they had depriued themselues Ah woe to all false teachers and woe to them that doe depriue themselues of such an head and make the Pope their head But to come to the words he saith He holdeth not the head that is the false Apostle Then he subioynes whereof that is out of the which head the Lord Iesus through ioynts and bands the whole bodie is knit and compacted together and furnished Whereof it importeth not onely that Christ the head is the efficient and worker of all grace that comes to the bodie but more Christ the head of the Church that out of him as out of a storehouse and not elsewhere all grace and vertue doe flow vnto man So the word hath a great force for as out of the head of a man flow all the vertues mouing life and sense that is in the bodie take the head away no vertue is in the bodie euen so from this head the Lord Iesus to his mysticall bodie flow all power and mouing that the bodie that is his Church and euery member thereof hath Thou hast nothing but that that floweth from him Therefore the Apostle saith in him dwelleth all fulnes and againe in him are all treasures and againe in him dwelleth the Godhead bodily and againe in him wee are compleate To let you see that Iesus Christ is the storehouse of graces Goe thy way to heauen thou shalt not finde one iot out of thy head the Lord Iesus Thou shalt seeke all thy time and thou shalt not get a droppe without him Then he saith that by ioynts and bands the whole bodie is furnished not a part but the whole bodie and euery member neuer a one being excepted neither rich nor poore But to insist in the comparison euen as the whole bodie of a man and euery member of the bodie to the finger and toe sucketh vertue from the head and the head is powerfull to cause euery ioynt to liue it is euen so with this mysticall bodie There is neuer a member of this bodie but it receiueth some vertue from the head the Lord Iesus yea the silliest bodie of them all receiueth it owne grace and Iesus Christ is effectuall in euery one from the highest to the lowest If it be in the bodie it cannot want grace It is impossible that any that are in Christ Iesus can want grace but the Lord must be powerfull in them Runne then and ioyne thee with the bodie for if thou be not of this bodie I giue thee this doome thou Ioyne thy selfe with the Church if thou wilt be in Christ shalt neuer see grace nor get the spirit of Iesus which is the worker of this grace in Iesus 1. Cor. chap. 12. 7. he saith To euery one is giuen the manifestation of the spirit to profit withall And Ephes 4. 7. likewise he saith To euery one is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift This importeth that Iesus Christ is not onely full of grace but that there is such a varietie of grace in him that there is not onely one or two graces in him but he is full of varietie of graces There is not a member but he hath gotten a different grace I haue gotten mine thou hast gotten thine and euery one hath gotten his owne different grace So looke what varietie there is of the faces of men Varietie of graces in Christ. as great varietie there is of the graces of Christ and so there is no grace out of Christ seeke grace in him or els thou wilt neuer finde it To goe forward the first thing that euer commeth downe from the head to the bodie what thinke ye it to bee What is the first thing that commeth downe from the head of a man It is yee know the sinewes as the first thing for the head by them is bound to the bodie euen so the first thing that commeth from Christ he calleth it bands or ligaments that goe downe from him as from the head So that there is not a member of the bodie of Christ but there is a sinew a band comming from Iesus Christ the head to it Ye will aske what The bands which knit vs vnto Christ are these mysticall sinewes The first of them is the spirit of Iesus Christ God himselfe is the master sinew without that sinew thou shalt neuer bee conioyned with the head The second band is faith for when that spirit commeth he is not idle in the person in whom he is but hee worketh faith in him There is the other sinew whereby thou takest hold of him he taketh hold first of thee and then thou takest hold of him The third and last band is loue to thy neighbour a branch as it were striken out from faith where faith is loue will strike out from it as a branch striking out from the master sinew so these are the three bands The spirit entring into vs faith rising from vs and our loue rising from our faith whereby we mutually embrace one another I neede not to insist to proue by the Scriptures these points ye see in this Epistle chap. 3. 14. Loue is called the band of perfection Now brethren ye must know this moreouer euery one of these bands must extend to euery member There is not a member of Christs bodie but first he must haue the spirit of Iesus next faith and thirdly loue otherwise thou canst not be a member of Iesus Christ For if thou want but this loue which is the last thou canst not be one of Christs I say and affirme thou hast not the spirit nor faith and so art not conioyned with the head It is true that euery one hath his particular gift different from other but I assure you a man may not want one of these three Thou maist want the gift of tongues miracles and such others but thou must not want the spirit faith nor charitie Want what thou wilt and if thou haue not these three thou canst not stand in the bodie thou hast not to doe neither with Christ nor with his bodie therefore if thou hast the spirit faith and charitie and doest find thy selfe to haue them then thou maist be ioyfull Now to goe thorow after he hath set downe the bands he sets downe three effects that proceede from Christ by these Three effects proceed from Christ to euery member bands downe to the bodie The first effect is a furnishing of the bodie wherewith not with earthly furniture but with spirituall furniture otherwise it cannot stand For as when the bodie is knit with the head by sinewes and then downe through these sinewes as thorough certaine conduits doe flow vertue and power to the bodie cut off thy head thy bodie nor no member thereof hath any power to moue or stirre euen so this mysticall bodie being ioyned to Christ by these spirituall meanes the spirit faith and loue there commeth downe through these conduits to vs that water of life and that is
