stated or affected as yours I exhort you to take paines and to continue in petitions and requests vnto God with heed taken that it be not done carelesly and drowsily the which both with continuance painefulnesse and watching must bee done and performed in thanks-giuing for graces already receiued Praying in both sorts as for all men and the faithfull aboue others so especially for mee and Timothy that God would open our mouthes wide as a gate otherwise shut is set open that wee may speake the secrets of CHRIST naturally hidden from all men and by despensation of GOD alwaies to the comming of CHRIST obscurely knowne to the faithfull yea to the Angels themselues for which I am in hold In which respect you are yet further to strengthen and stretch out your prayers for mee that all feare set a part I may make it manifest as it is meete both in regard of the excellency thereof and the speciall trust of the Apostleship which is committed vnto mee And seeing you dwell amongst those that are strangers from God walke wisely that you bee neither infected with their euils nor they haue occasion to speake euill of the truth and that by the light of your godly conuersation they may bee alured to giue care to the truth therein-following the example of diligent Marchants that to redeeme their losses that are past watch to take all oportunity of gayning More particularly looke to your speeches in the wise ordering whereof Christian wisedome is singularly discerned that it bee alwaies as sauory meate wel seasoned whiles you shal be able to answere euery man according as their particular estates require The summe is an exhortation vnto certaine Christian duties especially concerning the Colossians though belonging also to all Christians First a duty towards God viz prayer Secondly towards men how to carry themselues whether within or without the Church For prayer in generall wee are to consider that it consists on two parts petition and thankes-giuing and therefore by prayer hee onely meaneth heere petition and suit vnto God because of the other part viz thankes-giuing he after exhorts them them too Concerning prayer the excellency of it is not here to bee spoken of as that it is a key to open all Gods treasures c. But wee are to consider that which the Apostle speaketh of heere viz exhorting them to continue and to bee watchfull vnto prayer by which both continuance and feruency in prayer are vnderstood For continuance in prayer it is the same as to pray alwaies as the Apostle requireth in another place when hee saith pray continually It is not meant 1. Thess 5. 17. that one should doe nothing but pray for then wee should not eate nor sleepe But hee meaneth that wee ought to keepe a steddy and continued course of prayer not onely publickely but priuately and particularly in our closets For wee haue not onely generall but particular matters to pray for which concerne our selues particularly And the Apostle saith that men are to continue this ordinary course of priuate prayer For many will beginne but will soone bee a weary of it And therefore hee meaneth that the ordinary course which wee see vsed to bee three times a day ordinarily is not to bee left off And therefore it is called the ordinary sacrifice which was onely in the morning and euening offered yet called the continuall Exod. 29. 38. 40. 41. sacrifice because it was continually offered euery day Secondly in that hee saith watch vnto prayers hee Note noteth that it must bee a feruent not a drowsy prayer and wee must keepe our mindes close vnto God that they doe not wander abroad And that it bee done with earnestnesse not drowsinesse which is oft turned into sinne which commeth either from the cares of this life or from sorrow As the Disciples when our Sauiour exhorted them to pray they by sorrow for his departure were ouer-come with Luke 22. 45. sleepe But furthermore as wee are to aske in prayer so wee are to returne vnto the Lord in thankes-giuing contrary to the custome of men that are watchfull enough to aske but returne not with thankes and a generall fault it is that wee are long in our Petitions and short in our Thankesgiuing This corruption wee see in the nine Leapers Luk. 17. 17. 18 that were earnest in their petitions vnto CHRIST but forgot to giue thankes when they had receiued their desires But the Apostle exhorts vs to bee as watchfull to thanks-giuing as to petition contrary to our corrupt nature And seeing by reason of the benefits of God wee want and our great wants wee haue neede to aske supply of God So is there none of vs but wee haue receiued many and ample blessings of God and therefore haue as iust cause to returne him thankes But many men haue their eye all vpon their wants that they wil neuer look vpon the graces blessings of God bestowed on them whereof they are forgetfull And as many are faulty in this so there are more which are guilty of this fault as to thinke all is well with them and therefore cry Peace peace to themselues thinking they haue need of no more grace of God and therefore neglect to cry and sue vnto God earnestly for further graces and mercies And as it is a generall sinne in regard of mens particular estate so also in regard of the generall estate of the Church This is a generall sinne that men forget to pray for things she needs and to giue thankes for fauours shewed her And many there are who haue their eyes still vpon Note the wants and blemishes of the Church and are still crying out vpon them And because of that are neuer thankfull vnto God for those mercies that God hath bestowed vpon the Church as the Word and Sacraments which they may freely come vnto in peace yet they say that all is but as Popery so