke enough when as thou art but dead but this death it is the death of the spirit it is the death of the soule for when thou goest on in sinne thou doest nothing else but stick and goare thy soule and besides in the end thou wilt slay the bodie also so as if thou continue in it it shall neuer leaue thee till it slay both soule and bodie for euermore Thou maist be a wanton harlot and a cruell murtherer but yet take thy delights howsoeuer thou wilt promise thy selfe as great assurance of life comfort and ioyes as thou canst imagine yet thy perseuerance in sinne shall slay thee with death in this world and in that to come For the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 28. Then this cause of death importeth not onely that this death is spirituall but also it importeth that it is a death exceeding fore and withall the dissoluing of this very bodie into powder and ashes Death in generall is nothing els but the depriuing of life A mā is said to be dead when he wanteth life Now these sinnes which he speaketh of here doe depriue thee of the quickest and sweetest life that euer was and what a life is it that sinne depriueth thee of euen the life of God the best life that is or can be Woe is thee that euer thou gottest life in the bodie if thou want this life of God that thou maist liue with Iesus Christ for euer Yea woe is thee for euermore that thou sawest either Sunne or Moone if thou want the life of God in Iesus Christ and there is nothing but sinne that can depriue thee of it And further it not onely bereaueth thee of life but it maketh thee guiltie of eternall death both in soule and bodie Thou hast these two Tvvo aduantages sinners haue by sinne aduantages delight in sinne as thou wilt sinne ruling in any man so long as hee liueth without Iesus Christ remission of sinnes and sanctification it excludeth the life of God from him and more then this it holdeth him poore miserable wretch vnder the guiltines of euerlasting death for euer You will aske how can a man be dead in sinnes Is he not liuely in actions is hee not counted the gallantest fellow in all the Realme and the liueliest that is the greatest swaggerer that can commit most euill Is hee not counted the liueliest that is the greatest murtherer I answere thee the quicker hee is in murthering in adulterie and such like the more is hee dead because first he wants the life of God And further all these are but dead actions dead workes comming from a dead man and they are as it were a stinking sauour from a filthie carrion so these men trimme them vp as you wil they are but stinking carrions O thou murtherer thou defilest the heauens the earth and the ayre O thou harlot thou defilest all the house and the bed thou liest in Thou oppressour thou defilest all the world though thou werst an Earle a Duke or a King thou art a dead stinking carrion worse then a dead dogge To come to the next words he ascendeth to a higher ground of this death and he saith they were dead not onely in actuall sinnes but they were dead in a sort of sinne that did cleaue faster and neerer to their ribbes You were dead saith he in the vncircumcision of your flesh that is in your originall sinne Hee setteth downe this by an allusion of the foreskinne the Gentiles vncircumcision was a signe of their originall sinne which Originall sinne was inherent in them as circumcision was a signe of the taking away of the same Then the cause of thy death in bodie and soule is not onely these actions that passe away as when thou hast murthered the action goeth away although the guilt remaine for the action that passeth it leaueth vpon thy backe a guilt which shall bring downe damnation vpon thee The cause I say of thy death in bodie and soule is not only in these fleeting actions but the grounded cause of it is original sinne the sinne conceiued in thy mothers wombe Thou art borne in sinne and it sticketh fast to thee and therefore it must follow that seeing the cause is a sticking and biding cause the death must also be abiding death I called it before a sore death now I call it an abiding death that greatly encreaseth the miserie You know that a disease naturall that commeth of any vitiositie of nature as of the birth so many as haue that disease it doth still accompanie their bodie It may wel be that they get it mitigated but they cannot fully clense it They may procure a relenting of it but neuer be able to take it away And therefore this death hauing the ground in that foule feede that thou art conceiued in by the generation of all thy forebeers it will passe the power of the world to get it away No the Angels of heauen will not bee able to relieue thee of it nothing will free thee of it but grace which is contrarie to that corruption of nature You know the prouerbe That which is bred in the bone wil hardly be driuen out of the flesh It therefore thou wouldest be cured of this rooted euill thou must crie for grace and say Lord send thy spirit of grace into my heart to rid me of this corruption of nature It thou crie not for this night and day yea and finde it in some measure working in thee thou shalt neuer be relieued Crie therefore and say Lord I was conceiued dead I was borne dead I A good prayer am euery way dead send thy spirit of free grace and free me of this death that so sore setleth vpon me that I may once enioy that life of Iesus Crie this way night and day and all thy time and then I assure thee thou shalt finde deliuerance and shalt taste how sweet the life of Iesus is And this for their former estate which is miserable being out of Christ Iesus Now followeth the estate in Christ He hath quickened you that is the father hath put life in you It is a quickening when death is expelled and life commeth in his place but what a life is it