thou shalt be glorified The cause is because hee is thy life and then hee appearing of force thou must appeare because his life is thine Is not this comfortable that the glorie The glorie of Christ and thy life cannot be parted of Iesus and thy life cannot bee parted Thou canst not liue without him and hee will not want thee Againe as soone as his life shall appeare thou shalt appeare It is very comfortable yet the phrase is to be marked He saith not when Christ of whom wee haue our life shall appeare but hee saith when Christ who is our life shall appeare This is a more effectuall speaking and the very manner of speech noteth this that that spirituall life that we begin to liue here is not so much a life different from his life as it is the very life that Christ liueth himselfe Christ hath a life and wee haue the same in number the life of Christ ouershadoweth vs. That same very life and no other extendeth to vs so farre as wee are capable of it Brethren ye may perceiue this to be a similitude Liueth the bodie another life then the head No There is but one life in the man and that that the head hath the same the whole bodiehath and it quickeneth euery member of the bodie Euen so is it to be thought of the life of Iesus our spirituall head There is a neerer coniunction betwixt vs and him then there is betweene this head of ours and the bodie so that of necessitie there is but one life of Christ and ours and we liue that same life of Iesus as members of that mysticall bodie whereof he is the head Paul Galath chap. 2. vers 20. he saith not by Christ I liue but he saith Christ liueth in me And Ephes chap. 3. vers 17. he dwelleth in me So his life is mine And the 2. Cor. chap. 4. vers 10. the life of Iesus is manifested in me The life of Iesus was Pauls life What else then is thy life but this same life of Iesus This is comfortable he hath made thee a fellow companion to himselfe he will not giue thee another life but his owne life O that this miserable world wist what it were to liue the life of God to haue Christ and his life in it It is no small glorie to liue the life of Iesus In the last words he saith not when Christ who is your life shall appeare your life shall appeare but he saith ye shall appeare euen ye your selues in proper person and none others for you but ye your selues shall appeare with Iesus in that day For their demaund would seeme to meane another thing to wit that howsoeuer Christ should appeare who was their life yet they would be farre to seeke as we say But hee answereth them more comfortably ye your selues shall appeare at that day and not your life onely For your life shall not so soone appeare but as soone incontinently thereafter within the space of the twinckling of an eye ye your selues shall appeare so this speech telleth vs that there is a space of time wherein the sonnes of God are not knowne in the world the Lord hath children here and the world knoweth them not yea The world knowes not the Saints scarsely they themselues see it much lesse the world Then againe they haue a time when they are made knowne to be Kings sonnes the least of them euery one is the Kings sonne 1. Ioh. 3. 2. 3. and they themselues will know themselues then When is it that they are not knowne when his glorie is not seene What difference is there betweene a Kings sonne and another when he is not in his own place and dignitie So is it with thee thou art not in thine owne place and honour When shalt thou be knowne to be the sonne of God when the sonne of glorie Simile shall appeare then thou shalt be knowne to be the sonne of God Then the diuell shall be compelled to say there is the sonne of God there is a Kings sonne and an heire of the euerlasting kingdome Then againe when appeares not thine honour when the honour of thy eldest brother appeareth not so long as he is obscured so long thou art obscured When shall it appeare when thy eldest brother shall appeare then thou if thou be first second third fourth yea if ye were tenne thousand the honour of the eldest brother shall reach to all Then in one word the manifestation of the sonnes of God dependeth vpon the appearance of Iesus Christ the first borne our eldest brother When he shall appeare then thy glorie and honour shall appeare Therefore yee pray Let thy kingdome come that is let Iesus appeare in his glorie and let me next appeare This is the effect of the prayer Now to come to the next verse vpon this promise of appearing and life to be manifested he groundeth his exhortation and saith therefore mortifie your earthly members as if he would say your glorie is to bee reuealed yee shall once appeare the sonnes of God in glorie and dignitie what shall ye then doe in the meane time Be occupied saith hee in mortifying the members of your bodie that ye may be found cleane otherwise ye shall not see that life to come Now to obserue this ere wee goe further Such a glorious life requires a death thou shalt neuer get it if there be not a death in thee thinke not to come to it with all thy lusts with thee if thou fall not to the mortification of that hand that hath slaine thy eldest brother the Lord Iesus thou shalt neuer get that life This vaine world thinketh to carrie vp a bloudie hand and a wicked eye to heauen no if thou take it with thee thou shalt not get entrance the gate shall be hurled on thy face The harlot thinketh that she shall get heauen with her harlotrie No she and her harlotrie shall goe to hell no vncleane thing shall enter there if thou be not holie and in some measure sanctified and that filthie 1. Cor. 6. 9 lust of thine slaine thou shalt neuer get heauen deceiue not your selues Yet to marke the words he saith mortifie slay Hee said before they were dead meaning to sinne now hee biddeth them slay on and die on thou that hast begun to die continue otherwise thou wilt not liue This telleth vs sin is not slaine in an instant yea if thou shouldest liue a thousand Sinne is not slaine in an instant yeeres it will liue with thee as long as thou liuest ere thou die it shall not die it hath a quicker life then thou hast thou art but a bubble of water all the Kings of the earth cannot slay sinne yea when this life is gone that same originall sin goeth to the graue with thee and resolueth the bodie into ashes Originall sin liueth after death in the ashes and after that lieth in the ashes and leaueth thee not vntill Christ
not once get a sight of their king in all their life time but being translated to the kingdome of Christ we are ioyned neere to our king nay neuer Courtier was so neere a king of this earth as wee shall be when we are translated to the kingdome of Christ Iesus hee will not rest till he haue vs in him O the tender affection of Iesus Christ that hee beareth to them that are in his kingdome hee will haue vs ingrafted in him as the grafts in a tree he will not let thee stand behinde him but he will haue thee in his bodie and ioyned with him as a member of his bodie and he will haue thee feeding in him that is vpon grace flowing from him as from the head So blessed is the estate of that bodie that is translated to the kingdome of Christ as by the contrary miserable is their condition and estate that abide in darknes and ignorance When thou art in him what wilt thou get he saith we haue redemption It is impossible but if thou be once in him thou must haue grace of him once effectually called to his kingdome which is that first grace of force thou must passe to the next grace which is the Redemption and all the graces that are in him and so no end of grace to thee Get me the first grace get thy heart once entred I shall promise there shall be no end of grace vntil thou be glorified without end O then what is the next grace which followes thy calling It is a blessing called Redemption A word sounding in our tongue commonly would to God you vnderstood it aright As soone as thou findest in thy heart thy selfe to be effectually called as soone will the father say O sinner I absolue thee from thy sinnes That is the next blessing There is none who findes themselues effectually called but they will finde as it were this sound I absolue thee from all thy sinnes If thy conscience testifie thy calling it will testifie also that thou art absolued and redeemed from sinne Let no man speake of these things but they who feele in their hearts daily their effectuall