vnthankfull vnto God are they for these mercies contemning them as nothing because they want those which are are also conuenient Another sort of people in the Church there are that seeing themselues better then other Churches in other places content themselues with their estate which they haue as though there could bee no amendment nor remouall of those corruptions which are yet remaining whereas yet there ought to bee this care in euery one of vs that as we ought to be thankefull for the mercies God giueth vnto the Church which are to be thanked for so further we being not our selues by our place able to reforme the wants yet ought wee to goe to the Lord for redresse And the Magistrates especially are to labour for the reformation according to the word of God of those things that are amisse And thus much of prayer in generall Then he commeth to exhort them to pray particularly Verse 3. for them which were Ministers Indeed praier is a principall duty which a man can performe vnto others which
truely religious hee will bring forth good workes True religion hath the true fruites of it to Iam. 1. 26. 3. 17. 27. keepe himselfe from the lusts of the world and to visite the sicke the fatherlesse and widdowes So that if hee bee a Saint he is holy if holy he is religious if hee loue not holinesse hee is not religious make what profession hee can though it be neuer so good From the Titles we come to the benefits desired He wisheth 1 Grace 2 Peace Grace the fountaine of all goodnesse is God and the graces of his children are as springes and fruites that proceed from the meere grace loue and fauour of God which fauour and grace of God the Apostle wisheth to them Doct. 1 So that here we learne that all good things whatsoeuer come from Gods grace and mercy alone For if by works then not by grace for then grace were Rom. 5. not grace Secondly he wisheth Peace viz. all things necessary for this life prosperity health c. as is the manner of the Hebrews in wishing peace to vnderstand all outward prosperity Doct. 2 Hee setteth grace before peace to teach vs first to seeke for the fauour of God and then to looke for the fruits of the fauour of God But we vsually doe cleane contrary for we seeke first the fruits of Gods grace for peace wealth prosperity c. and not care for the grace and loue of God But our looking for those things without hauing the loue of God is nothing He that hath all things hath nothing vnlesse he haue Gods fauour but hatred of God our gold no gold our peace no peace our loue of parents and of men hatred of God And better were it that wee had none of all these then to haue them without the loue of God â— CHRIST The Prophet when as two Kings came against Ahaz telling him hee should bee defended Isa 7. 2. from those Kings howsoeuer Ahaz was a wicked King would not beleeue it yet he tels him a signe 2. King 16. 2. 3. Isa 7. 14. and token of it that a Virgin should conceiue and beare a sonne c. Noting therby that all benefits whatsoeuer are from God in CHRIST alone And therefore if we seeke for any thing out of CHRIST wee seeke amisse and if wee desire any thing before the Note loue of God we do as harlots which loue the gifts better then the persons that giue them In that hee saith Grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord IESVS CHRIST Hee there shutteth not out the Holy Ghost as though it came not as well Note from him as from the Father and from the Sonne For in the word grace the Holy Ghost is included seeing that grace is the gift of the Holy Ghost alone Doct. 3 We praise God viz. He Timothy Here consider that they giue thankes to God alone because all grace mercy both of eternall life and the comforts of this life come from him and therefore our petitions are to be made to him for them and praise to be rendred vnto him for enioying them Question Quest How can this be did he not preach eate and drinke and apply his occupation Answere Ans Here the Apostle meaneth that he kept a constant course of prayer for them And to the Thess he saith Pray without ceasing where as a man is bound to 1. Thess 5. 16. do his businesse in his calling also but the meaning is to keepe a constant course dayly of this duty Therefore the sacrifice in the Law which was done morning and euening is called a continuall sacrifice because of the continuall course of it so here he meaneth that daily so often as they pray they make mention of them in their prayers Doctrine The duty of all Christians to keepe daily a continuall course priuately in prayer More particularly the minister is to pray for his people not only in the Church but priuately at home as the Apostle here did And therfore we must not thinke our selues discharged of priuate prayer for publicke Which sheweth it is a dutie of all Christians as to pray in the Church so also to pray priuately in their families and also by themselues and therfore to set a time apart for that purpose Reasons of it are great Reasons of priuat praier first there is no man or woman of what state soeuer but they haue particular sins which euery one hath not For when they pray in the house they desire pardon of sinnes which are common to the house but I may haue committed a sinne the which they haue not and I may haue receaued particular blessings which others haue not and I haue need of some particular blessing in my place that others haue not need of And therefore it is necessarie that we should make a choise of some particular time wherein by our selues we may haue recourse to God Wee giue thankes whensoeuer he prayed he gaue thanks and for that he prayed he gaue thanks For howsoeuer there were great faultes in the Church Note yet he is thankfull for some good