to Angels to condemne a man for ceremonies much lesse oughtest thou to condemne a man specially for a shadow And yet for all that brethren as I said before this is the nature of an erronious spirit all their censuring Iudging of men by their obseruation of ceremonies proceedes of iudging a man for obseruation of ceremonies and they will send him to heauen and hell for euery trifle at their pleasure So marke an erronious spirit and a deceiuer his head is busie about these trifling things censuring vpon shadowes putting a necessitie where there is none and stepping ouer the necessarie poynts of Religion In a word ye shall finde the diuell hath been a sore enemie to this christian libertie to burden thee with things indifferent But as Paul counselleth thee Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made thee free and count him for a false teacher that would restraine thee But to weigh the words better which are but shadowes that is no substantiall thing There is a great difference betweene the shadow and the body for a man going to the East his shadow striketh to the west so all the shadowes when Christ rose in the East were stricken backe to the precedent times and for the times since his resurrection are abolished and done away The Sacraments that we now receiue are not shadowes but sure seales of Iesus Christ alreadie come Marke what was the estate of the Iewe he liued vpon shadowes vnder the law and yet he was safe not by the vertue of the shadowes but because in the meane time while he is in remembring of the The Iewes before Christ. shadowes his eye lookes out beyond the shadow to that body that was comming So it was hope that saued him As for those that had no eye to the bodie they got no life but death by the shadow Thou shalt neuer haue life by these outward exercises of Religion except thou haue the inward substances for the outward shall euer turne to thy damnation if thou haue not the inward And further the very estate of the Iewes doth recommend to thee the blessednes of thy estate aboue the Kings and all the Prophets of old They embraced the shadow but thou embracest the bodie Iesus Christ is come alreadie crucified in the Gospell so that thy estate is such a blessed estate y t thou canst neuer think enough of it But alas heauēly things are not regarded when thou hast gotten some small preferment in the world thou wilt make much of it but as for this preferment in Iesus Christ thou carest not for it Yet the end will commend or condemne all thy ioyes Now mark the power that riseth from the shadowes of Christ the very shadow of him being rightly taken saueth and comforteth the sinfull soule It was his shadow that saued Adam and all Kings and people before his comming in the flesh but yet as the shadow must be still vnderstood to be accompanied with the bodie and to haue the power from it O what power must be in the bodie when it is standing before thee without the shadow seeing the shadow is so powerfull O the wonderfull power that is offered to me and thee fie on vs that finde it not the blame is in vs that we finde not this power and not in Iesus Seeke to Iesus take hold of him by faith and I doe assure thee there shall come out of him such a power that shall quicken thee so as thou wouldest not want it for all the world Thirdly ye shall see how foolish these false teachers are they are teaching to embrace a shadow when the bodie is come See how vaine they are The Iewes did well that embraced the shadow before Christ came but after his comming it was vaine to doe it and so it was as much as to bid them embrace the thing that was not And admit that the shadow abode still were it not follie to comprize the shadow with the bodie the shadow goeth before the bodie commeth after But brethren such is the follie of these vanishing heads this fellow will seeme to be some bodie a iolly fellow as who but he and yet hee will make thee to thinke that light and darknes may dwell together the shadow and the bodie to be both in one place O but all this is vanitie decline thou once from the truth thou be commest mad thou wilt cause the people to erre So blessed is the man that stickes by Iesus and stands by the scripture of God and if thou doe it thou shalt be safe otherwise thou shalt goe into euerlasting darkenes As the Apostle Rom. 1. 21. testifieth ye shall become mad fooles and in the end perish with the reprobate if yee sticke not to this Iesus Christ and his word Now to come to the end they might haue said if these be the shadowes where is the bodie He answers But the bodie is in Christ. There are two things here first there is the shadow of things to come the second is the bodie which is Christ and followes the shadow The bodie that followes is not this or that bodie not Iohn the Baptist not one of the Prophets but onely Iesus Christ Then note first there was neuer from the beginning nor is nor shall be to the end any other subiect of Religion of godlines but Iesus Christ the Lord seeke it where ye will there is no other foundation of faith No man saith Paul 1. Cor. 3. 11. can lay any other foundation beside that that is laid Iesus Christ. Onely this is the difference amongst the Iewes he was but a shadow now he is the bodie So wouldest thou haue a godly man defined it is he whose heart is occupied about Christ in some measure how he was incarnate and of his passion Thinkest thou that this should goe out of thy thought Alas if thou thoughtest of thy sin thou shouldst neuer get rest till thou thinke of his crosse then of his resurrection This is the godly harted man Paul 1. Tim. 3. 16. when he had said Great is the mysterie of godlines then he comes to the parts of it God manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit and so forth till he comes to the last receiued vp in glorie where we are taught that the mysterie of godlines is onely in Iesus Christ So that if thou wouldst haue thy heart occupied in godlines fixe thy heart on Iesus Christ for I assure you this thinke of any thing in this world or out of it and leaue out Iesus Christ not thinking of him thou shalt find that thy heart shall not be sanctified but prophane and wicked So there is nothing to make a godly heart but to thinke on Iesus When thou art thinking of many things reserue a peece of thy heart for him giue him a thought if thou wert a King be not so busie in thy affaires if thou wert in Parliament take heed thou forget him not but euer giue him
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