calling Now I shall speake of this Redemption as the Lord will leade me not digressing into a common place What is then this Redemption to speake it plaine it is nothing but a deliuerie The redemption of a sinner is nothing but a deliuerie of a sinner a setting of him at libertie So a sinner when once he be translated vnto the kingdome of Iesus Christ when the father looketh as it were from his tribunall and sees the sinner ingrafted into Iesus so soone will hee shake the fetters from him For in this kingdome there can be no captiuitie no slauerie no bondage of sinne and death they cannot be in the kingdome of Christ Indeede in the kingdome of Sathan there is nothing but slauerie and all are but slaues but in the kingdome of Christ there is nothing but libertie The kingdome of libertie cannot abide a slaue but all must be free free from sinne and death The next thing in this redemption if we be deliuered from what is it that we be deliuered a man that is deliuered is deliuered from some thing from slauery if thou wert a King thy horse rubber is not so ill as thou art if thou be not translated from thy nature and from sinne Thou art deliuered from this when once thou art called for after we be called and translated sinne hath no more dominion ouer vs. Yet Rom. 6. 12 when we are in Christ we are not free of bands * 1. Ioh. 3. 78. A sinner in his conuersion albeit his sinnes be pardoned with God yet there is a time of further humiltation giuen him to feele the seale of the pardon of sinnes put to his hart Confer 2. Sam. 11 with Psal 51. Rom. 8. 15. Ephes 4. 30. Hebr. 6. 1. no neuer till the sentence of the absolution come out from the tribunall of God and say to thee I absolue thee But to goe forward how is this procured vpon what ground proceedeth it it is no small matter to get absolution at the mouth of God What procures it then thou must be ransomed thy ransome is not without a price The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports a ransome and deliuerance by a price of redemption For brethren you must vnderstand that the iustice of God cannot be impaired the infinit iustice of God cannot suffer the deliuery of a sinner except there be a ransome paid Thou art conceited of mercie and neuer hast recourse to that bloud that hath ransomed thee No no seeke to the price and bloud of Iesus otherwise thou shalt neuer be absolued yet this ransome preiudiceth nothing the mercy Indeede if the ransome were taken of thee out of thy owne purse then thou shouldest neuer haue got mercy but because it is the Lord Iesus that paid the ransome therefore it is mercy and grace to thee What ransome must this be you thinke much of siluer and gold and would to God the bloud of Christ was as much esteemed of by you as you esteeme of your gold and siluer But I tell thee be thou a sinner all the kingdomes of the earth will not ransome thy life the whole kingdomes of the world will not ransome the life of one sinner yea not of the poorest lad and lasse in the world I speake thus plainely to teach you to thinke of better things then the things of the earth Fye on those things we should not esteeme them pretious to vs but to be paltry the dirt of this earth and vanitie of this world What must be the ransome then It must be bloud It is impossible that a sinner can be ransomed without bloud the silliest of you all cannot come to heauen without you be ransomed with bloud Therefore in the epistle to the Hebrewes 9. chap. 22. it is said Without bloud no remission of sinnes And if there were but an euill thought no ransome of it without bloud else shalt thou dye euerlastingly and the wrath of God shall feede on thee as fire vpon stickes or else thou shalt bring for thy ransome the bloud of another Then whose bloud must this be surely one must dye the iustice of God must be satisfied it must not be thy owne bloud nor the bloud of any sinner in the world take them altogether and offer a sacrifice of them all crucifie them all all shall not make a ransome for sinne Indeede it is true the wrath of God must feede vpon the bloud of a sinner and vpon the reprobate but that shall not be a ransome for one sinne so hee shall neuer be redeemed by his own bloud A ransome must haue a redemption but the bloud of a sinner will not doe this for sinners are in hell and in hell there is no redemption So wilt thou be ransomed say not I will reedeme my selfe with my owne bloud The Lord will take the bloud
be freed from the wrath of God and that onely in that bloud of Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the blessed spirit be all honour Amen THE SIXT LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 18 19. 18 And he is the head of the bodie that is of the Church he is the beginning and first begotten of the dead that in all things he might haue the preheminence 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnes dwell YOu haue heard welbeloued in Iesus Christ the Apostle when hee had spoken of the benefit of our redemption and remission of our sinnes in the bloud of Iesus Christ he falles out into a faire and glorious description of him and all to this end to let vs see the pretiousnes of that bloud wherewith we are redeemed that thereby consequently wee might see the surenes of our redemption by that bloud It being of such value of necessitie wee must be redeemed by that bloud and our redemption must stand fast and stable for euer You heard in the description of Christ first he called him the image the essentiall image of the inuisible God then he stiles him the first borne of all creatures then he cals him such a one by whom all things were created next the end for whom and for whose honour all things were created that are created and lastly he cals him the preseruer vpholder and keeper of all things created So will you compare him with that inuisible God he is equall in glorie with him the image of the inuisible God equall with God whom he represents Will you compare him with the creature there is no comparison for hee is the Creator of all creatures in heauen and in earth and he infinitly passeth in glorie all the creatures both visible and inuisible Now when hee hath set him out in these points of glorie and maiestie hee staies not here for as yet he hath not told all of him and he hath not set out all his glorie but in this text he goes forward and setteth him out further in more points of his glorie This is the difference betwixt the points counted alreadie and the points of his glorie that follow in the text Before he hath described him as he is God the sonne of God from all eternitie for as hee is God properly he is the image of the inuisible God whom he represents as the liuely character of his person so that the points Heb. 1. 