thing left them But such is the corruption of our dayes that howsoeuer we are most especially bound to this duty of thanks-giuing as being the duty of the Angels and that which after this life we shall only performe in heauen yet though both priuately publikly we wil peraduenture pray and aske still of God we are negligent in rendering thanks God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby God is discerned from all other Gods In the Law he was deserned by the God of Abraham Isaac and Note Iacob but this is a more excellent difference which here the Apostle giues that our God is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ not the God of the Turkes and Infidels c. Then is set forth the cause of his thanks Viz. for their loue and faith Quest Quest Why doth the Apostle giue thanks and prayeth for them which were called already Why doth he not rather pray for heathen and wicked men that ly groueling in their sinnes Answer we are bound indeed to pray for all But we 1. Tim. 2. 1. are more specially bound to loue and pray for those Gal. 6. 10. that are called already for as God shewes more tokens of his loue to a man so must I shew more and more tokens of it For howsoeuer Gods loue cannot increase yet the tokens of it increase but ours must increase as we see the tokens of Gods loue to increase towards any The degrees then of our loue and of our prayers towards others are that we are bound to pray for all but especially for those that are of â—he houshould of faith and amongst them for Ioseph viz. for those that are afflicted and amongst them that are in affliction we are especially to pray for those that suffer for the Gospell sake The end of the second
the Apostle proceeds further to confirme them more perticularly that whereas they might haue doubted whether it was the same that was preached to Macedonia and other Churches he answers it is the very same with theirs which was preached by Epaphras their Minister And so we may say of our faithfull Ministers which haue truly instructed vs before that our doctrine now is the same which was preached by them to vs heretofore And Epaphras he describeth to be their Deare fellow seruant and a faithfull minister of CHRIST c. By that he giueth commendation vnto him thereby to maintaine the honour and reputation of the Minister to his people that so they might be the better perswaded of his loue Doctrine This ought euery good Minister to doe to labour by all meanes to maintayne the honour and reputation of other the true Ministers of God amongst their people and charges that so their doctrine may be the better receiued of the people The end of the fourth Sermon The fifth Sermon COLOSS. 1. 9. 10. 11. 9 For this cause we also since the day we heard of it cease nor to pray for you and to desire that yee might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding 10 That ye might walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God 11 Strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse THE Apostle hauing giuen thanks to God for the graces the Colossians had receaued as namely for the grace of faith loue and for the sincerity of both that they were not vaine and in shew onely but true faith and sincere loue doth now also make his prayers vnto God that as they had begun they might goe forwards till they came to the perfection God had appointed them The summe of these three verses is a prayer that the Apostle doth make for the Colossians for all manner of Christian conuersation and for all Christian duty whatsoeuer so that in these 3. verses are shut vp whatsoeuer may be required of a Christian man so that the like prayer in so few wordes is scarse to be found in the Scripture againe Wherein these two things are to be considered first the cause why the Apostle prayeth secondly the prayer it selfe layd downe in the rest of the text For the first for this cause Viz. because of that for which we haue giuen thanks before Viz. your faith and loue because that it is wrought aboundantly in you Doctrine Whence wee learne that those that are called to the knowledge of the truth and are endued with excellent guiftes of faith hope and loue c. are they for whom wee ought most especially to pray and as they are lift vp higher by the Lord to heauen as it were to be as starres to the rest of the world by so much the more are we to pray for them that they may stand in the truth and be daylie increased in the guiftes of God And this is a common thing often obserued and mentioned in the Scripture that those whom God hath aduanced with graces he will be further gratious to them and therfore we are more to regard them in our prayers And therfore our Sauiour Luk. 8. 18. saith those that haue shall haue more aboundantly And the same we see verified that he that hath 5. tallants hath gained 5. more he that hath gained 2. hath two more he that hath one hauing hid it and being iudged to haue it taken away the King commandeth it to be giuen to him that had 5. and Luk. 4. 19. 24. 26. Iam. 1. 