in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise now and for euer Amen THE XXXIIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 22. 23. 24. 25. and Chap. 4. vers 1. 22 Seruants be obndient vnto them that are your masters according to the flesh in all things not with eye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of heart fearing God 23 And what soeuer ye doe doe it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for ye serue the Lord Christ 25 But he that doth wrong shall receiue for the wrong that hee hath done and there is no respect of persons 1 Ye masters doe vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that ye also haue a master in heauen THese last daies welbeloued brethren we entred into the particular precepts exhortations concerning particular estates of men and women And first we spake of the dutie of wiues to their husbands and againe of the dutie of husbands to their wiues Next we spake of the dutie of children to their parents and againe of the dutie of parents to their children Now the last estate in a familie is the estate of masters and seruants Therefore wee haue to speake of the dutie of the seruant to the master and againe of the master to the seruant because there is a mutual dutie required and they are so bound the one to the other that they cannot be separate To come then to the words There is one precept giuen to seruants Seruants saith he obey your masters Then after hee insists vpon this obedience and describes it largely First hee sets downe the matter of it in what things they should obey Secondly he comes to the forme of obedience and describeth it Thirdly he goes to the fountaine and ground of all dutie which is the heart Then lastly to moue seruants to this obedience hee brings in two arguments The first is for that rich is the reward in heauen And the second is for that recompence that God shall giue to masters who doe not their dutie to their seruants To the words Seruants saith hee In these daies when the Apostle directed this precept properly here by seruants is vnderstood such as were in a hard estate slaues bought and sold like beasts ouer whom the masters had power Seruants in the Apostles time permitted by lawes to slay and saue them as ouer beasts so their estate was hard and heauie Secondly you must vnderstand they were seruants conuerted to Christ and their estate in that case was blessed Thirdly they were for the most part such as had to their masters Infidels not yet conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ and so were the more rigorous For oh the crueltie of the Infidell ouer the Christian Now in respect of their estate hearing of the libertie of the Gospell they mistooke it and began to think that Christ and his Gospell came to destroy policie and lawes that binds vp Common-weales And therefore many of them began to turne grace into wantonnes and began to leaue their masters thinking that the Gospel made an equalitie of persons as the Anabaptists teach at this day Therefore the Apostle perceiuing this hee directs this precept to them recommending obedience notwithstanding of the Gospell Thou art a brother and a sister and yet a seruant therefore obey Now howbeit properly and in the first roome this precept bee directed to seruants that were slaues bought and sold yet it is extended also to all kinde of seruants It pertaines to you as well as to them Come to the next what is commaunded them The dutie is obedience Obey saith he Hee that is a seruant should not rule but obey The whole dutie of the inferiour to the superiour is called in one word Honour so the Lord termes it And it hath two speciall parts First reuerence in words The inferiour is bound to reuerence the superiour in his talke The second Honour hath two parts part is obedience in deede he is bound not onely to reuerence him in words but also to obey that hee commaunds Both these must begin at the heart otherwise thy reuerence and obedience auailes not Now the Apostle especially insists vpon obedience The dutie recommended to children is obedience and the like is recommended here because of the two duties obedience is the hardest It is an easie thing to doe curtesie to thy master to put off thy cap and becke but here is al the grauitie and weight of the matter to obey This the Apostle considering he stickes most on it howbeit vnder it all poynts of dutie be comprehended This for the dutie Now followes the persons to whom it appertaines Obey Whom not euery one but your Lords and masters Those that God hath set ouer you It pleases him to make thē superiours you inferiours therefore obey them Yea the name it selfe containes an argument to moue thee to do thy dutie he is thy Lord and master and thou shouldest thinke with thy selfe he is my master therefore I should obey I am bound to doe it Let euery soule saith Paul be subiect to the superiour powers There is the commandement The words that follow be to the consolation of Rom. 13. 1 the seruant your master saith he but how according to the flesh That is according to things bodily not according to the spirit and soule This is thy comfort that art a seruant there is no master that is set ouer thy soule no not a King is set ouer thy soule to sit on thy conscience for that were an absolute power that commaunds as well the soule as the bodie Now brethren there is not a Lord that may commaund so but onely the Lord of heauen and earth that is none that hath an absolute power but onely the Lord Iesus Christ It is shame to Christ the only Lord of the conscience the Monarch to take this name to him It is a blasphemie and a derogation to the name of Iesus no there is none hath power ouer my conscience or thine but onely he So if ye marke narrowly ye may see that as there is one thing commaunded so there is another thing forbidden them Obey them in thy bodie though it were to suffer iniurie but as for thy soule and conscience it is forbidden thee to subiect it to their appetite if thou doe it thou bereaues Christ of his right Therefore Galath 5. it is said be not made the seruants of men if thou doe it thou makes thy selfe a slaue to the foule appetite of flesh and bloud To be short there be two vices in seruice and obediēce that is done to the superiour whatsoeuer which should be eschued Two vices in seruice to be eschued and they are both in extremities and betwixt them there is a gracious vertue The one is when the subiect refuseth obedience in
