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
another to beare record So when Paul and Luke 10. 2. Acts 14. 12. Barnabas went together Paul spake and therefore they called him Mercury The end of the first Sermon The second Sermon COLOSS. CHAP. 1. VER 2. ad 6. 2 To them which are at Colosse Saints and faithfull brethren in CHRIST Grace bee with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ 3 Wee giue thankes to God euen the Father of our Lord IESVS CHRIST alwaies praying for you 4 Since wee heard of your faith in CHRIST IESVS and of your loue towards all Saints 5 For the hope sake which is laid vp for you in heauen whereof ye haue haue heard before by the word of truth which is the Gospell BEFORE the Apostle commeth to the substance and point of the Epistle he doth wisely according to his manner draw attention to that he speaketh of And therfore thereis as it were a Preface of the Epistle vnto the 14. verse For as in a house which is stately built there is a Porch to enter in by so the Apostle in this stately building of his hath first a Preface set before to draw attention which he doth first from the authority of the Epistle which we haue heard drawne from his owne person Secondly in the person of Timothy Next from the testification of the loue hee did beare vnto them from this verse to the end of the Preface which he laboureth in as a Minister ought to testifie his affection towards them whereby the word might bee more louingly receiued and accepted willingly and carefully practised Doct. 1 Which should be a duty of all Ministers that the people may be perswaded of the Ministers loue towardes them and then they will bee more easily perswaded by the doctrine he teacheth and in this the Apostle laboureth in all his Epistles And by how much the more hee is to deale sharpely with them by so much the more he laboureth in this point to let them know that it is done in loue That the people may thinke they must be very reasonable persons if when they know whatsoeuer the Minister speaketh yea euen that the sharpe reproues of their Minister are done in loue for their good yet they do not accept it And therefore in the Prouerb it is said that the woundes of a friend are better Prouerb 27. thē the kisses of an enemy And he were barbarous or rather A fit similitude a mad-man that for some grieuous disease being prickt by the skilfull Chirurgion if he will flee vpon him and be reuenged of him so when the Ministers lanch the soares of their soules in the Ministery of the word what a barbarous rudenesse is it to fal out with the Minister for it c. His loue he testifieth 1. by a louing salutation then by testifying that hee daily prayed for them both thanking God and desiring all good things for them and he proueth his prayer in a forme of thanksgiuing petition for them which he setteth downe Of the persons saluting we haue heard the parties saluted are the Colossians described by two titles first title Saints secondly Faithfull brethren For the first they are called Saints for two causes one without themselues in CHRIST the other wrought within them by the spirit of CHRIST by the spirit of sanctification Doct. 2 All that haue the feare of God are Saintes because they haue the righteousnes of CHRIST which is in heauen without them his sufferings are accounted theirs his fulfilling of the law is theirs which is a greater righteousnesse then the Angels haue being the righteousnesse of God as the Apostle saith Againe they are righteous in that being iustifyed they are also sanctified and haue a beginning and a care and indeauour to walke holily vprightly and sincerely for in some measure there is knowledge especially in some measure there is in them a sanctified vnderstanding memory will and Rom. 6. 7. 8. affection and an indeauour to do the will of God Vse 1 This serueth to cōfute the Man of Romes blasphemy which wil haue none to be Saints but those that he canonizeth Vse 2 Againe this serueth to reproue vs which are so far frō this that we will not abide to make profession of holinesse For if it bee told many of their wretchednes they wil say they are no Saints so they may say indeed their liues testifie it He that hath not Rom. 6. the spirit of CHRIST is none of CHRISTS Vse 3 Thirdly this ought to serue as a bridle to withdraw vs from sinne and vnholinesse that when any filthinesse commeth into our hearts to wrong our profession c. we should examine our selues doth this become me which professe holinesse Example we haue in Nehemiah that hauing authority from the King to build the Temple when a false Prophet named Shemagah whom hee tooke to haue bene a true Prophet had bid him hide himselfe in the Nehem. 6. 