5. they obiect that he hath 5. he answers he that hath shall haue in aboundance And Saint Iames saith God giueth without vpbrayding he giueth without grudging or repining or casting it in their teeth which receaue of him for he doth not as men who hauing bestowed much on a man if he come againe he will lay it in his dish that he hath bestowed on him allready this and this and shall he giue him more but the Lord doth not so but to whom he hath giuen much he will yet giue more And therefore the Lord in some sort doth after the manner of men from whence the prouerbe of our Sauiour is taken that when men are rich others will giue great guiftes vnto them but the Lord doth after a farre other manner for the Lord feareth none neither is behoulden to any as men are to those that are greater then they Reasons shewing that those that haue grace ought especially to be commended to God and therfore for that cause bestoweth not his guiftes The reasons why they that haue receaued graces from God are more specially to be prayed for and that those that are entred into the lists of Christianitie are principally to be recommended vnto God are diuers and worthy to be considered Reason 1 The first is in regard of themselues for though they haue receiued yet they still want and therefore they are not so much to regard that they haue but also to regard that they want for vnles a man doe looke to his wants and corruption though he haue but one little grace he will be liâ—ted vp against God and against men and therefore to be prayed for As we see in Poperie that howsoeuer they haue no guiftes but naturall and common yet are they puffed vp in the pride of their hartes in this regard that they boast they can merit at Gods handes And therefore we are to consider that in those that haue the greatest guifts there are great wants and causes of humiliation for which cause they haue need to be prayed for Another reason is in regard of other men least they be lifted vp aboue others which is done in that by seing our owne weakenesses and infirmities we may be kept from not being lift vp against others and in regard of their infirmities to contemne them And therfore the Apostle saith if any man be fallen Gal. 6. 1. by occasion into any fault ye which are spirituall restore such an one with the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted And therfore it is necessarie to see our sinnes that we maybe the more able to beare with the weakenesse of others Thirdly in regard of the enimie for those that are entred into Christianitie and are indowed with the graces of God and are entred into the Gospell and profession of God and godlinesse the deuill is most busie to preuent the same and to sow tares by and by after good seed is sowne Math. 13. The Church being with child that is desirous and taking paynes to bring forth Christians and Apocal. 12. children vnto God for it asketh great paynes to beget a Christian we see the deuill is wayting and leering to deuoure them when they come out as the kite houereth ouer the
sought his kingdome and his life and defiled his Concubines Then he commeth to the next couple of seruants and masters And seruants are commanded to be Verse 22. obedient to their masters in the flesh So called first because they are onely for this life and can reach no further mitigating the sharpnesse of seruice in those times wherein seruants were bond-slaues so that all that was the seruants was the masters For otherwise 1. Cor. 7. 22. The Apostle sheweth that seruants be Gods free-men as well as the masters if they be Gods children Secondly masters of the flesh because they cannot command their soules but onely their body The dutyfullnesse of seruants consisteth in 2. things first that it be done with faithfulnesse not with ey seruice but as in the presence of God Secondly that it be done willingly and freely and frankely For the 1. Cor. 9. 7. Lord 2. Cor. 9. loueth a chearfull giuer And therefore the Apostle saith they must doe it Verse 23. as vnto God Examples we haue of Abrahams seruant whose faithfulnesse we see who being sent to fetch a wife for his masters sonne when he came to the Gen. 24. 12. place fell vpon his knees and prayed and commended his businesse to God Which teacheth that seruants Note must not onely be faithfull but carefull by commending their businesse vnto God and therefore they are to pray both for strength and wisedome in their masters businesse Againe we see in him a singuler diligence in that comming to the place set vp the camels and saw them serued before he would rest though he was a weary would not eate before he had his answer And chapter 31. in Iacobs faithfulnesse to Laban his vncle In Iacob we see his diligence and paynes both in the heat of the day and in frost of the night And as the greater and waightier the businesse of his master is by so much the more he is to commend his businesse vnto the Lord and ought to be more carefull A reason the Apostle rendreth that whereas if the seruant haue an vnkind or a poore master that cannot or will not repay nor recompence his paines he is thereby made carelesse yet the Lord telleth Verse 24. him that if he be faithfull he is the Lords seruant and he will reward him with an inheritance accounting him as a child He that doth iniury This is brought as a reason both to the maister and seruant that if the master be iniurious vnto the seruant the Lord will God is no respector of persons not spare him because of his wealth and high estate because he is aboue his seruant as earthly iudges will oftentimes be partiall Nether will he spare the iniurious seruant because of pity to his pouerty and inferiority The end of the 28. Sermon The 29. Sermon COLOSS. 4. V. 1. 1 Ye masters doe vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that yee also haue a master in heauen You Maisters looke that you yeeld vnto your seruants both wages and meate and drinke as that which is right and with moderate rest and recreation some further recompence according to the good seruice they haue done as that which is equall considering that as your seruants are to render an account vnto you so you must giue an account vnto your Maister which is in heauen THE duty of masters is 1. To doe iustly viz. that they giue that which they agree vpon Duties of Masters to their seruants according to the law in regard of their wages Secondly that they deale equally towards them viz. with consideration besides And therefore it is requisit that the master account the seruant in some sort as a child and in that regard to carry an equall hand to him as to his child and to loue him And therefore we see that Naamans 2. King 5. 