exhortation concerning all estates of men indifferently the last day as the Lord gaue grace wee entred into the speciall concerning Three states in a familie euery estate of men There are three estates in a familie The first is the husband and the wife The second estate is the parents and the children The third estate is the master and the seruants The last day we spake of the first estate concerning husbands and wiues now this day we haue to speake of the second estate to wit of parents and children The words are few yet as the Lord giues grace we shall weigh euery one and only shall set downe the doctrine properly as the words shall affoord The exhortation begins at the children the inferiour ranke as before it began at the wife I shewed you the last day the cause The estate of the inferiour is most hard to be borne withall therefore first hee directs his speech to the inferiour estate to instruct them that willingly they take vpon them that burthen which otherwise they must beare or els displease God To come to the words Children obey your parents The word childe in it owne language is common both to the manchild and to the womanchilde both are comprehended indifferently vnder the name of children and therefore this precept is directed indifferently to both The word if ye would marke the meaning of it signifieth him or her who are begotten What the word children meaneth and borne of those which are called parents yet in the second place it is directed to euery one which beares the name of sonnes and daughters whether they be daughters in law or sonnes in law Ruth as ye reade daughter in law to Naomi she tooke this precept to her she would not depart from her good mother and as you reade she promised obedience to her in all things Experience teacheth vs this day that there bee few like these two Then briefly this much for them to whom this precept is directed The next thing to be marked in the words is the dutie commaunded which is this Children obey this is the duty This duty of obediēce is a dutie y t pertaines to the whole man both soule and bodie it must come inwardly frō the hart and outwardly from the hand To let you see it better in the soule it is reuerence because thy parents be thy superiours they be not thine equals and therfore Obedience to parents thou art bound to reuerence thy parents as thy superiours for reuerence is nothing els but an acknowledging of thy superiours Next in the hart soule it is loue because thou art boūd to thy parents by nature and the band wherewith God hath bound thee to thy parents is loue Thou takest substance and being of thy parents al that thou hast in this world vnder God thou hast it of thy parents therefore the bond of nature binds thee to thy parents to loue them Thirdly this obedience in the soule and heart is thankfulnes for the manifold benefits receiued first by thy parents thou art not the beginner of liberalitie but thy parents they begin to be beneficiall to thee and therefore thou art bound to be thankfull vnto them And this much for the duties in the soule To come to the obedience in the bodie which is nothing els but an outward testification of all those things that are in Externall obedience to parents thy soule it stands first in a reuerent speech Secondly in obeying the commaund of thy parents And thirdly in compensation of the benefits receiued of thy parents I reade in the first Epistle to Timothie chap. 5. vers 4. he makes mention especially of the last Let children saith he learne to shew godlinesse first toward their owne familie beginning at their father their mother If thou be not godly to them thou canst not be godly to another And againe vers 3. Thou that wilt not prouide for thy familie art worse then an Infidell Thou that wilt not prouide for thy father and mother thou hast no faith Well ye who are children learne of Ioseph what hee did to his father and brethren It is said he fed them he fed his old father and put meate in his mouth but thou wilt wring it out of their mouth if they haue but one mouthfull Yea if thou haue wealth and they be in pouertie thou wilt not know them nor help them but wilt begin to be ashamed af them Thou wilt not let them come within thy doores and if they come at any time to thine house to be eased thou accounts so lightly of them that thou canst not abide their presence at thy boord or in thy hall but away with them to the chimney corner O villaine thou art vnworthie to be called a sonne and as an vnthankfull bodie thou shalt finde thy reward to be worse then the reward of the worst Infidell in the world Know ye not this to be true yea some children when they come to yeares will wring all from their parents and send them to beg their meate O Scotland thou hast many such children within thee but woe yea double and treble woe be vpon them for euer Then the dutie commaunded is obedience and this commaundement lets vs see how naturally children are inclined to disobedience God Children naturally inclined to disobediēce bound thee in the creation to obedience and now the world is so degenerate that there is nothing to be found in children for the most part but contempt and disobedience euery way O the malicious lowne will not be so despitefull to any as to his parents So this commaundement lets thee see the stubborne nature of children against their parents O but if this commandement enforce thee not to doe thy dutie to thy parents thou shalt be reserued in bonds to thine eternall damnation But to goe forward to whom should this obedience bee shewed Obey saith he Whom not euery one but thy parents him and her that haue begotten thee and borne thee of whom thou hast thy being and all that thou hast vnder God that is the force of the word So in the word there lurkes a forcible argument from nature Vnnaturall bodie will not nature moue thee art thou vnnaturall thou art vngodly to God For thou who breakest the bond of nature thou breakest the bond of pietie So the argument is from nature It is wonderfull to see how Ethnicks children moued by the light of nature haue obeyed their parents There was a law made among the Athenians that the child should feede the old parent or els be bound in fetters so long as hee liued If this law were in Scotland I thinke there should bee many children bound in fetters yea so many as there could be fetters made for them Well wilt thou goe to the beasts they may shame thee thou maist reade of their gratitude to their parents as for thee they may cal thee very wel mother-curse and malison If nature hath