2. passed are the points of his glorie as hee is God The points which follow are of his glorie not onely as he is God but as he is man also clad with our flesh and nature There haue past alreadie fiue points of his glorie as he is the sonne of God there follow other fiue points of his glorie as Fiue points of glorie of Christ manifested in the flesh he is God and man in that personall vnion These are they briefly He is the head of the bodie of the Church there is one Secondly he is the beginning and the first borne of the dead Thirdly he hath preheminence among all creatures that euer were or shall be in the world Fourthly he is a man full of God Fiftly in office he is the Mediatour the midman betwixt God and man by whose bloud the reconciliation of man is made with God his father To goe forward in that order as they are here set downe first he is the head of the bodie of his Church these are the words Brethren euery word would furnish great matter of speaking but I am not minded to digresse into a common place Onely I purpose to speake so much for the present as the words will furnish He is called the head The word head that is giuen to him imports sundrie things in him first it imports that Iesus Christ is the Lord and the superiour ouer the bodie which is the Church and that worthily because he is full of grace and excellencie and in him is all matter of Lordship and dominion Of what reckoning is a Lord if there bee no matter of Lordship in him Of what value is an head if there bee not Iesus Christ head of his Church greater graces in it then in the bodie so the word imports a superioritie full of grace and honour Euen as you see the head of a man because of the excellencie of it it is a Lord and a superiour and a commaunder to the bodie Then againe the word that this Lord Iesus the head of the bodie he is not like the common sort of Lords and rulers but a Lord and a superiour who is most streightly conioyned with his subiects the bodie his Church Euen as you see the head most streightly ioyned with the bodie of a man euen so the Lord Iesus is most streightly ioyned with the bodie his Church yea he is more strickly ioyned with his Church then the head of a man is with the bodie for the head of a man may be soone seuered frō the bodie of a man but if Christ thy head be ioyned with thee all the powers in heauen and earth shall neuer seuer thee from thy head Iesus Christ Thou shalt neuer be separated from him as Paul to the Romanes saith Who shall separate vs from the loue of God in Iesus Christ As though he would say not any thing Nay if Iesus Christ become once thy head be assured he will neuer part with thee Yet more the word imports that as he is most strictly conioyned with his Church and euery member of the same as the head of a man with his bodie so he is most louing and tender affected towards it Will not the head of a man loue the bodie well will it not tender it most deerely and intirely will it not minister all graces it hath to the bodie giue life and mouing to the bodie otherwise it were no head to the bodie Euen so the Lord Iesus he loues his bodie the Church better then any head can doe the naturall bodie and in loue ministers a life to his bodie better then the life of this naturall bodie He ministers to his Church a spirituall life he ministers a mouing a doing and a growing and in these respects he is called the head of the Church Now when he hath called him the head of the bodie he turnes to the bodie and hee defines this bodie to be the Church Then there must be a great likenes betwixt the Church of Christ The Church and the bodie of man otherwise it cannot be called a bodie The bodie of man is subiect to the head euen so the Church of Iesus Christ is subiect to her Lord Eph. 5. 23. She is his subiect and he is her Lord. The bodie is streightly ioyned with the head the Church is more streightly ioyned with Christ The head giues life to the bodie euen so the Church of Christ is dead without the head the Lord Iesus Lastly
the Gentiles therefore in that that I suffer it is for your cause that the Gospell of Iesus Christ may haue place amongst you as among the other Gentiles The second argument In the middest of my afflictions I The second argument The vse of affliction reioyce to testifie my loue towards you for except I had loued you I would not haue suffered with ioy for you Brethren of those that suffer affliction first it is required that it be for a good cause for Gods cause for his truth and for his Church sake Suffer not like a theefe or a murtherer as an harlot or an euill doer in any wise Alas it is a paine yea of all paines in the world the greatest to suffer for euill doing Secondly it is required of him that suffers that he suffer for a good cause with ioy cheerefully and with patience otherwise thou losest thy trauell and praise suffer as thou wilt It is not the good cause onely that makes martyrdome but it is Martyrdome the ioy cheerfulnes and patience ioyned with the good cause that makes thee in suffering to be a Martyr It is hard to flesh to digest this how can there be ioy in the paines of most exquisite torments Brethren Paul at this time is lying in bands at Rome and yet ye see he vtters that in his bands he hath ioy and no question when he came to the very point of death for 2. Tim. 4. 6. 7. 8. he was martyred he had great ioy And certainly I am compelled to think that there is more shrinking and sadnes at the remembrance of the affliction to come then there is in the More grief in the remembrāce of afflictiō then in suffering it when it comes chiefe time of affliction The minde will be more troubled thinking on it then when the person is afflicted For out of question whē the Lord giues a man cōstancie to suffer he will giue him patience ioy which shall swallow vp all the paine and the experience of Martyrs hath proued this Stir not howbeit thou shrinke at hanging heading scalding burning and whatsoeuer paines most cruell exquisit deuised for thee yet stir not for if the Lord giue thee constancie all the paines shal be swallowed vp and thou shalt be armed to suffer with ioy To goe forward The third argument whereby he remoues the offence they might haue taken at his bands is this I saith he fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ Iesus as if hee would The third argument say mine afflictions are not so much mine as they are my Lords afflictions how can ye then be offended at them You cannot chuse if you bee offended at my afflictions but you must be offended at Christs afflictions because my affliction is nothing else but the afflictions of Christ and the fulfilling of them Then all these afflictions that are laid vpon the members of the bodie of Christ they are all Christs afflictions and when they are afflicted Christ is afflicted And the Lord counts it his owne persecutions when the members of his bodie Christ must suffer in his members which is his Church are persecuted Saul Saul saith hee Acts 9. 