10. house of God because that night he should be laid in waite for and slaine He considering that hee was the Prince of the people saith shal I do thus Is it not a shame for me c. Where the consideration of his authority did withdraw him from this shamefull and cowardly thing And ought not much more the consideration of our high estate in CHRITT that are Christians with-draw vs from sinne Ought not wee much more to be ashamed of it which is so shameful and abhominable a thing Are not wee Kings as it is said Priests in Christ shall not wee hereby be Reu. 1. 6. with-drawne from sinne then which nothing is more base If a Noble-mans sonne giue himselfe to base things vnfit for his estate wee will rebuke him for it as from a thing vnfit him and will say to him doth this become a Gentleman c. And seeing we can rebuke him why can we not much more rebuke our selues of our sinnes which are farre more detestable and vnseemely for the children of God Faithfull 1 religious which haue receiued the Title 2. truth of God and submit their soules vnto it this the Apostle exhorteth Timothy vnto So that in that he 1. Tim. 6. 11. 2. Tim. 1. 19. saith some had made shipwrack of faith it is not ment of iustifying faith but of religiō in a good cōscience for religion cannot abide to ly in a filthy conscience Doct. 3 These two go together for whosoeuer is a Saint is truely religious working holinesse in the sight of God for none can be holy before God vnlesse he be truly religious before God for a man cannot bring forth good fruite before he be a good tree and hee cannot vnlesse hee bee a new creature bring forth the effects of a new creature Now to bee as a good tree is to be truely religious for those gorgeous workes as building Colledges c. if they be not of religion they are euill So contrary if a man bee
should bring forth fruite but much more in the time of the Gospell And therefore the Prophet saith the least basest and weakest of the people of God at that time shall be as Dauid and he that is as Dauid shall be as an Angell of God Wee know how valiant and couragious Dauid was so shall the weakest in the Gospell To increase in knowledge is another point of Verse 10. walking worthy of God as to bee endowed with the graces of God so to encrease both the Ministers and others in the knowledge of God that is in the knowledge of the will of God and to bee quicke-sighted in the same In the beginning of the booke of Prouerbes there is a saying which may Prou. 1. 4. bee referred to all the Scripture That the Prouerbes of Salomon are such as the least child that hath wit and the hardest man of capacity the simplest may profit by it to knowledge and there is not the wisest man in the world but may learne wisedome thereby and may wax more wise and so it is to bee said of all the bookes of the Scripture Obiection If they bee full then they neede not to increase Answer There fulnesse is not a perfect fulnesse for we know in part c. For as there is a great difference between the vnderstanding of a child and of one of riper 1. Cor. 13. yeares so we are not alwayes to be children in Christianitie There is as we haue heard required of vs knowledge and practize Lastly there is besides these Constancy to continew in the good thing we know and practize and yet noe strength is of our selues the Apostle tels vs where we must haue strenght in the power of God in his glorious power for we haue sore enimies for first wee haue a corruption within vs which is compared to an excessiue lumpe of flesh and fat hanging on vs which we cannot cast of Heb. 12. 1. at our pleasure which we might do if it were tyed only at our backe or girdle and therefore we must haue strenght to carrie it and to weld it The world also is ready by tentation by illusions examples and discouragements to hinder vs And the deuill being a strong enimie laboureth to circumuent vs and therefore we had need to haue this glorious strenght from God which we cannot haue of our selues And hauing entred a good course it becometh vs to goe forward For better not to begin then hauing entred not to proceed Lastly we must haue long Patience to beare the Verse 11. things which come hard vnto vs whether they be greiuous or of long continuance as the word signifieth And that with ioy and comfortablenes as the Apostles when they had been whipped and scourged Act. 5. 41. reioyced greatly that they were accounted worthy to suffer for CHRISTS sake The end of the sixth Sermon The seuenth Sermon COLOSS. 1. V. 12. 13. 14. 