13. seruant called his master Father And Iosua being a magistrate called Achan Iosh 7. 19. though a theefe sonne such affection is required of masters and seruants one to another the master should rule and command as a father and the seruant is to be dutifull as to a father By that which is equall therefore is ment all Note things meet besides their meat drinke and apparell which is of their bargaine but especially for their instruction that they be taught and instructed in the will of God and therefore ought they to haue liberty both to goe to the publike seruice of God especially on the Lords day and also that they haue beside some time for honest recreations And therefore better it is to be many mens Note Horses or Oxen then their seruants for to their oxen they will giue meat for their worke But peraduenture to seruants they will deny that and especially will haue little regard that they serue God for they will hardly spare them so long from their drudgery Furthermore according to their seruants faithfulnesse and as they haue profited their master by their seruice so ought they to reward them Deut. 15. 14. For it may be that the masters life may be saued by his seruant and therefore accordingly he is to haue regard vnto him And therefore in that place of Deut. Howbeit a stranger might be kept as a seruant all his life yet the Iewes are commanded that if one of their bretheren 1. one of the twelue tribes if he were a seruant hee should goe out free at Deut. 15. 12. 14. the end of seuen yeares at which time his Maister is commanded to giue him of his wine and of his oyle and corne and of what God did blesse him with for that hee hath bene a meanes whereby that hath bene increased Euen so Maisters are taught that Note according as God hath blessed and enriched them by the labour and meanes of their seruant so they are to recompence them ouer and aboue their wages It followeth VERSE 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 2 Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing 3 Praying also for vs that God may open vnto vs the dore of vtterance to speake the mystery of CHRIST wherefore I am also in bonds 4 That I may vtter it as it becommeth me to speake 5 Walke wisely toward them that are without redeeme the time 6 Let your speech be gracious alwaies and powdered with salt that yee may know how to answere euery man VVEE haue heard of generall duties to all men and particular to some sorts Now he commeth to a third kind of duties which is of another sort as it were compounded of both being partly generall belonging to all others partly particular which did after a more particular sort belong vnto them viz prayer and thankesgiuing c. As if the Apostle should thus speake And now to returne againe to the generall duties Verse 2. The Metaphrase and yet such as for the most part belong rather vnto you then vnto other persons and Churches not so
therefore though the Papists should sing neuer so vnto the Lord onely which yet they do not for they haue their songs also vnto the Saints c. yet it is no true singing which the Lord requireth when they sing with the tong onely Lastly we must sing them vnto the Lord alone and to him we must sing songs of praise and thankes-giuing and therefore not to the Saints nor to any other creature whatsoeuer The end of the 26. Sermon The 27. Sermon COLOSS. 3. V. 18. 19. 20. 21. 18 Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands as it is comely in the Lord. 19 Husbands loue your wiues and be not bitter vnto them 20 Children obey your parents in all things for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord. 21 Fathers prouoke not your children to anger lest they be discouraged THE Apostle hauing discoursed seuerally and perticulerly of sundry duties of Christian men generall to all men of what states and conditions sexes and ages soeuer they be he now commeth to the perticuler duties belonging to euery one in their perticuler calling Verse 18. The Metaphrase Hauing instructed you in the duties which are generall to all I come to informe you in those that are speciall according to the seuerall callings of euery one of you as those which will easily come from you if you haue well profited in the former Now according to the order God himselfe keepeth in the fifth Commandement I will begin with the duty of inferiors You wiues therefore notwithstanding you haue other duties I exhort you as to that which is hardest for you wherein you are customably shortest and being performed others will easily follow that you be subiect obedient as to others that may bee aboue you as Parents and Magistrates so especially vnto your owne husbands as that which is the most comely thing of all because you I know striue to comelinesse Which obedience and subiection is not yet so absolute and so generall but it hath this exception so farre as you are commanded things not vnlawfull by the word of God You husbands although you owe sundry duties vnto your wiues yet specially I exhort you to loue them dearely as that which you are most customably shortest in and which being throughly setled in you will easily pull all other duties after it And therefore be not bitter to them which cannot stand with loue You children from a heart subdued and truly humble obey your parents not by halues and so farre as they cōmand things to your liking but in all things not contrary to the word of God