4. why persecutest thou me He speakes this to Paul when he was not persecuting him but his members This he calles his persecution for it was ordained from all eternitie that the Lord Iesus who is the head of the Church should not onely suffer in his owne flesh but also that hee should suffer in the members of his bodie which is his Church So that none of that bodie should be free from suffering no not from the greatest to the least yea euen to the little finger all should suffer and the measure hereof was measured and ordained in that counsell from all eternitie Sufferest thou much or little It was measured to thee ere euer the world was It was not appointed that euery particular person should suffer al and euery sort of affliction no no but as the head should suffer one kinde of affliction proper to himselfe so the rest in the bodie should suffer some in one sort and measure and some in another All shall suffer one thing or other prepare thee for it and it is a token that thou art in that bodie if thou suffer something for Christ But to sticke to the words he calles them not simply the sufferings of Christ but the fulfilling or accomplishment of the afflictions of Christ I saith he fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ Marke the word well Euen as the Church of Iesus Christ is the accomplishment and fulfilling of him to make him a perfect man so it is called Ephe. 1. the last verse Euen so the afflictions that the Church and her members suffer they accomplish and fulfill the sufferings of Christ And as the glorie of the head Christ is fulfilled and accomplished in suffering euen so the sufferings of his members they accomplish and fulfill the glorie of Christ Wherein wee haue to marke a loue that Christ beares to vs that cannot bee spoken of The Lord Iesus is perfect in himselfe and he needeth vs not no he hath no neede of me of thee nor of no flesh to make him perfiter The loue of Christ then he is alreadie in himselfe He is full and he fils all in all yet such is his loue to me and thee and to the whole body that he cannot thinke that he is perfect till he haue thee ioyned with him yea the least member of his Church hee will haue to be ioyned with him or els hee counts that his glorie and sufferings are not fulfilled So his afflictions are perfect and hee needes not thee to fulfill any part thereof yet such is his loue that hee will not haue his afflictions perfect without thee He will haue thee made like to himselfe in affliction howbeit his glorie be perfect now at the right hand of the father yet he cannot thinke that he gets the perfection thereof till he get all his members glorified with him in heauen This is his loue Rom. 8. Now let vs see how we account of this We count it a benefit and a grace to be ioyned with him to be the members of his bodie and to be glorified with him but when it comes to the What a great benefit it is to suffer afflictions sufferings there is the shrinking there is none that can accord or be content to be like him in sufferings but they will flye backe there we faile and we cannot thinke that it is a benefit to suffer but rather that it is a curse So ere thou count it a benefit to suffer thou must haue more then flesh and bloud thou must haue the spirit of Iesus It is not onely a benefit to beleeue but also to suffer Philip. 1. 29. And Philip. 3. 10. Paul counts it a blessing to suffer calling it the communion or fellowship of his affliction There he counts it
blessednes to suffer with Christ Looke not to raigne with him except in some measure thou be a companion with him in suffring Yet to sticke vpon the words The word in the owne language is not simply to fulfill but to fulfill course about as he would say my head hath gotten his course now comes in my course in suffring So the word affoordeth a good lesson true all these afflictions go by courses al men and women are not afflicted at once but Afflictions in the Saints goe by course euery man hath his turne euery man his course about Christ begun and hee is afflicted first The Apostles are looking to him their course was not come but soone after came their course Others stood looking to them but soone after their owne course came also Brethren we are but lookers on now we look to France and to men suffring for this Gospell we are looking to Italy and Spaine for our time is not come yet The Lord hath seene that we are not yet ripe as soone as thou art ripe hee will plucke thee like a ripe apple Prepare thee prepare thee O Scotland for thou shalt finde one day thy part of the suffrings of Christ thy course is approching He saith not simply he fulfilled the afflictions of Christ his course about but that in his course he fulfilled the rest of the afflictions of Christ The words import the reliques and hinder part or the residue of the afflictions of Christ So all the suffrings of Paul and the rest of the elect were but as small reliques and remnants of Christs suffrings What we suffer yea if it were but in the little finger we thinke it great but if thou wert pained in all thy bodie and soule that is but a remnant of the afflictions of Christ And where this remnant is there the bodie is but the greater part the heape and multitude went before Who suffered the former part who was he that suffered the multitude if Paul suffered the hinder part who but the head Iesus Christ The heape of afflictions was heaped on him The dint lighted vpon him The waue or billow of Gods wrath tumbling down from heauen lighted vpon the head Iesus Christ All that wee suffer are but flashes breaking off from that waue and billow that lighted vpon Christ So that if you will compare the afflictions of the Church to the end of the world all is nothing in comparison of that that Christ suffered Therefore compare thy selfe neuer with him in affliction but when thou seest thy selfe afflicted then consider what Christ hath suffered When thou seest a little thing so bitter then consider what bitternes was in the whole suffrings of Christ He drank out the full cup of bitternes of Gods wrath but thou onely tasts it to teach thee to count what he hath suffered for thy redemption Now in the rest of this verse he sets downe the cause wherefore he suffered No man suffers for nothing as the head Iesus Christ did not suffer for nothing so neuer a member of his suffers in vaine For whose cause then suffered Paul or Christ in him for the bodie What a bodie The bodie which is his Church All these afflictions saith he that Iesus Christ suffers in me are all for the bodie of Christ Well there haue been many suffrings for this bodie The Lord Iesus suffered the extremitie for this bodie Paul and al the Martyrs suffred for this bodie but there is a great difference betweene the suffrings of the head and of the members The head suffered for the redemption The difference betweene the suffrings of Christ and of his mēbers of the bodie which was in hell vnto the time that heredeemed it out of hell Paul Peter this Martyr that Martyr they suffered not for the redemption their bloud could not be the price of redemption all the bloud in Paul and Peters bodie cannot furnish out a farthing of redemption but onely the bloud of that immaculate lambe is the price and only the price of our redemption in despight of all the Papists in the world onely the bloud of God makes out that redemption These base bodies they haue dreamed a dreame of Indulgences and pardons and say that the people will be safe with Popish pardons the Pope that lownes pardons he shall not get pardon himselfe What are these Pardons and Indulgences which these vaine heads haue found out to deceiue the sillie people with The Pope hee calles it the remission of sinnes by the bloud of the Martyrs this Saint and that Saint O vaine lowne is a pardon a remission of sinnes by the bloud of Peter and Paul this Martyr or y t Martyr What a vanitie is this that they think that a man should not be content with the bloud of Iesus onely and esteeme it sufficient but they must seeke to their workes and where they faile in this they must seeke to the merits of the Martyrs setting this with the rest of their works And this merit of the Martyrs he calles the Treasurie he will send out this his vanitie and this his doctrine through the world Woe to thee Scotland if euer this come among thee And againe I see here plainly that