Lord allowes it him and thou who pinchest the belly of him the Lord shall pinch thee in things heauenly the Lord will haue an eye to him beware therefore how thou dealest with them in this life Then he saith Giue them What That that is iust that is that that thou hast conditioned with them Hast thou conditioned for such a hire keepe thy condition yea there is more giue them but giue them that that is equall what is that Haue they serued thee according to the rule that I prescribed haue they serued thee in all things then be not so streight with them but giue aboue thy condition made to them be more liberall and stand not with them in their hire The Apostle 1. Pet. 2. 18. sets downe two properties of a master Iust and liberall Compare this with that that went before when he spake of the reward of the Lord. There there was not such a modification but a kingdome was promised but turning to the dutie of masters he modifies a stipend hee bids not giue all his inheritance but giue him that that is iust and equall that is a part of it according to their labour and condition and that liberally without niggardlines This imports something This lets thee see a great difference betwixt God and man in rewarding The thing that man will giue thee is but a hire a thing measured but the thing the Lord giues is not modefied nor measured to thee it is an inheritance and all that is gotten here is but an earnest peny of thy reward Of this followeth another difference The thing thou gettest of thy master it is a debt to thee thou merits it at his hand but when thou commest to God there is no debt there and thy doing is no merit but a thing giuen of beneuolence It hath pleased God to giue thee a reward and so to giue it by no debt goe thy way with thy merits for if thou sticke to them thou shalt get no merit but hell Gods giuing to thee of any thing is of fauour Now to end briefly To moue the masters to their dutie he addes to an argument Knowing that yee also haue a Lord in the heauens What followes on this There is something suppressed to wit a Lord in the heauens who if you giue that that is iust and equall shall giue you that that is iust and equall hee will doe iustice both to you and them he will make all oddes euen there is no respect of persons with him This is the office of the Lord to make all oddes euen neuer soule shall receiue wrong at his hands but when thou gets punishment thou gets thy due punishment pertaines to thee c. The thing that I marke is this It is the Lord that makes masters and that makes this inequalitie that giues this preferment that raiseth vp and casteth downe When Adam was created was there any preferment No as the Lord doth this so the eye of that great Lord is neuer off him whom he hath preferred Hath he made thee a Lord or hath he raised thee to any preferment his eye is vpon thee and as his eye is vpon thee so he stands aboue thee with mercie in the one hand and iudgement and vengeance in the other And the greater thou be the greater mercie and iudgement is aboue thee No thy hand is not so readie to take vengeance of thy seruant as his hand is readie to reuenge the wrong And thy vengeance and his differs in this thine is wrong but his is neuer wrong but al is right he doth But yet brethren to weigh the words Knowing saith he there is the first word The light of knowledge is the ground of dutie Light of knowledge ground of dutie What can a blind bodie doe that sees nothing if he were a King a Iudge and a Master The light then of knowledge is the ground of dutie as ignorance is the ground of all euill doing Knowing What That ye also haue Then the masters that did not their dutie they misunderstood the thing they had and men know not that they haue if it were but this wee haue a God yet they know him not The next word is Ye haue a Lord. It is the ignorance of the Lord that makes men misknow their dutie their eye is euer beneath the eye of the King is vpon the subiect but it is a rare grace to get an eye to looke to the Lord that is aboue him and therefore he thinkes hee hath no more adoe but with the poore subiects and so hee cannot doe his dutie aright Where is this Lord In the heauen Thou art in the earth though thou wert a King but thy Lord is aboue thee thou art farre beneath him and therefore the iudgement and stroke that must fall from him must be sad and heauie because it is farre fetcht The furthest stroke thou canst bring will be from thy Crowne but what is that to the stroke of God fetched from the high heauens yea from aboue Gods stroke all heauens that must be a very sore stroke beware of it for if it light on thee thou shalt neuer rise againe The last word also makes a comparison betwixt the Lord and the seruants you haue a Lord as they haue as they are seruants so are ye likewise seruants yea to a greater Lord. Yea the more high the Lord is aboue you in comparison ye are the lower seruants then the sweeper of your house is Note if ye were a King the very dust is greater in comparison then thou art Thou canst not make a pickle of dust Would to God Kings and Lords knew this Abraham knew it when he said What am I but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 27. Now then to make the masters to doe their dutie he brings them downe vnder the feete of the Lord of heauen hee brings thee out of thy chaire hee hurles the King out of his throne It teacheth vs that there will be no dutie gotten of superiours except thou bee first humbled vnder thy God If thou be not humbled vnder God thou wilt not nor canst not doe thy dutie Lastly I see a different dealing in the Apostle when he deales with seruants he Note well doth it comfortably but comming to Lords and Masters he drawes vp their head to see that there is a Iudge sitting aboue them this is another manner of dealing So marke his discretion hauing to doe with sundrie estates and persons he vseth sundrie arguments Our folke may not abide this forme of dealing who bad him say they threaten Lords and Kings speake to the Commons and poore people Well well let not the mouth of the Gospell be closed which speakes sometimes comfortably and sometimes boysterously and lets men see an angrie God and all to their saluation Further I perceiue this all Superiours would be threatned Masters would be threatned Princes would be threatned and the higher the greater matter of threatning For such is the