vnto thy soule when thou art ioyned to him by faith He must haue vertue and power to giue thee whereby thou maist be able to die or to liue Now brethren if there were no more but these effects to flow from Iesus into vs it telleth vs plainly that there was neuer giuen such a power to any in heauen or earth as there was giuen to Iesus Christ man our Regeneration head It telleth that as hee is man so is he God Looke if thou haue regeneration in thee and thou shalt feele this to be true if wee haue it it will tell vs that Iesus Christ is the neerest to me and thee of all others There is none that will make thee to die with them but Christ only no thy father and mother will not be able to doe that none will draw thee after him in death and life saue onely Christ So if thou be ioyned with Christ it is impossible to separate thee from him as thou maist be from thy wise and children and the deerest things thou hast no no if thou be once ioyned to him as thy head there is no separation for thee he shall be all things to thee Now this much for the first argument the exhortation followeth If ye be risen with Christ saith he seeke those things which are aboue There is an action required and life and euery kind of life must haue an action otherwise it cannot be a life The naturall life must haue an action the earthly life must haue an action Then this heauenly life that we are risen to with Iesus it must haue an action otherwise it cannot be a life Note Thou that art quickened with him must be a doer otherwise thou hast not his life for as his life is the quickest thing that is or euer was for it is the life of God so it must haue the quickest action that is This action is first a seeking with the whole hart and all the affections and members of the bodie There is the first action seeking Euery life ye know seeketh for the things VVhat the spirituall life of Christ workes in his members that serue for the sustaining of it This naturall life that perisheth so long as it abideth it is occupied in seeking for the maintenance of it by night and by day by al meanes possible Should not then this heauenly life haue a seeking Shouldest thou sit when thou seest this man catching here and there seeking for the maintenance of this naturall life Wilt thou not take an example of these earthly things and earthly creatures to seeke for heauenly things to the confirmation and preseruation of thy spirituall life O if thou hadst a sparke of heauenly life thou wouldest seeke more earnestly for the entertainment of it then euer any creature did for the maintenance of this naturall life Well then by the example of these earthly things that are occupied in seeking for the meanes of this present life learne thou to seeke spirituall graces and say to the Lord O Lord grant that I may seeke heauen and heauenly things for the preseruation of this my spiritual life as al these earthly bodies seeke for these perishing things Now come to the things that they should seeke Seeke saith he what nothing beneath meate drink and the rest of these things No what should they seeke Things aboue in heauen that are in Iesus Christ O the fulnes that is in him Brethren all grace first is in heauen yea aboue these visible heauens where that glorious bodie is then it commeth downe to the earth Therefore he sendeth thee vpward to heauen for to seeke Ye know euery kind of life seeketh things proper and meete for such a life The life of a beast will seeke for that that is proper for the life of a beast the life of a tree for that that is meete for such a life and the life of a man for such things as are meete for the life of a man Euery life will seeke for things which serue for the preseruation of it euen so if thou hadst this life of God thou wilt seeke things proper for this life Thou wilt seek things from heauen because heauenly things are proper for such a life For heauenly things are proper for an heauenly life Iesus Christ after his death and buriall or euer his bodie was in heauen the heart of him was in heauen So if thou haue the life of Iesus of necessitie thy heart must goe to heauen for looke whither his heart went if thou bee risen with him of necessitie thy heart must goe thither and by thine action measure thy life in Iesus for if thou haue not a heart to heauen and heauenly things alas thou hast not the life of Iesus but if thou haue it thou wilt euer be seeking for heauenly things and then in some measure thou art in heauen Then to conclude this first exhortation and first argument thereof in a word and so to come to the second argument If there were nothing more to moue thee to seeke after heauen and heauenly things but this spirit of regeneration the life of the spirit in Iesus Christ it should lift thee vp to heauen as heauie as thou art For it is true thou art a lumpe but if thou haue the spirit if thou werst neuer so heauie he will raise thee and giue thee strength to flie vpward though the body be neuer so clogged If thou haue a sparke of that life it will cause thee to mount aloft Indeede this bodie will draw thee downe and must doe so yet bee assured if thou haue one sparke of that spirituall life it will raise thee vp when the other is pulling thee downe and in the end when mortalitie is so shaken off of thee then in a wonderfull manner the bodie shall be lifted vp and that soule and bodie of thine shall be glorified Therefore marke euer this life by the effect if thou findest thy heart in heauen and heauenly things say thou hast the life of Iesus but on the contrarie if thou finde not thy heart set A true note of the life of God in vs. on heauen and seeking for heauenly things thou hast not to doe with the life of Iesus and woe be to thee for euermore When thou risest in the morning if thou findest thy heart vpward O thou risest with ioy therfore neuer rest till thou hast Eph. 4. 18. gotten the life of God Lord make vs carefull to haue a sense of this life without the which there is no glorie nor ioy for the soule of any person liuing Now to come to the next argument which is taken from Christ himselfe and the place where hee is Seeke saith he those things that are aboue where Christ is As if he would say Christ is aboue that glorified bodie with all the spirituall graces and that fulnes is aboue yea aboue these visible heauens Therefore let thy heart goe where he is let it be lifted vp