12 Giuing thankes vnto the Father which hath made vs meete to bee partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light 13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse and hath translated vs into the kingdom of his deare Sonne 14 In whom wee haue redemption through his blood that is the forgiuenesse of sinnes VNTO the prayer that the Apostle made for the Colossians he doth now adde the Thanksgiuing which ought not to be seperated whereby he setteth forth the saluation which is offered vs in CHRIST As if the Apostle should thus speake And as we giue not ouer praying for you so doe Verse 12. we not cease to giue thanks to God the father because it is he which by his holy spirit hath made vs fit to haue a parte in the inheritance of Saints whom whether we consider as they are in the world by reason of their perfect blessednesse may well be said that they are in light This part of our inheritance standeth first in that God hath with a mercifull hand pulled vs out both of the present darkenesse of ignorance and disobedience and from that which is to come euen the fearfull punishment of them both And secondly it standeth in that the same God hath translated vs into the kingdome of his most deare sonne which being here begun in This life shall be accomplished in the life to come In which his deare sonne we haue a full redemption whereof one part is our iustification which we haue allready receiued wayting for that which remayneth euen the redemption of our bodies All which redemtion is purchased vnto vs in the obedience of the Sonne which obedience was most specially and most signally declared in the sheadding of his blood Here are two things to be considered the Actors of saluation comming from God simply considered in the three persons verse 12. 13. Christ God man verse 14. So that the scope and drift of the Apostle is to set forth vnto vs the saluation prepared for vs set forth in 2. sorts one is proceeding from God the father by his spirit the principall working cause And by CHRIST IESVS the materiall or meritorious cause of our salutatiō For the 1. what God the father by his spirit hath done for vs it appeareth in that he viz. That God the father hath fitted vs for a portion among the Saints in light So that saluation is a portion among Gods Saints which portion is in light where we see that the state of Gods children is compared to a part or portion and that by lot viz. an inheritance as it was by lot it is so said because that in the old law the people of God vsed to deuide their inheritances by lot as in the deuiding of the Land of Canaan Which Iosuah and the Preists and the cheife Elders did castlots for the inheritance of the Tribes Doctrine Seing that it is an inheritance it sheweth that it is by grace and not by any merit For euen as the father giueth the child his land and inheritance not for any desert but for his loue to him though hee neuer deserued nor neuer will deserue so much at his handes and if it should be of desert it might be that the seruant should cary it away from the child which may peraduenture before haue gotten for his Maister the best part of the inheritance or which may haue saued his Maisters life and therefore the child hath not the inheritance of desert And seing it is no stepand but an inheritance which we haue of God we do not deserue it Doctrine Againe here we learne that sith our inheritance cometh to vs by lot wherein God onely sitteth iudgeth and directeth it is not by any labour of ours but onely by the grace and fauour of God alone Sith then it is so let vs see what our duty is for as the Prophet saith the Lord is my lot my portion it is a Psal 16. fayer and beautifull inheritance and hath fallen vnto him in an excellent ground And seing our inheritance is
difference betweene men seeing all naturally are in the same case and state of guilt The answere is that it is the Lords owne will his good pleasure and good-will Doctrine Where we are to consider that in our selues there is nothing that can merite this For nothing but nought can come frō the fountaine or puddle rather of our pollution and corruption Againe it is not the fore-seeing of the good works Note which God saw we should do for it is false that many wretched men enemies to the free saluation of God euen such as make some profession say that it was the good workes God foresaw in Iacob which made God to choose him and euill workes in Esau to reiect him But here the Apostle cutteth of all that that it is Note the will of God that doth it and whatsoeuer he willeth is iust righteous which men can not do And therefore it is a wretched thing that men wil cal the will of God to the barre of their owne wil-wits and reason Thou hast hid saith our Sauiour these things Math. 21. 25. 