there can come nothing to the church without suffering As for her redemption which is the remission of sinnes it is not without the bloud of the Lambe the bloud of God that is a great matter except this bloud of God had bin shed thou shouldest neuer haue been redeemed out of hell But this is a strange matter when thou art redeemed by this bloud when thy righteousnes is bought yet thou canst not get it without suffring and it cannot be ministred to thee except the minister of it die Paul it behooued to die it Peter behooued to dye and all for the saluation of the bodie The diuell hath such an enuie to the saluation of man would to God thou knew it that there is none that would preach to thee of this saluation but he wil stand vp and seek the slaughter of that man So that this that wee call the Church which now is come in contempt the name of the Saints is scorned at this Church is a precious iewell the spouse of Iesus Christ be what she will be in her selfe yet the bridegroome counts much of her otherwise there would neuer haue been so much bloud shed for her Christ had notsuffered Peter Paul had not suffred if thou hadst not bin precious in the eye of Christ Darest thou then offer to destroy that that Christ hath dyed for How darest thou thou dog offer it He is called an Earle and a Lord and a King and an Emperour and what will hee doe He will oppresse the professors of the Gospell of Iesus he will burne and scald the members of the bodie but if thou knew what Christ is and what a member of his Church meanes thou wouldest hold vp thy hand But there are many false
that wee receiue in Christ Would to God wee could meditate vpon this life that is in Christ you shall know it best by this what a death wast thou in It was a spirituall death both of the soule and bodie standing in the want of the life of God Then this life must be spiritual also euen the life of God that thrusts out that death that is that corruption and fruites of the same If thou haue this life though thou werst dying bodily thou wilt be liuing in thy soule and when thou art dead thou shalt be liuing this is the aduantage of this life of God But if thou want this life dying thou shalt be onely dead and nought els and woe is that man or woman that is onely dead 2. Cor. 4. 10. Paul speaking of himselfe saith Euery where we beare about in our bodie the dying of the Lord Iesus meaning this dying in the bodie but yet saith he the life of Iesus is manifested in my bodie that is in dying bodily I liue spiritually And vers 16. The more that the bodie died the more he was renued daily Paul felt this in himselfe doest thou not feele this naturall life wearing away the strength of it decaying daily Striue theÌ„ with Paul that with the decay of the one thou maist feele the growth of the other in thee and woe is thee losing the bodily life if thou get not the growing of the spiritual life But if thou doest feele it keepe it well otherwise thou shalt die euerlastingly He saith not simply he had quickened them but he saith he hath quickened them with him that is with Iesus Christ in this order First he raised Christ from the dead then with him he beginneth their rising here in this life which shall be accomplished in the second resurrection that is to come If ye wil consider these words they import three things First there is none quickened alone so as if thou be alone Three things in our â—iuification to be considered and separate from Christ thinke not to liue conceiue not to get the life of God and therefore he saith hee hath quickened you with him The second thing is there is no man that is first quickened in order but Christ is first quickened and thou commest in the second roome thou canst not get life before him The third thing to be considered in this place is no man getteth life from God immediatly for first hee giueth life to Christ and thou being in Christ thou drawest a portion out of him He hath the fulnes if thou be ioyned with him thou drawest out a share of life where by thou doest liue And therefore take this admonition Wouldest thou haue life stand not alone but ioyne with thy head Christ and then with the bodie for if thou be not a member of this bodie though it seeme ignominious to thee thou shalt haue no life in thee Creepe then vnto Christ be neuer alone be euer in the society of the Saints And if Christ be the head then claime not to be the first to haue life but let Iesus thy head be first and then come thou creeping in to him striue to be next him as much as thou canst and striue not to be first for hee will be first in despite of thee The last is seeke not to get grace and life immediatly of God without Christ as if there were any life of thy own without him thou wouldest be deceiued in steed of life the curse of God will fall vpon thee Thinkest thou that the Iewes which looke vp to heauen and seeke life without Christ thinkest thou that they will get it Nay they get death in steed of life but thou that gettest a drop of his grace which is better then all the kingdomes of the earth to refresh thy soule that is parched as it were with the heate of sinne thou I say wilt get life in him for all grace is in him therefore seeke for it in him To goe forward he laieth downe whereupon this proceedeth It must be builded vpon a ground which is a remission of thy sinnes which is in effect the iustifying of thee in Iesus accompting thee to be a iust man notwithstanding thy sinnes saying I pronounce thee a iust man Then briefly mark this and looke by what order thou attainest to life This is the order to come by the life of God first before euer thou get that quickning How to attaine life spirit for it is the spirit that quickens thou must haue the bloud of Iesus For there are two things that come from Iesus his bloud and his spirit thinke not to get the spirit before the bloud but seeke the bloud bathe and wash that foule soule of thine Wash and clense thee againe and againe in that bloud shed on the crosse to the end that the guiltines of thy sinnes being washed away from thy soule for this is the vertue of that bloud to all that beleeue thou maist get the spirit of Iesus For being once washed in his bloud then thou gettest that that is called the remission of sinnes which are washed away Heb 9. 14. through faith in the bloud of Christ and hauing got this free remission the spirit will come and will pull out that roote of bitternes and digge it vp by the rootes all the power in the The power of Christs spirit world cannot pull it vp but the spirit of Iesus will doe it it will I say pluck vp that roote and all the branches and members of it howbeit he will not doe it at once yet hee will doe it by degrees Then if thou wouldest haue life goe on in this order and say to God Lord forgiue me my sinnes in the bloud of Two petitions Iesus say not Lord quicken me but say Lord forgiue me my sinnes and take away the guiltines of them in the bloud of Iesus It is most certaine that if thou haue faith in the bloud of Iesus thou must be forgiuen Then say in the second roome Lord quicken me giue me that spirit that may pull out this naturall corruption and put life in me Come on in this manner and if thou hast a faithfull heart it is not possible but thou maist obtaine remission of thy sins and be quickened Crie then continually Lord forgiue me Lord relieue me of the death which I lie in relieue me of this corruption put life in me and all this through thy beloued sonne Christ Iesus For it will not be the life of thy parents that will make thee to liue crie to root out that poison which thou hast from thy parents Our gentlemen thinke it enough for them if they be descended of such a descent of people Ha ha thou wilt die like a dog if thou haue no more be neuer contented til thou hast gotten a new birth For all they that will raigne with him must haue a new birth It is impossible for thee to be one of