thou shalt be glorified The cause is because hee is thy life and then hee appearing of force thou must appeare because his life is thine Is not this comfortable that the glorie The glorie of Christ and thy life cannot be parted of Iesus and thy life cannot bee parted Thou canst not liue without him and hee will not want thee Againe as soone as his life shall appeare thou shalt appeare It is very comfortable yet the phrase is to be marked He saith not when Christ of whom wee haue our life shall appeare but hee saith when Christ who is our life shall appeare This is a more effectuall speaking and the very manner of speech noteth this that that spirituall life that we begin to liue here is not so much a life different from his life as it is the very life that Christ liueth himselfe Christ hath a life and wee haue the same in number the life of Christ ouershadoweth vs. That same very life and no other extendeth to vs so farre as wee are capable of it Brethren ye may perceiue this to be a similitude Liueth the bodie another life then the head No There is but one life in the man and that that the head hath the same the whole bodiehath and it quickeneth euery member of the bodie Euen so is it to be thought of the life of Iesus our spirituall head There is a neerer coniunction betwixt vs and him then there is betweene this head of ours and the bodie so that of necessitie there is but one life of Christ and ours and we liue that same life of Iesus as members of that mysticall bodie whereof he is the head Paul Galath chap. 2. vers 20. he saith not by Christ I liue but he saith Christ liueth in me And Ephes chap. 3. vers 17. he dwelleth in me So his life is mine And the 2. Cor. chap. 4. vers 10. the life of Iesus is manifested in me The life of Iesus was Pauls life What else then is thy life but this same life of Iesus This is comfortable he hath made thee a fellow companion to himselfe he will not giue thee another life but his owne life O that this miserable world wist what it were to liue the life of God to haue Christ and his life in it It is no small glorie to liue the life of Iesus In the last words he saith not when Christ who is your life shall appeare your life shall appeare but he saith ye shall appeare euen ye your selues in proper person and none others for you but ye your selues shall appeare with Iesus in that day For their demaund would seeme to meane another thing to wit that howsoeuer Christ should appeare who was their life yet they would be farre to seeke as we say But hee answereth them more comfortably ye your selues shall appeare at that day and not your life onely For your life shall not so soone appeare but as soone incontinently thereafter within the space of the twinckling of an eye ye your selues shall appeare so this speech telleth vs that there is a space of time wherein the sonnes of God are not knowne in the world the Lord hath children here and the world knoweth them not yea The world knowes not the Saints scarsely they themselues see it much lesse the world Then againe they haue a time when they are made knowne to be Kings sonnes the least of them euery one is the Kings sonne 1. Ioh. 3. 2. 3. and they themselues will know themselues then When is it that they are not knowne when his glorie is not seene What difference is there betweene a Kings sonne and another when he is not in his own place and dignitie So is it with thee thou art not in thine owne place and honour When shalt thou be knowne to be the sonne of God when the sonne of glorie Simile shall appeare then thou shalt be knowne to be the sonne of God Then the diuell shall be compelled to say there is the sonne of God there is a Kings sonne and an heire of the euerlasting kingdome Then againe when appeares not thine honour when the honour of thy eldest brother appeareth not so long as he is obscured so long thou art obscured When shall it appeare when thy eldest brother shall appeare then thou if thou be first second third fourth yea if ye were tenne thousand the honour of the eldest brother shall reach to all Then in one word the manifestation of the sonnes of God dependeth vpon the appearance of Iesus Christ the first borne our eldest brother When he shall appeare then thy glorie and honour shall appeare Therefore yee pray Let thy kingdome come that is let Iesus appeare in his glorie and let me next appeare This is the effect of the prayer Now to come to the next verse vpon this promise of appearing and life to be manifested he groundeth his exhortation and saith therefore mortifie your earthly members as if he would say your glorie is to bee reuealed yee shall once appeare the sonnes of God in glorie and dignitie what shall ye then doe in the meane time Be occupied saith hee in mortifying the members of your bodie that ye may be found cleane otherwise ye shall not see that life to come Now to obserue this ere wee goe further Such a glorious life requires a death thou shalt neuer get it if there be not a death in thee thinke not to come to it with all thy lusts with thee if thou fall not to the mortification of that hand that hath slaine thy eldest brother the Lord Iesus thou shalt neuer get that life This vaine world thinketh to carrie vp a bloudie hand and a wicked eye to heauen no if thou take it with thee thou shalt not get entrance the gate shall be hurled on thy face The harlot thinketh that she shall get heauen with her harlotrie No she and her harlotrie shall goe to hell no vncleane thing shall enter there if thou be not holie and in some measure sanctified and that filthie 1. Cor. 6. 9 lust of thine slaine thou shalt neuer get heauen deceiue not your selues Yet to marke the words he saith mortifie slay Hee said before they were dead meaning to sinne now hee biddeth them slay on and die on thou that hast begun to die continue otherwise thou wilt not liue This telleth vs sin is not slaine in an instant yea if thou shouldest liue a thousand Sinne is not slaine in an instant yeeres it will liue with thee as long as thou liuest ere thou die it shall not die it hath a quicker life then thou hast thou art but a bubble of water all the Kings of the earth cannot slay sinne yea when this life is gone that same originall sin goeth to the graue with thee and resolueth the bodie into ashes Originall sin liueth after death in the ashes and after that lieth in the ashes and leaueth thee not vntill Christ