although it be to the crossing of your desires for which cause let it be alwayes before your eyes as a goade to stirre you vp to this obedience that in so doing you shall not onely please your parents but doe a thing acceptable to the Lord himselfe You parents abuse not your authority or the pliable minds of your children either by cōmanding things vnlawfull or by hard vsage of them to prouoke them to any vndutifulnesse towards you or to haue no courage or comfort to do the things required of them The summe of all which is an Exhortation which the Apostle giueth to the most straightest bonds amongst men The first of the Wife and Husband Which are the straightest bonds betweene men The second of the Parents Children But first we are to speake of the last verse of the other text Whatsoeuer yee do or say c. The Apostle Verse 17. had trauelled in setting forth vnto them many speciall duties they ought to performe as Christian men and women And because it were an infinite thing to set downe all duties perticular to Christians he wisely comprehendeth all both those duties spoken of before all other duties in this verse saying Whatsoeuer yee say or do let all be done in the name of our Sauiour Christ The like doth our Sauiour Christ who hauing spoken in the 5. and 6. and part of the 7. of Mathew of the duties to our neighbours doth comprehend all the duties which we owe to our brother in all the Law and Prophets in this Do as ye would be Math. 7. 12. done by So here the Apostle doth The like we haue 1. Cor. 10. Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye do 1. Cor. 10. 31. Note do all to the glory of God Here we haue a very Notable rule that we should not speake nor do any thing but that which we may commend vnto God in prayer And therfore euery man ought to purpose with himselfe in the day to do nothing else but that which is good and right and this will be a meanes to keepe him from whoring drinking all vnhonest things when as he is to do onely that which he should desire a blessing in prayer of God in and for which after we are to returne to God in thankes-giuing againe which none is so sencelesse as that hee will do for his sinnes and wickednesse he hath committed And indeed there is no good thing whatsoeuer a man doth as to speake of Law Physicke c. which of themselues are good and therefore cannot be good vnto vs though to others they may be vnlesse we commend them vnto the Lord in prayer Here also we are taught in that we are to pray to God and thanke God for all good things we say and do we haue them not of our selues but from the Lord. After the Apostle doth set downe a notable Exposition Verse 18. of the fifth Commandement 1. beginning at the duties of the neerest bonds and first hee setteth the duty of the inferiors to the superiors And first he sheweth forth the duties of those which owe commō duties together one to another mutually as husband and wife and then the duties of them ioyntly to those that are vnderneath them both And this is the order which the Apostle vseth who hauing set downe generall duties of Christianity before he now commeth to particular thereby insinuating that those that haue laboured to obserue the generall as of Holinesse Temperancy Long-suffering Loue c. they shall more easily performe these particular duties This is a notable doctrine and therefore we see Iethro counselleth Moses to choose such Exod. 18. 21. rulers to helpe him as hated couetousnesse This is a generall duty to hate couetousnesse noting that if they were faithfull in that they would be good Gouernours and Magistrates and Captaines And therefore we see Ioseph hauing all which his maister had Gen. 39. 5. 9. vnder his hand saue his wife is said to haue ordered all things well the reason is because hee feared God that is because he had the generall duty Againe therefore we see that seruants by the generall duty of doing their duty in the sight of God are perswaded to obedience to their maisters So that this is to teach vs to labour principally for to haue the loue and feare of God and to do our duties as
in the sight of God which is a meanes to helpe vs in our particular calling And as it is a true thing that if I loue all men and performe duty to all men as much as I can then much more will I do it to my wife children those that depend vpon me according to this Rule of the Apostle And as that is true so also the diligent and true performance of the duties of our particular calling is a great meanes to helpe and to confirme vs in the generall duties 1. Rom. The Apostle taking an oath and calling God to witnesse confirmeth the faithfulnesse of his oath by his faithfulnesse in his particular office of his Ministery And to Timothy hee saith 1. Tim. 3. 5. that he that is not able to gouerne his wife and family priuately is not fit to gouerne publickely in the Church or Common-wealth For the particular duties first of Wiues In the Epistle to Titus though the Apostle requireth Loue of Tit. 2. 4. the yonger wiues to their husbands and children yet they are not so ready to bee behinde hand in Loue as in this duty of Subiection for when she is admitted to the friendly and amiable vse of her Husband that she hath Power ouer his body as he of hers therefore 1. Cor. 7. 4. she thinkes she is shut out from subiection to his authority and therefore it is that the Apostle so stands especially vpon that duty of subiection for concerning loue it is vsually more exceeding in women then in men And therefore Dauid in his verses on Ionathan saith 2. Sam. 1. 26. his loue exceeded the loue of women But he insisteth vpon her obedience And hee bringeth this reason because it is comely It had beene a notable reason to haue perswaded her to subiection because the Lord commands her will to bee subiect vnto her husband And howsoeuer before the fall she Gen. 3. 