the furniture that Paul in the Epistle to the Ephes 4. 16. speakes of For this cause calleth he them the bands of furnishing because their office is to furnish grace life mouing and whatsoeuer How the water of life proceeds from Christ spirituall thing to the bodie To make this plaine there are two sorts of furnishing there is one which is common that euery man hath as for example life and mouing This thou must haue or else thou canst not be a man so if thou want a spirituall mouing by the spirit of Iesus thou canst not be in the bodie And there is not a naturall bodie but it must receiue life sense and mouing from the head so there is not a spirituall member of the bodie of Iesus Christ but it must receiue from the head Iesus through his spirit spirituall life sense and mouing and if thou stand in the bodie this furniture must flow to thee from the head This is the first sort of furnishing There is another sort which is of other particular graces conueighed into men and women by this spirit faith and loue and yet of great varietie I will get a particular grace thou wilt get another particular grace another man will get the third so that it is not needfull that thou haue this whole furniture Seeke not all graces seeke them not for there is none that hath all graces Hath the eye all graces Nay the Euery man must not haue all gifts of the spirit foote hath a grace that the eye hath not Seeke then for grace but so that it be without an ambitious desire of the grace of others Be euer prouiding that ye want not some of this furniture striue to excell in the grace of regeneration with all the world but in other graces striue not Then ye see this first effect of furnishing It followeth vpon the ioynts and bands so that if thou haue not the ioynts and bands thou canst not haue the furniture of grace Therefore looke that thou haue the spirit otherwise thou shalt get no life sense mouing nor sanctification I repeate it againe looke thou haue the bands or els thou shalt not be in the mysticall bodie of Christ So to the next effect flowing from these ioynts and bands it is the knitting together of the bodie and euery member thereof one with another as the spirit of Iesus is the band that The spirit is the band vvhich knits vs with Christ and his members knits vp the members with the head so hee is the band that knits the members among themselues that knits thee with thy neighbour and makes a mutuall band of loue among the members This effect is wrought by the head who bindes all so surely together as is vnspeakable nay no man can expresse that sure coniunction this band will make The force of the word importeth a compact coniunction there was neuer so compact a coniunction as this is Thou shalt neuer binde any thing so streightly as the members of Iesus be bound to the head and mutually together among themselues The word also signifieth a decent compacting together so that there is no coniunction so well fauoured as this is Therefore the Apostle to the Ephes 4. 16. vseth a word signifying a harmonie and comely situation of the parts when thou seest that bodie thou seest a most pleasant situation To insist in this effect of knitting this effect it goeth before the other First things must be knit together and then commeth the furniture so marke this order If first there must be a compacting and then the furniture I giue thee a lesson looke neuer to get grace except thou be conioyned in the bodie for then that spirituall grace shall flow to thee Let not one that is not knit in the bodie seeke for grace A lowne will scorne when he is cut off from the body by excommunication well I say go ride where he will he wants the spirituall life of Iesus and shall not get it till he come to the bodie againe To come to the third effect the third effect is growth and followeth the other two For after once by sinewes the members are knit and then receiue furniture of necessity the members must grow and the whole bodie must grow according to the portion of grace giuen Reade Ephes 4. 16. looke how hee setteth downe there the manner of the growing he saith euery member groweth according to the measure of grace giuen Thinkest thou that thou canst not grow except thou grow in all graces wilt thou haue thy hands growing as thy feete to goe as thy feete No no but euery member groweth Euery one growes in his owne gifs as is giuen to it euery one groweth in his own gift and thank the Lord for the growth in thy owne gift Then hee saith the bodie groweth as effects to the bodie as if he would say the bodie groweth in all graces the member groweth in one grace So as euery member groweth to the growth of the bodie in all graces so the bodie groweth in all grace when the members growe in their particular graces Then euery one should set their minde that for their part they may build vp the bodie of the Lord Iesus This is the counsel of the Apostle if thou carrie not stones to build vp the building thou shalt neuer get to be of that building whereof the Lord Iesus is the head Now lastly marke this of the order first there is the compacting of the bodie with the head by bands and ioynts Secondly there is the furnishing thorough sinewes and bands Thirdly there is the growing and then the building groweth to a full stature But howsoeuer thou gettest it not here fully yet grow in him daily and neuer rest and then thou shalt come to the stature of a perfect man And as there cannot be a compacting of the members without the bands so without the furniture thou canst not grow Therefore crie euer for the furniture that thou maist grow vp in Iesus Christ First compact thy selfe in the bodie and then aske graces night and day I Note this order shall then promise that thou shalt grow in thy owne grace night and day till thou meete with Iesus Christ in whom stands full blessednesse In the last words he shewes what kinde of growth is this to wit the growth of God it is not common not naturall but it is a diuine growth God giueth it Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God that giueth the growth and encrease 1. Cor. 3. 7. none can giue thee growth but onely hee and therefore when thou art watered by the Gospell euer seeke growth at his hand onely for all the Angels in heauen haue no power to make thee grow a hand breadth It is the spirituall worke of God as the creature is of God euen so the bodily growth of the creature is of God and how much more is that spirituall growth in Iesus Christ of