will be as vitious as the soule No difference betweene the elect and reprobate before grace of the reporbate So look to the persous there is no difference vntill God make the difference he will runne to hell as fast as he Then wherein standeth the difference it standeth not in thee but in y t counsel and purpose of God it is in the breast of God there is nothing in the elect himselfe but all in God And in his owne time he maketh the difference So ascribe nothing to thy nature and birth but ascribe all to God to his counsell and to his election and giue him the glorie and say I thanke thee O God that hast elected me and for that thou hast called me to thee by thy spirit in time and hast made me to know thee and thy goodnes Who hath distinguished me from thee and thee from another but God Why then shouldest thou glorie in any thing but in God O vile creature and vaine fie on thy nature it shall turne to thy destruction so then only glorie in God and in nothing besides The third thing marked here is the time when they walked Sometime saith he Then he maketh it cleare when ye liued in these vices that is as outwardly ye walked in them so inwardly in your soules ye liued in them Walking is outward and liuing is inward in the soule so as the ground of these naturall actions as of going on the way outwardly is the life of the soule for take the life away thou canst not goe so the ground of all these sinfull actions these wofull actions woe to them all the ground of all thy fornication and vncleanenes is a wofull life that thou liuest Sinne is liuing within thee if sinne liued not within the actions would not appeare in thy bodie that appeareth Thou art dead and yet sinne is liuing in thee Thou and it shall not liue both together Rom. 7. saith he Sinne is reuined in me Thou art dead and sinne is quickened in thy breast And or euer one be a harlot in his bodie in his outward action it is first in the soule of him or euer one be a murtherer with the hand he is a murtherer in his soule it beginneth first there and then it raiseth and stirreth vp the hand to the outward action It is so of all sinfull actions they proceede first from the sinne liuing in the soule so thou that wilt mortifie sinne and the outward actions of sinne slay first the sinne that liueth within thee or else it will slay thee either thou or it must die and I pronounce this that if thou slay not the sinne that is within thou shalt be slaine by it for euer Begin then in order to the slaying of sinne for there is an order in mortification and God that biddeth thee slay sinne is the Lord of order He comming in bid deth thee first slay the sinne that is within thee he will not bid thee begin at the hand the eye or any of thy members outward but he will goe into thy heart and he beginneth and putteth out that life of sinne that liueth in theethere He first maketh thy heart cleane where sinne dwelleth and taketh roote and so he will haue thee to roote it out that it bud not in thee This way God beginneth in taking away sinne and slaying of it and this is the way that the elect child of God doth But hypocrites will make a well fauoured outward countenance and who are so holy as they Hypocrisie begins without and in the meane time will be fostering the filth of this foule life of sinne inwardly in his heart with pleasure But the holy spirit who beginneth to mortifie thee beginneth at the heart and slayeth the man of sinne in thy heart first and he will wound it so deepely when he shall strike vpon it that he shall mortifie it and then thou shalt begin to see thine owne filth and stinke in such sort that thou shalt abhor thy selfe but the hypocrite countes all these things but as words of office But O that dolefull waking when the conscience wakeneth thee It will cause thee say O foule harlot what hast thou been doing walking in harlotrie and deceiuing men with a shew of godlinesie Therefore happie is the soule that is this wise wakened in time and wounded with the sight of thy own filthines for it shall procure ioy comming vpon sorrow If thou wilt be content to restraine thy hand foote and eye for a time so that thou sinne not openly as others doe but that thy life that lurketh in thee must vtter it selfe at the last so as thou maist be a fornicator a murtherer and an auaritious bodie for there is no hypocrite but he must vtter himselfe at the last thou hast no true mortification in thee and therefore thou shalt finde no comfort in all thy outward shewes studie then to this 〈◊〉 mortification Suppose a man to be bound hand and foote and that the man be a harlot in the inward man so as he had no vse of the outward action in all his life time admit this that thou hadst not the outward action in all thy time yet I say if that life of harlotrie be in thee and not slaine within thee thou wilt to hell It will not be that outward abstinence that will saue thee but it must be the slaughter of the inward appetite and then the hand nor no other of thy members needeth to be fettered but all will be peaceable and stand still when once that life of sinne is quencht Therefore slay euer the sinne in thy soule and let it not raigne for if it raigne thou wilt to damnation We beseech him that is able to worke this worke to put to his hand and doe it for all the words of the world will not doe it onely he must doe it Now to him be praise and honor Amen THE XXVI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 8. 8 But now put ye away all these things wrath anger maliciousnes cursed speaking filthie speaking out of your mouth YE remember brethren the last time we occupied this place wee insisted in the exhortation that the Apostle hath to the mortifying of the sinfull members the foule affections and actions of the soule and the bodie Mortifie saith he your earthly members that is your cankred affections that hold the bodie occupied in euill To this purpose he vseth sundry arguments the first was taken from the life euerlasting that was hid vp with Christ in God laid vp in heauen as if he would say as euer thou wouldest see that life Coherence mortifie thy earthly members slay thy affections for it is impossible that they can stand with that life of heauen The second argument was taken from that death in hell if heauen will not moue thee to mortifie thy earthly members thy foule affections yet let hell terrifie thee and moue thee For