16. 1. Cor. 14. 34. was subiected vnto him yet after the fall her yoke was heauier therfore the Lord saith Thy wil shall be subiect to thy husband he shall rule ouer thee Againe as 1. Cor. 11. 9. Hee might haue said the woman was made for the man not the man for the woman And Gen. 2. 18. the woman was taken out of the man not the man out of the woman And a more notable reason is in 1. Tim. 3. 14. The woman was deceiued not the man for hee was led away by affection to her and was not deceiued And to Titus the Apostle rendreth another reason of this Tit. 2. 5. subiection least the Gospell be euill spoken of therefore the wiues should be subiect to their husbands But here the Apostle rendreth this reason that it Note is comely because women delight in neatenesse and comlinesse And howsoeuer they thinke it a disgrace to be subiect yet the Apostle saith this is more comely to be subiect And S. Peter standeth much vpon it 1. Pet. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. teaching that the comlinesse of a woman which is most comely in the sight of God is that she be quiet humble and obedient And therefore if women will haue their rings Iewels and bracelets as an ornament and comelinesse to them let them bee decked with this to bee humble in obedience to their husbands And yet this subiection is restrained that it be in the Verse 18. Ephe. 5. 24. Lord if hee bee too seuere and command things not fit yet she is not to reiect the yoke of obedience but go vnder it but if hee giue commandement contrary to God shee is not to obey therein following the Apostles rule It is better to obey God then Man Acts 4. 19. Then hee setteth downe the duty of husbands Verse 19. And howsoeuer there are many duties inioyned thē yet the principall duty the Apostle requireth is loue because men are vsually short and cold in that affection Indeed in the affection and loue for fornication they will be oftentimes exceeding hot but in this true loue are farre short and too strait-laced The Apostle setteth forth this affection of a man in Ephe 5. saying that he should loue his wife as his Ephe. 5. 28. 1. Pet. 3. 7. owne body And the reason is because shee is weaker and full of infirmities and weakenesses and therefore he is to couer them by loue For if he haue maymes or Prou. 10. 12. blemishes in his body hee will bee ready to vse all meanes to hide them so must the man do to his wife being his owne body And the Apostle Saint Peter sheweth a generall 1. Pet. 4. 8. duty of loue to couer many infirmities Aboue all things saith he haue feruent loue for lour shall couer the multitude of sinnes And the Apostle saith further Note hee is not to bee bitter For loue hath no gall in it and therefore the husband is to exercise his loue toward his wife by auoiding all manner of bitternesse toward her The twenty and 21. are handled in the next Sermon The end of the 27. Sermon The 28. Sermon COLLOSS 3. V. 22. 23. 24. 25. 22 Seruants be obedient vnto them that are your Maisters according to the flesh in all things not with eye-seruice as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God 23 And whatsoeuer yee do do it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men 24 Knowing that of the Lord yee shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for yee serue the Lord CHRIST 25 But he that doth wrong he shall receiue for the wrong that he hath done and there is no respect of persons THE Apostle commeth from the generall duty belonging to all Christian men to the perticular duties of men in the houshold And hauing spoken of the duties of husbands and wiues and of parents and children hee commeth now to the last couple in the houshold of Maisters and Seruants As if hee should say You seruants from a minde subdued obey your Verse 22. The Metaphrase Maisters whose commandement ouer you is but for a time whiles you are in this fraile estate and that in all things which may stand with the keeping of a good cōscience Now your seruice must not be alone when your Maister stands by and looke on as seeking onely to please your Maisters but in singlenesse of heart as fearing God whose eye is alwaies vpon you when your Maisters eye is off Your seruice ought also to bee voluntary and cheerefull as that which is due to the Lord who loueth a cheerefull giuer and not as vnto man that cannot discerne whether it be done frankely Knowing that you shal receiue in reward from the Lord life as an inheritance which hee will freely as vpon his children bestow vpon you for it ought to vphold you in your dutifull seruice that you serue not so much your Maisters which are but men and therefore sometimes vnthankefull and vnable to recompence but the Lord
words and babbling for that will breed further brabling without end And yet answere him in his folly to stoppe his mouth meaning according as is most fit for to be answered vnto him least he be wise in his owne conceite Prou. 26. 5. Verse 7. 8. In this Text the Apostle sendeth these messengers to vnderstand the estate of the Church and to signifie their estate and further for mutuall comfort and to strengthen the Church he therefore sendeth these worthy men Tychicus and Onesimus Doctrine Heere we learne that it is a necessary duty for the Minister to know the estate of his Flock and for the Flocke to know the estate of the Minister For the Minister it is necessary that he know For as a good Shepeheard will know the estate of his Flocke so Prou. 27. 