nature of men they cannot beare superioritie make thee a King thou shalt be a slaue to thy affections So it is profitable to them to be threatned that they may keepe them within the bounds of their dutie And I say they that would euer giue them faire words they are but flatterers and if they would haue them wracked or vndone let them euer speake faire to them Therefore let the Gospell haue it owne freedome Binde men as yee will but binde not the word if thou binde the Gospell O the band thou shalt finde in that day Let euery man be contained within a dutie to other that we may be partakers of the eternall kingdome where there is onely true libertie in Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honor and glorie now and for euer Amen THE XXXV LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 2. 3. 4. 2 Continue in prayer watch in the same with thanke sgiuing 3 Praying for vs that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtterance to speake the mysterie of Christ wherfore I am also in bands 4 That I may vtter it as it becommeth me to speake WE heard brethren the last day as God gaue the grace certaine speciall precepts of manners that were directed to particular estates of men as to Husbands and Wiues Parents and Children Masters and Seruants now in this text we returne to the generall exhortations that generally concernes euery estate in this world whereof the first set downe here is concerning prayer which is a common dutie that euery one that is borne oweth to God in Iesus Christ To come to the words Continue in prayer be instant in Prayer a common dutie prayer pray continually all is one thing To speake of prayer because it is a common place I will not insist but only so farre as the text will furnish me for the matter is ample and therefore I will bound me within the text As for the causes and necessitie of praier I need not to speake much ye know the Lord giues a commaundement that we should pray and that in the name of Iesus Christ and if there were no more but this it is a Motiues to prayer cause sufficient to moue thee to pray The Lord commaunds thee But there is more to wit a promise the Lord hath promised 1. Charge 2. Promise to euery one that prayeth in faith Aske and ye shall receiue Luk. 11. c. this promise may allure the heart of euery one to pray There is yet more who is he that feeles not the necessitie 3. Necessitie and wants that be in euery one of vs so long as we liue who is he that hath so much that he needes no more Yea though he were a Monarch hath he such sufficiencie that he needs not to seeke more at God Besides this there be such riches plentie and aboundance in God through Iesus Christ that it is able to fill vp all the wants that be in vs. Therefore the very 4. Gods riches riches that be in him should driue vs to desire a portion of that fulnes which is in him But brethren to leaue this and to come to the words If there were no more but this that wee are commaunded to pray it is a sufficient argument to euery one to assure them that there is no merit in vs. Wee deserue nothing of God but all that wee get we get it of free mercie and grace and that in Iesus Christ If thou come on with a deseruing and a merit of thy righteousnes thou shalt neuer get mercie I seclude thee from God for what is praying but begging not of worthines but of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ And when thou hast done all say fie on my workes and aske mercie for that bloud of Iesus Christs sake In the text there be two qualities of prayer set downe The first is an instātnes without tyring The second is watchfulnes Two things in prayer first constancie secondly watchfulnes For he who praieth should not be a sleeper but watchfull both night and day To come then to the first hee saith Be instant perseuer continue all is one thing The thing that he requires is perseuerance ardentnes continuance I neede not to insist vpon the causes of this Needest thou not continually Findest thou not that there is not an houre wherein thou wantest not either things heauenly or earthly if thou wantest not earthly indeede it may be that thou knowest not the want of heauenly things but woe is that soule that findeth not the want of heauenly food and so if thou needest continually why should not thy prayer be continuall for it is prayer that supplies that want Moreouer there is none of you but ye finde this by experience God will not heare a man at the first but crie as thou wilt he will not seeme to heare he will seeme to haue a Luk. 18. 1. 2. 3 deafe eare and all to this end that thou shouldest perseuere in prayer For hee hath pleasure to trie thy patience faith and prayer which is the best exercise And so supposing that thou get not that that thou askest yet if thou get perseuerance Perseuerance Whatsoeuer thou gettest without prayer is but stolen and an argument of wrath thou gettest a greater gift then if thou hadst that that thou askedst at the first yea if thou get all the world without prayer for all is giuen in wrath if he should aduance thee to a kingdome it is but a bait to thy damnation except thou get a heart to pray and to continue in prayer Of all graces a spirituall grace is best a little bit of regeneration is better then all the kingdomes in the earth howbeit thou set light by it now yet when thou art driuen to the vtmost point or at the last gaspe thou wouldest giue all the world to haue a bit of it There is the first qualitie in prayer perseuerance The second is watchfulnes watching in it Watchfulnes is feruencie in prayer when not the bodie onely but when the soule and all the affections are waking and bent to heauen when the Spirit is instant with God in Iesus Christ It is opposed to this coldnes that ouergoes vs all Our prayer is in sleeping and when we are sleeping we are praying and so comes out a cold prayer out of a cold heart and it is opposed to this sluggishnes and deadnes in prayer with yawning and gaping halfe sleeping and halfe waking Alas our necessitie requires another earnestnes it stands vs in the losing of heauen and shutting of vs in hell and damnation The diuell stands to catch vs if wee could see our danger and when thou thinkest thou art most sure he is busiest about thee if thou knew this thou wouldest watch better and wouldest seek more feruently to God to keepe thee But alas all are so blinded and all are