the bodie howbeit he should doe wrong to thy bodie yea and hee should hang thee behead thee thou must not refuse obedience there is a Lord will requite him The other is as euill as the first when thou giuest all to him both in soule and bodie Fie on thee thou giuest to him that which God hath forbidden The Lord hath reserued the soule to himselfe and yet thou wilt giue it to thy superiour Ye know the speeches of the land of what religion the Prince is I will be of the same Some of the Lords will say so my religion depends vpon the commaundement of the Prince but if the King did his dutie hee would stone thee for thy blasphemie These are the two vices in seruice and obedience Then comes the third point the vertue that is in mediocritie the seruant must obey his master according the bodie but not according to the soule Thou art of two parts of a bodie and of a soule Giue thy master the bodie but as for thy soule keep it to the Lord. Though all the Angels should claime right to my soule I will not giue it them it is reserued to my Lord. Now to come to the second part The description of this obedience wherein the Apostle insists Obey them that are your masters according to the flesh in all things not in some things according to your appetite but in all things according to their will and commaund Then will ye say shall wee obey them in all things vngodly vnhonest vnlawfull and forbidden by the absolute power of God I answere the word before immediatly bounds your obedience as their dominion is bounded so is your obedience towards them bounded So that if Obedience of seruants limited with their commaund they would hurt thy conscience they passe their bounds and thou art not bound to obey but deny them obedience For if thou wert a beggar thou art as free in conscience as the King but yet seruants take heed looke that you make not the rule of your obedience your owne will as there is ouer many this day who follow their froward will whisperers that will doe things with a quiet Pater noster The rule of thine actions is not thy owne will but the will of thy master In such sort that if he commaund thee things grieuous laborious and wearisome thou art bound to obey The Lord himselfe Luk. 17. 7. he sets downe the estate of a seruant Which of you hauing a seruant that hath been occupied all the day in labour and trauell will say to him come and sit down No hee will not say that to him but notwithstanding all his painfull labour and wearisomnes he will say Goe make my supper readie then rest your selfe there is the burden Thinke not because it is wearisome therefore thou maist disobey it but if it stand with the will of the Lord thou art bound to obey This shortly for the matter wherein seruants be bound to obey now followes the manner forme and fashion of their obedience First he tels thee in what manner thou shouldest not obey for it stands thee in no lesse then the reward of death and life euerlasting if thou wert but a sweeper of a house or a caster out of ashes thou hast to doe with the Lord in doing of thy seruice The forme of not obeying is to obey to the eye of thy master This is a vice in thy seruice when thou hast not an eye lifted vp to heauen but art set so on thy master that without respect to the Lord thou goest about to please him yet more thou obeyest him with eye seruice when thou settest not thy heart so much as thy outward eye to please thy master so that when he leaues thee thou wilt goe to thy wantonnes againe or els doe some euill as there be many in Edenburgh this day who in their masters absence sit either idle or els do euill in stealing of their masters goods Such seruice as this is called eye seruice The Lord compares these seruants to reprobates what doe they As soone as their master is absent they will begin to strike their fellow labourers and what more they will sit downe and drinke and be drunken What will the Lord doe when he comes he will cut them off and giue them their portion with hypocrites Matth. 24. 48. 49. c. Then this is the forme forbidden and he giues a reason what manner of men are these eye pleasers they that doe such seruice are pleasers of men that is they are flatterers studying to please men when their heart will be farre from them Well he or she who sets not their heart to please God but seekes first of all to please the eye of man shal neuer be a faithfull seruant to man False to God neuer true to mā for false to God neuer true to man But that man who sets his heart to please God that is a true seruant he will be as true behinde thy backe as befor thy face therefore thou who wouldest make a choise of seruants seeke them who are set to please God and if thou get them with that marke thou gettest happie seruants But on the contrarie want he this marke he shall be a curse to thee and the most thou shalt get of him hee shall be an eye seruant for if once thou shouldest turne thy backe he shall be a waster of thy goods and an euill speaker of thee behinde thy backe The forme of seruice he craues is this Obey with simplicitie and singlenes of heart He opposeth this to eye seruice for they are as contrarie as light and darknes and therefore where there is eye seruice onely there is no singlenes of heart for he that goes about to serue thee with eye seruice hath a double and false heart Againe where the simplicitie of the heart is O there is a blessed seruice where there is such seruice there is fidelitie and faithfulnes there is a faithfull seruant there is no eye seruice for he is not a seruant to thy eye onely but a seruant behinde thy backe also He shall be euery way faithfull He laies downe the ground of this sinceritie fearing God So he that feares God more then the eye of him who is his master the King or Prince that man shall be the faithfullest seruant And by the contrarie he that hath not the feare of God in his heart that wretch will beguile thee hee shall neuer bee faithfull to thee Therefore thou who wouldest haue a good seruant I giue thee a token whereby thou maist know him Looke if he haue the feare of God and if hee feare God more then thee for all thy scepter and sword thou shalt get a faithfull seruant and subiect But on the contrarie thou shalt receiue a curse in thy house and familie when thou shalt get any that wants this feare of God for he shall neuer feare thee but shall euer be false to thee You that haue seruants