26 from the wise and it is so because it was thy good pleasure The pot doth not reason with the Potter why hee made one to stand vnder the bed another for a better vse and yet vile and wretched men will reason with God why he doth this But we are to learne to rest contented with the will of God for that is a marueilous saucinesse in men For will not a Maister Note count it a great malepertnesse if his seruant rise vp controule him and is it not much more vile malepartnesse and saucinesse to rise against God Vse And this is a notable argumēt to stir vs vp to thankfulnesse obedience vnto God seeing it is onely the good wil mercy fauour of God It serues to stir vs vp to thankfulnesse vnto God more notably then if he did it through foreseeing our good workes As the seruant which hath receiued benefites from his maister of good will it will make him more thankfull and bound to his maister Moreouer the Gospell is commended from the Another commendation of the Gospell subiect and matter for as the Trades and Arts that haue more excellent matter are more esteemed as Gold-smiths Printers and those that sell silke and Sciences also are commended in regard of the excellency of the matter as Law more excellent then others and after Physicke So the Gospell is more singularly commended by the matter which is Christ to whom God hath reueiled his will and therefore the Apostle would know nothing among the Corinthians but Christ and him crucified and Christ is the 1. Cor. riches glory and mystery of his father Now seeing all these things men effect and they are all in Christ and are offered in the Gospell what a madnesse is it that men so little regard it Men desire to be rich Now our Sauiour Christ Note hath all the riches of his father and he hath all honor glory in his father hath the secrets of his father being in his bosome yea such secrets that the Angels stoope to looke into And all-be-it these bee not transitory riches and honour but indure for euer yet we seeke not after them Christ is commended to be the hope of glory 1 he Thirdly by whom we looke for glory and blessednesse for euermore which selfe-same words the Apostle vseth 1. Tim. 1. that he is the Apostle of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ our hope 1. Tim. 1. 1. Doctrine All that are true Christians are perswaded of the loue of God towards vs in CHRIST and do by hope expect and looke for the enioying fruition of that fauour which is eternall life And therfore it standeth with vs to examine our selues whether we haue this hope expectation whether we long desire after it and breath after it as the Hart after the waters being smittē so whether we do breath long for euerlasting life Let vs examine whether if we might enioy Note all the comforts of the world pleasures of this life vp to the knees whether we would desire to liue and continue in thē then be we sure that we haue not the hope of euerlasting life those heauenly ioyes then be we sure we neuer beleeued aright For it is a tokē that if we be thus nayled to the earth we haue not felt how good Christ is for if we did we would contemne all these things to enioy him and liue with him In the two last verses is cōmended the excellency Verse 28 29. of his Ministery for if the Colossians haue a sufficient Minister then they should cōtinue in the loue obedience of the Gospel For mē if they find a hole in the Ministers coate they think it is a good cause to leaue the Gospel And therfore to remoue that obiectiō the Apostle vrgeth the sufficiency of his own Ministery Here 2 points in our Apostles Ministery are to be considered 1. his faithfulnes 2. his care diligence painefulnes For his faithfulnes it is noted in that he is said to admonish all Where we are to note that the calling Note of the Apostle was an extraordinary calling whereby he had the field of the whole world to Till But the Ministers now a daies haue onely a plough-land in one Congregatiō to Till therfore that calling ceased Again herinis the faithfulnes of the Apostle that as al were cōmited to him so he cared for al So is the duty of euery good Minister that euery one that is committed to his charge yong or old of what state or conditiō so soeuer is to be regarded by him Furthermore it is againe to be noted that hee did teach and admonish them whereby is meant all those means of setting an edge of the Gospel that it might peirce and go through as admonishing rebuking the froward exhorting of all sorts the good by perswasion In the doctrine reproofe reprehension all these are contained in the word admonition And the word signifieth as much as a laying of any thing to the heart which is done by all those meanes So Note that we see how necessary it is to haue the word Preached and applyed and therefore far be it to bee content with bare reading For it is not enough that there be knowledge to enlightē the vnderstanding but that the affections be moued and the conscience bee wrought that men may be with-drawne from euill stirred vp to good And therefore those that are reproued are to yeeld obedience vnto the reproofe reprehensiō And the Apostle further shews that he doth both teach admonish in all wisedome This is necessary in euery Minister for as the steward Note is not onely to lay out that they receiue for the family but to giue euery one according to their state sicke or whole so in the Ministers This wisedome is to