they remember their children whilest they are present with them onely Teachers are negligent or at leastwise short of their dutie if they remember their schollers onely whilest they are in the schoole with them The doctrine of the word is not easily receiued neither doth it quickly bring forth fruite Prayer is a worthie meane to helpe forward the one and the other specially the prayers of the pastor and teacher And if in other cases the prayers of a righteous man are much auaileable specially if they be feruent so saith S. Iames then the supplications of a godly and faithfull minister are likewise piercing Lastly obserue that the Apostle highly yea and as it were before others commendeth Epaphras to the Colossians and particularly for this that he was their minister and preached the Gospell vnto them yea and he giueth him this testimony that he had a certaine feruent affection and earnest desire towards them He doth the like vnto Timothie whom he purposed to send to the Philippians He doth in like manner commend Epaphroditus vnto them Phil. 1. 19. Obserue therefore I say and gather from hence that it is very necessarie that in any yea in euery particular congregation there shuld amongst all be a reuerend regard of the pastor that liueth and teacheth The Pastor of the Church should be reuerently esteemed in the same yea all should be well perswaded not onely generally of his honestie pietie faith charitie learning conscience and other graces necessarie and fit for the Ministerie but also of his singular affection and loue towards them yea specially of his desire and care to doe them good so that hee may as it were possesse the hearts of his people and haue them most strictly conioyned to him For so hee shall more easily bring them vnto Christ whilest they are willing and commit themselues to the faith and trust of their Pastor But where this perswasion is not of their Pastor his labour to amongst the flock though it be neuer so great good should do small good And therfore we may see that we are not only to pray as our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs Matth. 9. to pray the Lord of the haruest to thrust foorth workmen into the haruest but also to intreate him so to linke the hearts of the Pastor and the people together that the work of his glorie in them and their saluation may bee euery day more then other aduanced But where shall a man finde such people where shall he find such Pastors A man may goe from the East to the West from the North to the South and finde very few which should bee so farre off from discouraging vs from this dutie that it should prouoke vs more carefully to performe it And that I say to you I speake to mine owne heart Let vs therefore trauaile againe and againe with God to work such a mutual coniunction betwixt the Pastor and the flocke as his glorie may be daily aduanced thereby and the worke of eternall life furthered through Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all power and praise with thanks and glorie now and for euermore Amen THE XLI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 15 16 17 18. 15 Salute the brethren which are at Laodicea and Nymphas and the Church which is in his house 16 And when this Epistle shall be read among you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans as that ye likewise reade the Epistle which was written from Laodicea 17 And say to Archippus Looke to this that thou fulfill the ministerie which thou hast receiued from the Lord. 18 The salutation by the hand of me Paul Remember my bands Grace be with you Amen THe first of these foure verses belongeth to the last treatie touching salutations And therefore we will deale with it by it selfe before we come to the other Hauing shewed before what worthie persons saluted them Now he intreateth the Church to salute and greete from him and them some others Those that are to be greeted are of two sorts First the brethren which are at Laodicea and the rather he intreateth this because hee would haue this Epistle read amongst them Secondly a certaine man named Nymphas together The members of the church specially to be regarded in our salutations with the Church that was in his house From whence wee may perceiue that amongst them of Laodicea he would only haue thē to be greeted that were brethren By which name he meaneth them that were sonnes of one father to wit God and adopted into that grace being ingraffed into Christ through faith The reason whereof is plaine because with them alone and with no other we are conioyned and as it were made one in Christ And as for salutations and greetings they are certaine meanes that God hath appointed to preserue and maintaine that vnitie and coniunction that the members of Christ haue among themselues Which howsoeuer as in respect of the bodie they are distinguished and separated one from another in this present life yet feele they here the communion of Saints and haue hope in their hearts of inseparable coniunction with their head Christ and with that whole holy bodie of the Saints in the life to come Another thing that we may learne hence is in the person of Nymphas who being the father of a familie or master of a household teacheth vs what is the dutie of such as be in that calling namely so to gouerne their families and households Parents and householders dutie and so to instruct them in the knowledge of Christ and saluation that they may be well inured with integritie of life and sanctimonie and so haue them particular congregations as it were famous and worthie commendation amongst all the godly for faith and holines But what man is he I will not say that striueth to this but that thinketh of it at the least carefully From whence it floweth that not onely people proceede to prophanenes but the Churches are not increased which cannot be till speciall families which make particular congregations be well and throughly reformed But wee will leaue this and proceed to that which followeth The two next verses containe in them the fift part of this fourth chapter And they doe containe in them certaine speciall points which he giueth in charge to the Colossians concerning partly their owne benefit and partly the good of the Laodiceans The first thing he chargeth them withall is that after this Epistle had been read among the Colossians themselues they would cause it to be read also in the Church of Laodicea From whence it should seeme we may well inferre that this Epistle was chiefly sent to the Gouernours and Elders of the Church and therfore the Apostle would first haue it read publikely in the Church of Colosse that it might be knowne and vnderstood of all the Saints there Next that he would haue the whole