and then commeth that spirituall life which also forceth thee vpward will not this moue thee Then commeth the presence of Iesus that is in heauen he is drawing thee vpward with his hand the other two thrusteth thee vpward but he draweth thee by his spirit Father saith he in Iohn chap. 17. verse 24. I will that those which thou hast giuen me be with me where I am Will not this moue thee yet there is more his glorie wherewith he promiseth to adorne thee with himselfe Would not that yet moue thee to seeke heauen and heauenly things O thy life is not here In deed thou hast begun a peece of the life of heauen when thy desire is set vpon it but thy glorie is in the heauen thou art alreadie the sonne of God but yet it appeareth not what thou art 1. Iohn 3. 2. Thy life is in heauen Then seeing there are so many arguments to moue thee to set thy heart and affection on heauen and heauenly things to drawe thee vpward to heauen O miserable soule that yet wilt goe downe to hell There is no want of power to conuince and arguments to moue vs to seeke for heauen and heauenly things but alas all the want is in thy miserable heart to let thee see how great an induration is in thy heart that will vndoe thee so in the light of the Gospell The greatest sinne that thou canst commit it is not thy murther thy adultery thy oppression it is none of these that holdeth thee backe from God No no it is the hardening of thy heart against Hardnes of heart how perilous so many graces whereby the Lord would heaue thee vp to heauen And so the speciall poynt of thine enditement shall be that thou hardenest thy heart and wouldest haue none of his grace I would haue forgiuen thee freely will the Lord say if thou wouldest haue taken me by the hand when I put it out to thee O blessed is that soule that can put out the hand and take grace of God when he offereth it Yet I must not passe by the words Your life saith he is hid aboue with Christ and in whom In God By life is meant that perfection of glorie that once we shall see when the glorie of Iesus shall ouershadow vs and make this vile bodie of ours glorious as it is said in the Epistle to the Philippians chap. 3. vers 21. There our life he saith is hid aboue it is not open to be seene The eye of man hath not seene it the eare hath not heard of it and all the tongues of the Angels cannot tell you of the greatnes of that glorie neither can it enter into your heart Hebr. 2. 7. So it is hid aboue from the world the wicked seeth it not and so it commeth to passe that the child of God is least accounted of and why because the life of him is not seene and the reprobate shall wonder at it at that day when it shall be cleerely reuealed to him but alas to his euerlasting confusion yea the very sonnes of God shall wonder at it themselues for thou seest not the glorie of thy estate Alas heauen is but as a dreame to thee and is as it were a glimmering thou seest not the thousand part of it neither feelest the thousand part of the ioy that thou shalt haue there but we see it a farre off and therefore it seemeth like a mote But when we draw neere it it shall be like a great mountaine So it is hid With whom with Christ where he is there is thy life Then it must follow as it is hid Iesus is yet hid from thee thou liuest not by sight of him but by faith in him 2. Cor. 5. 7. He is hid from thee and thou shalt wonder when thou shalt see him When thou shalt see him euen as he is man he shall make thee astonished And where is Iesus hid He answereth in God It is not these heauens it is not this visible circle these cloudes that hide him No take them away thou canst see him with that corruptible eye of thine In whom then is he hid In God That is in a light that hath no accesse 1. Timoth. chap. 6. vers 16. where God is himselfe Iesus is hid vp So all the sight of things inuisible is in Iesus So that no eye can see God but in Iesus and if Iesus be hid vp God is inuisible to thee all is hid vp within that vaile and all is dwelling in that vaile of man So all is hid thy life is hid and Iesus is hid vp Therefore wonder not although thou canst not get such a sight of that life of Christ and such a sight of God as thou wouldest haue for the appointed time is not as yet come The Lord hath appointed a time when Christ shall be reuealed and then seeing Iesus thou shalt see thy life that was hid vp in him yea then thou shalt see God himselfe Now what shall we do in the meane time I will tell thee hold thee by the faith of Iesus vntil thou get this sight that is stick A sweete conclusion 2. Cor. 3. 17. 18. to the mirrour of the Gospell hold thy eye to it and euer bee looking on it and then in a moment Iesus shall stand vp before thee ere thou be aware and when the mirrour shall goe away Iesus shal stand vp in steed of it and he shal not so soone stand vp before thee but hee shall as soone transforme thee and shall make this vile bodie to be glorious And so soone as this mortalitie shall be swallowed vp then thou shalt possesse that infinite ioy euerlastingly and shalt looke into the deepenes of that Lord for euer Now Lord giue vs grace to looke stedfastly in this Gospell of Iesus till wee be glorified in him and get his presence to look on for euer and euer Amen Now to this Lord Iesus with the Father and holy Ghost be euerlasting praise honour and thankes for euer THE XXIIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossains COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 4. 5. 4 When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory 5 Mortifie therefore your members which are on the earth fornication vncleannes the inordinate affection euill concupiscence THe last day brethren we entred into the exhortation to true godlines and holines of life In the first three verses of this chapter we had two exhortations and both were to things that are aboue to heauenly things The first exhortation was to seeke them the second was to be wise in these heauenly things There were sundry arguments which the Apostle vsed for this purpose ye heard euery one of them as they occurred in their own place The last argument whereby he would moue them to be wise in these heauenly things was that life that was hid vp with Christ in God euen that life which is the perfecting of this