27. A simile ought the Minister of his spirituall charge that hee may accordingly lay forth vnto them his admonitions exhortations and may commend them in their wants vnto God The people are to vnderstand the state of the Minister Note not to the end to pry out his faultes to haue matter to accuse him as the custome is now but to the end they admonish him if hee bee faulty as after shall appeare in the end of this Epistle Secondly that if there be any such want they may the more commend their Minister vnto God to haue supply for their instruction So is the Minister also to do for the people And so is the duty of euery Christian to enquire of the state of the Churches and of the Ministers in all places to the end that for the good wee may bee thankfull vnto God for any euill we may be earnest vnto God in prayer Men for the end their Marchandize may prosper will bee inquisitiue of the state of the place and of A comparison the traffique Much more ought wee to bee of the Churches of God And therefore wee see an example in Nehemiah that when Embassadours came vnto Neh◠2s5s6 the King out of his Country hee was inquisitiue of their estate and went vnto the Lord in prayer in regard of their great afflictions So ought we to do Here also we see the great loue of the Apostle that parteth with Onesimus which as is in the Epistle to Verse 9. Philemon had bene vnthrifty but was now very profitable Philem. 11. vnto the Apostle and therefore writeth to Philemon that if hee would receiue him hee should yet hee was very profitable vnto him And notwithstanding he sendeth him to the Colossians and spareth him from himselfe which was much more to spare Tychicus which was a Minister Doctrine Whereby Ministers are taught to depart from their owne profit for the good of the Church After the Apostle sendeth salutations of diuers Verse 10. but of three especially Aristarchus Marke and Iesus to testifie their loue to the Colossians Doctrine Doct. The duty of Ministers is not to disgrace one another but to commend and praise the good things in their fellow Ministers to the Church that they may nourish and increase the good opinion which the Church hath of them to the furthering of their Ministeries These three hee especially commendeth to bee chiefly accounted of by them in regard of the things common to them all as namely they were of the circumcision being of the Iewes and yet continued constant vnto the truth Then that they were fellow-labourers with him in the Ministery and that they were very comfortable vnto him abiding and staying with in his persecution Particularly hee commendeth Aristarchus vnto them for that he was his fellow-prisoner susteyning the same bonds with him Iesus hee commendeth to be such a one as that by his godly conuersation had gotten this good report amongst the children of God that he was surnamed lust And Marke he commends for that hee was the sisters sonne of Barnabas a worthy man and an Apostle and therefore worthy to be acounted of by thē and well entertained if hee should come vnto them Where we may see what was the cause of the falling Note out of Paul and Barnabas was why Barnabas tooke Markes part when as Marke hauing fainted by the way by reason of the hot persecution Paul refused Act. 15. 39. 40. to take him with him whereas Barnabas was earnest to haue Marke But it seemeth that in the controuersy Barnabas was in fault in that the Church ioyned with Paul against Barnabas who as it is likely was too much carried away with affection How-be-it wee see heere that Marke hauing as wee may well gather confessed his fault and professed his repentance and reconciled himselfe to the Apostle Paul was receiued againe of him Note Where wee see the tender loue of the Apostle who vpon testimony of his repentance receiueth him and loueth him againe after that he had begun to slip start aside The end of the 30. Sermon The 31. Sermon COLOSS. 4. V. 12 to the end 12 Ephaphras the seruant of Christ which is one of you saluteth you and alwaies striueth for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect and full in all the will of God 13 For I beare him record that he hath a great zeale for you and for them of Laodicea and them of Hierapolis 14 Luke the beloued Physician greeteth you and Demas 15 Salute the brethren which are of Laodicea and Nymphas and the Church which is in his house 16 And when this Epistle is read of you cause that it be read in the Church of the Laodiceans also and that yee likewise reade the Epistle written from Laodicea 17 And say to Archippus Take heed to the ministery that thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it 18 The salutation by the hand of me Paule Remembre my bands Grace by with you Amen WE haue entred vpon the salutations sent from Paule and from those that were at Rome with him to the Colossians And the Apostle doth here proceed in that matter as if he should say after this sort Ephaphras saluteth you betweene whom and you V. 12. The Metaphrase there is a speciall bond by reason whereof euen now absent from you yet hee is one of you and being as you know a worthy seruant of Christ in the Ministery of the Gospell whereby his prayes are more effectuall hee prayeth continually with great strife and earnestnesse for you that hauing entred into the holy profession of the Gospell you may stand and abide in it with daily encrease both in the knowledge and obedience of the whole will of God vntill such time as by death you shall be complet and perfect men in Christ For howsoeuer I am not priuy to his priuate praiers yet I dare be hold so to write because my selfe am witnesse how notwithstanding his absence hee burneth in much loue towards you and towards the brethren in Laodicea and Hierapolis the rather for your sakes which may either bee furthered by their