and some seruants for otherwise an horrible confusion should follow And the Gospell is so far from that that by the contrarie it sanctifieth policie So that if any King before the Gospell was setled after the Gospell he is better setled And if a master of a house was setled before the Gospell he is now farre better setled after the Gospell And this is the rule of the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 7. vers 17. 20. Let euery man abide in that vocation wherein he is called And then he saith Art thou a slaue art thou called to it abide still in it vntill by lawfull meanes thou get freedome Will ye haue example of this There was Onesimus that ranne from Philemon his master Paul after that he had made him a Christian man hee sendeth him againe to his seruice So it is but vanitie to thinke that religion is enemie to policie or maketh any alteration in policie nay it rather establisheth all in policie This one thing is to be marked The second is seeing in matters of grace the Lord hath no respect to the persons of men hee will not iustifie a King because he is a King and denie it to a beggar because he is a beggar but he will iustifie the one and the other without all respect of persons Seeing then this is his doing what should we doe Looke what Paul saith 2. Cor. 5. according to the flesh I will not account of one man more then of another I will offer grace to the beggar as well as to the rich And againe in policie I giue thee leaue to account of the King as much as thou wilt and why shouldest not thou that art a seruant account of thy master otherwise thou offendest Thinke that thou art an inferiour to him albeit thou be equall in grace with him And so let euery one in policie in common-weales and families haue their owne place let the King haue his place the Lord his place in his own ranke and roume and so foorth And I say to thee if thou doe it not thou hast no grace For if thou hadst grace thou wouldest be so sanctified that thou wouldest not faile in any wise to honour thy superiours here on earth and yet when the comparison falleth out betwixt the gracious man or sanctified man and old things count more of a regenerate man then of all the prophane Kings of the world What did Paul hee had many of these outward things as ye may reade in the Epistle to the Philippians chap. 3. I am an Hebrue saith he as ye are O but when Christ came in all these aduantages became to me not onely domages but they became as dung So all these externall things are but as nothing in comparison of regeneration It is better to be a renued man being a beggar then to be the greatest Monarch in the world wanting regeneration Now lastly in this place ye see when Christ commeth there is a strange change in the world Thinke ye he came in vaine or for nothing Is there not a great change when a great Monarch commeth into the countrey Thinke ye not but when Christ came there was a great change such as was neuer at the comming of all the Monarches in the world Paul 2. Cor. 5. vers 17. saith speaking of this change Whosoeuer is in Christ is a new creature all things are made new in him but there is such a stupiditie in men that they cannot see this Thou art euer harping on these old things will ye heare him boast it will be of these old things O senseles creature thou shewest thou art not renewed O these braue Courteours all their speech is of these old things by the which they testifie that they wote not what Christ meaneth Yet in a word some may doubt Are all things so renewed that these olde things haue no place Is there no difference of nations of riches of honours stand not these things these old things fleshly things notwithstanding this innouation I answere they stand but I adde this if euer it be well with them they must be renued that old shape must be put off them Thou that art a King must be made a new creature and thou that art a subiect thou must be renewed againe and obey thy Prince in the Lord. The Gentiles knew not this thou y t art a seruant thou must obey thy master in the Lord and thou that art a master thou must doe thy dutie to thy seruant in the Lord so as these outward things must be renewed in Christ I say more the first comming of Christ made some change but the next comming shall make it palpable Thou shalt see it and feele it for there shall be no kings but the kings of heauen there shall be no superiours or masters but all shall be glorified there shall be such an alteration then And thou that wilt not see it now thou shalt then be compelled to see it nill thou will thou This for the first part of this verse the next part followeth In the first ye heard he hath taken away all respect of these outward things now it might haue been thought if this new man hath cast off all these outward things what hath hee in steed of them for it were a great losse if he gat not something in steed of them He answereth in a word Christ is all and in all things There is the answere So that the thing that graceth a new man is one onely thing and what is it Iesus Christ the Lord is in steed of all he supplieth the want of all these earthly things So that if yee will aske of this new man what is thy nation supposing he be of the best nation on earth he will answere Christ is my nation If thou aske what is thy kindred let him come of Kings he will say Iesus Christ is my kindred It is a wofull bloud thou art come of if thou be nothing renewed in Christ Wilt thou aske what is thy kingdome He will answere Iesus Christ is my kingdome An earthly bodie will say and answere I am King of France and I am King of Spaine and I am Emperour and will cast his head vp If thou wilt aske what is thy riches thy honour and estate hee will answere Christ is all things to me and so there is no prerogatiue in this world Hee will put Christ in the roume of all whether he haue or want it Ye remember Matth. 12. when the mother of Christ would haue come to him and the Disciples telling him that saying Behold thy mother thy brethren stand without desiring to speake with thee he answereth Who is my mother my brethren and sisters Euen they that doe my fathers will Then generally he telleth whosoeuer will doe the will of his father are his mother brother and sisters Then turne it ouer if thou be a faithfull man thou art brother to him and all and againe he is all to thee Now certainly this