because of these members the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience The third argument was from that former life of theirs they were in life no better then the children of disobedience Now certainely thou that hast been a sinner and hast liued as wickedly as any other when thou lookest ouer thy shoulder and seest that life thou liuedst in it should be a motiue to thee to mortifie thy members and foule affections for if thou doe it not thou shalt goe backe againe Wast thou an harlot thou shalt goe backe againe to thy harlotrie Wast thou a murtherer thou shalt fall to thy murther againe Wast thou an auaritious person thou wilt to thy auarice againe and be worse in these sinnes then euer thou wast before if thou mortifie not still these thy foule affections thou shalt backe againe to these sinnes and many more Now to come to the text vpon this last argument he concludeth his exhortation therefore put now away all these things wherein ye haue liued ouer long thinke ye haue liued ouer long in sinne as it is said 1. Pet. 4. 3. an houre in sinne is ouer long Alas if thou couldest abhor thy sinne there was neuer so great a stinke as the stinke of sinne thou thinkest thy The pollution of sin dirt to be something to thee alas thou wilt perish and drowne thy selfe in it if thou take not vp thy selfe Briefly these words containe the same in effect that was said before Put away ye also now There is neuer a word here without force and for your better vnderstanding I will note foure things in them to be considered The first is what this putting away meaneth The second is what things they should put away The third is the manner of putting them away The fourth is the time when this should be To come to the first The word that he vseth put away it signifieth as much as to mortifie to slay for in other places also he vseth these words indifferently The words are borrowed The first word of mortifying from things that are subiect to the slaughter and the word of putting away is borrowed from 1 Put ye away cloathing that is put away off a man so brethren as sinne is an old man as Paul saith hauing life it hath life as euery thing hath life and therefore is slaine euen so thy sinne is a botched cloathing a cloute and a filthy garment where with we are cloathed naturally and therefore must now be put away off vs we must shake it off as we would see that life of heauen or else it will bring thee to destruction Further the word importeth more then a bare putting off it importeth also a putting Put off sin so as you neuer put it on again off of it from thee that thou see it no more Thou must not play with sinne as thou doest with thy coate No cast it not off now and then put it on thee in the morning nay rather hold it still and thou that art a harlot cast not thy harlotrie from thee this day and then put it vpon thee to morrow no but continue a harlot still for if thou put it now off and now on the Lord shall make thee finde it to sticke faster to thee then thy skinne doth to thy backe Goe not then to thy custome againe but if thou once put off or away sinne put it away foreuer meddle neuer with that sinne againe This is the first thing here to be considered The next thing to be noted in this place is the things to be 2 All these things put away not one thing onely manifold are the pleites or foldings of sinne Lord if it be not a thick cloathing for if thou be cloathed with sinne thou hast a thicke coate vpon thy backe there is such a varietic of sinne in thee And therefore he biddeth thee not put away one of them and keepe another as to put away thy adulterie and keepe murther to put away theft and keepe couetousnes No play not so with sinne say not I will shake off that sinne and keepe this but the Apostle biddeth thee put all away yea the least sinne that can be as well as the greatest Iames in his second chapter and tenth verse saith he that faileth in one is guiltie of all If murther raigne in thee thou art gone keepe temperance as thou wilt if one sin raigne in thee thou art a lost man for I say if one sinne raigne in thee there is no mortification in thee and so there is nothing in thee that pleaseth God And ye know as ye see a man will die of many maladies euen so ye shal see a mā die of one Simile maladie Euen so supposing that you were cleane of many sinnes yet if there be one in thee that one sinne will cause thee die Yet the word is to be marked He biddeth not onely generally all put away all sinne but the direction is giuen to euery one in particular of the which it must follow that there are none that are borne but they are cloathed with all sinnes vnder the heauen for howbeit a man burst not out in euery sin an open murtherer an open adulterer a theefe an auaricious person yet he hath the seed of euery one of these by nature in his heart thou art a murtherer by nature a drunkard c. Therefore I say to euery one of you put away all these things put away murther out of thy heart put harlotric out of thy heart and in a word put all sin away slay all The third that is to be marked here is the manner of the putting away of these affections And it is set downe in this word also That is as the rest of the world that is faithfull hath done if ye would be accounted Christians be ye like them as they haue mortified in themselues these affections and slaine the earthly members so doe ye likewise as if he would say ye stroue before with the children of disobedience who might be first in euill euen so striue now with the children of light the faithfull who may be first in mortification of sinne and in banishing sinne from you for this compensation must bee by thee that art called to y e light of the Gospel or else thou shewest thy selfe neuer to haue been called Hast thou striuen with the wicked before in wickednes striue now with the godly in godlines Sawest thou euer the broad gate thou wentest in go now and see the streight gate and thrust in with the faithfull that way For if thou be a counterfaite and say thou art a Christian and walkest not as a Christian but after thy old manner of life in wickednes like to the Infidels I say thou shalt finde greater iudgement and damnation in that day against thee then against an open infidell Hee setteth then before them the faithfull and all to worke this mortification For as the Lord mortifieth by his word when