labour to put the feare of God in their hearts Nay it is no marueile though ye haue theeues and whores in your houses and families when as ye put not in this ground of sincere seruice in their hearts the feare of God Now followes the fountaine of all seruice What euer you do doe it heartily As if hee would say begin not at the hand or foote to doe thy seruice but begin thou at thy heart let it be The fountaine of good seruice the ground of all thy seruice All good actions should begin at the heart Therefore if thou wert but casting out the ashes looke thou doe that turne with thy heart so that thy heart be as well occupied as thy hand otherwise it is but a counterfeit action and I will not put a difference betwixt thy action and the action of an oxe drawing in the plough Indeede thy master may be profited by thine action yet if thy heart be not with it thou hast lost thy trauell The Lord that sits vpon thy conscience shall turne thy action to thy damnation In the next place the Apostle sets downe how they shall come to this way of seruice It is no small matter to get thy heart to serue thy master for thou that gettest a freedome to serue thou hast gotten thine hire in thy hand It is a rare grace then to get thy heart to concurre with thy action The way is How to serue heartily Doe it heartily as to the Lord. As if hee would say when ye are doing and labouring think not with your selues I am seruing man or woman a creature though he were a King in my seruice but say I am seruing my Lord Iesus Christ Then ye seruants whatsoeuer thing ye doe though it were but sweeping the house say all this that I am doing how vile soeuer it be I am doing it to my Lord Iesus Christ Haue thy eye lifted vp when thy hand is downe I shall tell thee how thou shalt get it If thou haue a respect to his will howbeit immediatly it be not done to him yet if thou haue the knowledge that it is his will that thou shouldest doe so the Lord takes that seruice rather done to himselfe then to thy master Therefore the Apostle saies Seruing Christ and not men Well is that seruant that can say I doe this to obey thy blessed will and then the Lord will say I giue thee thy reward Then the lesson is who is he that doth heartie seruice None but the seruant of Iesus Christ If thou be not his seruant thou shalt neuer be a heartie seruant to man nor a true subiect to the King Looke then if your seruants can serue Christ and if they cannot it is an euill token they cannot serue thee for there is not a faithfull seruant but he that is the seruant of Christ and in his seruice hath euer his eye to the will of Christ And if thou haue such a seruant then thou shalt haue a blessing of that seruant though it were but a kitchin lasse O blessed is that house that hath a seruant that feares the Lord and loues the Lord Yea a greater blessing followes that seruant then followes the master oftentimes Now followe the arguments to moue them to this holie Argumēts to moue seruants seruice The first is from the reward that the faithfull seruant shall receiue Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance The argument is taken not from an hire they get presently but from a promise of an hire Now certainly thou art a wicked seruant that wilt not doe a turne till thou get thy hire in thy hand thou art a wicked seruant that wilt doe nothing till thou get heauen in thy hand I tell thee thou shalt neuer get heauen if thou cannot depend vpon a promise of heauen There is here then a promise of an hire and a reward From whom The Apostle saies not your earthly masters will pay you no but he saies your Lord of heauen shall reward you Why speakes he so because hee durst not promise of earthly men for all men are lyars they will oft times hold backe the hire of the seruant but he promiseth in the name of the Lord for he is faithfull And therefore seruants you should reioyce in this for howbeit thou want thy earthly hire yet be faithfull in thy seruice and thou shalt not want thy hire What a reward is this what should hee haue his hire in his hand and so fare yee well Indeede this is the fashion of the world but this reward the Apostle speakes of is a reward of an inheritance O thou that wilt haue an eye to the Lord of heauen hee will not reward thee like a seruant thou shalt be a sonne and therefore an inheritour Rom. 8. 17. And Go ye saies Christ inherit that kingdom prepared for you frō the foundation of the world Matth. 25. 34. Yea shall the kitchin lasse be made a Queene and a sillie simple boy a King Yes the Lord will doe that and will giue them a kingdome in heauen So first reioyce for the certaintie of your reward next for the greatnes of it It is not an hire and a bountie that is smal in value Alas it may be thou thinkest little of it because thou hast it not in thy hand but blessed art thou if thou caust waite vpon the promise and beleeue it Now to proue that they shall get this reward first he takes an argument from their owne knowledge Knowing Know ye not I appeale to your owne conscience if there be not a reward laid vp for thee if thou serue faithfully tels not thy conscience thee this I will serue for I looke for a kingdome It is not this small hire No that Lord whom I haue serued from morning to night hee will giue me a kingdome Brethren it is a thing impossible that faith can beguile a man hope then I promise thee thy hope shall not beguile thee yea hope for things thou hast not seene and thou shalt get them It is impossible Note well that thy faith and hope can be disappointed And lay this ground thou hast to doe with a faithfull Lord that can not beguile thee So close thy eyes vpon all other things and rest in hope on Christ and thou shalt see a ioyfull end Blessed is that soule that resteth in hope for it shall receiue glorie The second argument is from the seruice done to Christ Ye serue the Lord. Fie on thee that wilt begin to serue another master and neglect thy dutie to him So the argument is because thou seruest the Lord Iesus Christ therefore thou must haue a reward of him hee will giue thee an heritage because his hand is the hand of an infinit God What are the heritages on the earth he thinkes it ouer little to giue them to thee therefore hee will giue thee the kingdome of heauen Then marke neuer man serued Christ
that my soule may rest in thee Now woe is that soule that knowes not God in Iesus Christ Ye shall not abide here euer therfore seeke to know this God with whom ye must liue foreuer He giues the reason why God should reuenge their cause and wrong done against them by pointing out the nature of God He is a Iudge not like the Iudges of this world They respect the persons of men this is the corruption With God there is no respect of persons of nature but as for this Iudge he respects no person he will not looke to thee who art a King more then to the begger When thou appearest before him come on with robe royall he will not regard thee no more then if thou appearedst in a beggers cloake Therefore looke to him now as thou wouldest see him when thou shalt appeare before his iudgement And there is none of vs but euen now we are before his tribunall howbeit wee see it not There is none of these outward conditions or degrees wee are all alike by nature but wee get sundrie degrees hee of a King and hee of a Lord and so foorth yet none of these outward qualities will be accepted before the Lord no not the outward calling of a Christian if thou haue no more A man may thinke this is a hard matter for all to stand before his tribunall without these outward qualities A King may say shall not my kingdome stand me in steed when I come before that tribunall And the Earle may say shal not my Earldome helpe me when I come before God And the rich man may say shall not my riches helpe me wherewith shall I cloathe me if I cloathe me not with these Now I answere indeed euery man hath this in his mouth I cannot come naked before God Indeede thou must not stand naked thy shame must be hid thou must haue a garment on thee thou must be arayed or els the wrath of the Iudge will deuoure thee Now what a garment shall I get It must bee a bloudie garment no siluer gold or precious stones couering thee from the crowne of thy head to the sole of thy foote yea thou must be died with bloud The high priest durst not enter into the Sanctuary for his life without bloud so on paine of thy life see that thou enter not into the presence of God without bloud Reade the Epistle to the Hebrues ye shall finde this that the high Priest of old durst neuer enter into the Sanctuary except first he had bin sprinkled with bloud and this was the bloud of Bullocks the figure of Iesus Christ So except thou appeare died ouer with the bloud of Iesus no standing for thee before God his tribunall If ye would then haue a garment seeke this garment neuer rest till thou get it And if thou appeare in this garment thou hast this aduantage howbeit thou be full of spots the Lord hath no eye to thy sinne but accepts of thee in that bloudy raiment and forgets all thy sin and thy actions are accepted in that bloud of Iesus But alas the want of the knowledge of sinne this dead conscience that lets vs not feele the weight and burthen A dead conscience of sinne is the cause why wee account not of this bloud of Iesus Now brethren there is a place in the sixt chapter to the Ephesians I would compare with this place recommending the dutie of masters in the ninth verse he vseth the same argument that is here he vseth it there as a terrible argument to the oppressors but heere he brings it in as a comfort to the oppressed Then shal an argument both be comfortable and terrible Yes Then marke the lesson That that is in God terrible to the proud and oppressors in the world the same thing to the poore oppressed ones that are Gods it is so sweete and comfortable as no tongue can tell The firie wrath of God that will terrifie the Kings of the world and which they are not able to looke on will be so comfortable as no tongue can tell to the poore sillie bodie that hee will creepe in vnder it and lurke there yea hee will seeke to the wrath of God to saue him from the wrath of the tyrants of the world So there is nothing in God but is comfortable to his children as by the contrarie there is nothing in him but the wicked abhorre it yea euen his mercie yea they would runne if it were foorth of the world to be out of his sight but they shall not escape Iob. 21. 22 his curse So then acquaint you with God and cloathe you with that garment that he may be comfortable euery way to you This much for the dutie of seruants Now we come to the dutie of masters which is set downe in Here begins the fourth chapter vers 1. the beginning of the fourth chapter Ye masters saith he doe vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall There is the precept The thing he requires is doing the word in the originall is giuing Giue them that which is iust as if hee would say Masters when ye haue commaunded and they haue obeyed meete them with a dutie giue them something This dutie is grounded partly on their poore estate they labour and wearie themselues for their hire so they craue giuing and partly it is grounded vpon the hardnes of masters for looke how faine the one would haue as faine would the other keepe The poore seruant would draw the master holds The Apostle comes in and saith Masters let your hold goe you are ouer holding let your hold goe Brethren ye heard before a faire promise of rewarde made to the seruants now what needes the Apostle considering that reward exhort the masters to giue something of this world which is nothing but dirt in respect of that that is promised and some might haue said so The Apostle answers They serue and obey thee here pining themselues in working for thee therefore thou who art a master must giue them their hire for that is a iust thing so to doe they are men like vnto thy selfe and must be sustained of these earthly things for their labours sake And so the lesson is heauen and heauenly inheritance preiudiceth not a man of his part in this world and worldly things and therefore thou scornest God who saiest thou hast an inheritance whereto shouldest thou haue my poore hire yea thou shouldest be rather moued to part thy pelfe to him if thou knew him to be an inheritour of heauen giue him the rather of thy goods of the earth for an inheritour of heauen is an inheritour of the earth and if thou withhold it from them woe to thee Well I see out of this place that the Lord hath his seruants here to whom he is offering that heauenly inheritance yet so that they should haue their part of this earth also The Minister hath his part of the earth and the