are minded either in good will or euil will so they adde too and diminish as they either loue or hate And therefore for the auoyding of these inconueniences and the more full vnderstanding of the truth in these causes he sendeth Tychicus and some other with him in presence faithfully to relate all things on both sides that is both to cause the Colossians to conceiue in what case Paul and his affaires were and to certifie the Apostle how things went with the Church there and more particularly that by these faithfull and honest messengers hee might comfort and confirme the Colossians hearts The first of these is called Tychicus who being borne in Asia willingly accompanied Paul going thither to preach the Gospell there as you may reade Acts 20. 4. Neither followed he him in that labour of the Ministerie alone as a thing very profitable for himselfe but euen then when Paul was prisoner at Rome for the Gospel he was with him there and ministred vnto him and was sent from thence by Paul as with this Epistle to the Colossians so with that which hee wrote to the Ephesians as appeareth chap. 6. 21. 22. and also 2. Tim. 4. 10. where he saith that he sent Tychicus to Ephesus Another of thē is named Onesimus who is the very same that Paul cōmendeth to Philemon in the epistle he wrote vnto him where we shall finde that he was Philemons vnthriftie seruant and did runne away from his master for some great offence but yet being touched with conscience for that sinne and vnfainedly turned vnto God euen by Paul himselfe whilest hee was prisoner at Rome Paul thought it meete vpon his vnfained amendment to commend him to his master againe And he ioyneth them both together as it were in commission in this cause that in the mouth of two or three witnesses al truth concerning causes on both sides might bee established For further credit whereof also hee doth adorne them with good and gracious titles And first for Tychicus to the end that the dignitie of the person might procure more authoritie and credit to his testimonie among the Colossians and from them to the Apostle himselfe he describeth him by three titles or adiuncts but they may be reduced vnder two sorts or kinds The one such as is common to all Christians when hee termeth him beloued brother the other peculiar to them that trauaile in the Church causes as Ministers and such like And these are two in number the first is faithfull minister the second is fellow seruant in the Lord. From all which there are many good instructions affoorded vnto vs as in the first that if any man be a true Christian and therefore our brother wee are bound euen in that respect so much the more tenderly to imbrace and loue him For though euery one yea that is not a Christian must be loued in his measure and manner because he is the creature of God and the excellent workmanship of his owne hands and the rather because he is indued in some sort and sense with the image of God yet there is a speciall loue due to such a sound hearted Christian as is a member with vs of the selfesame holie bodie Neither indeed specially in spirituall consideration is he so much another man differing from vs as one and the selfesame with vs. For all true Christians are members of one and the selfesame bodie growing vp together with vs to the constituting of that blessed bodie of our Sauiour Christ and to the framing and fashioning yea making vp of that very man the head whereof is Christ and the bodie are all faithfull Christians Concerning which see what the Spirit saith Eph. 2. 15. Hitherto for his generall or common title Now he describeth him by his specially calling in which if we respect Christ he was his minister and seruant in the work ministerie and preaching of the Gospell and seruing him therin not in outward shew onely or for filthie luere sake but in all fidelitie and syncere vprightnes and therefore he is called in this place not onely a minister but a faithfull minister And if we consider or respect the Apostle he was his fellow-seruant in the Lord because both the one and the other of them Paul I meane and Tychicus did serue the selfesame God euen the father and the selfesame Lord Iesus Christ in the holie ministerie walking in it with all fidelitie as became them that had receiued grace from God not onely to beleeue his trueth but to walke in the obedience of it that way especially And this doth teach vs that by example which the Apostle prescribeth in an other place by precept and rule Let him that hath an office attend vpon his office Rom. 12. And againe What is required of stewards which al Gods ministers are but that they should be found faithfull And Christ saith Who is a faithfull and wise seruant euen such a one as his master setteth ouer his household to giue them their iust proportion of meate in due season Matth. 24. What carelesnes yea what vnfaithfulnes is there in all callings yea Ecclesiasticall as well as ciuill Who thinketh that the place he hath is from God or that he must render an account vnto him If Magistrates considered this they would not be so furious and cruell as many of them are If Preachers did weigh it they would not be so cold and carelesse so negligent and idle in the execution of their duties and in gaining men to God as commonly they are I will tell you my mind there are few found in this function to whom we may rightly attribute the adiuncts and titles that the Apostle giueth here to Tychicus that they are faithful ministers and fellow seruants in the Lords worke for feare many times and flatterie bleareth out if it doe not vtterly kill their fidelitie and integritie and corrupt respects of priuate profit honour and such like maketh them goe a way by themselues and to withdraw from the rest of their brethren Wee haue too much experience of this in the Courtlike preachers of our kingdome here and other reformed Churches abroad taste and smacke too much of it this being one bitter fruite that the Hierarchie hath left behinde it amongst vs. And thus farre for Tychicus and his titles Now concerning Onesimus Paul setteth him out and commendeth him to the Colossians first by his common calling by which being through faith grafted into Christ he became a faithfull and beloued brother vnto him in Christ The selfesame man that is here termed a faithfull beloued brother is named in the Epistle to Philemon vers 10. his son whom he begot in his bonds How can this be can one man haue two titles Yea wel enough if we consider diuers respects and states wherein they are through Gods grace and goodnes Such as the Ministers beget by the Gospell and bring vnto Christ and his Church they are as in regard of that worke of begetting them
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
ye see the bodie accomplisheth the person of a man the head will not make a man but the bodie ioyned with the head makes vp a man euen so the Church fils vp the whole man Christ made of the head the Lord Iesus himselfe and of the bodie This for the words If this point of the glorie of Christ be weighed that he is the head of the Church it is a high point of glorie The Lord hath greater glorie by this that hee is the head of the Church of the godly and holy ones men and Angels then by that that he is the Dominator ouer all creatures ouer the diuell and all the multitude of reprobates And as it is high so it is in communicable no not the Angels gets this honour to be called the head of the Church Let be stinking flesh wilt thou set vp a Pope and call him the head of the Church A plaine derogation of Christs honour Thou wilt come out with a ministeriall head in the Church Away with thee and thy ministeriall head both there is no such thing Looke the whole Scripture No ministerial head in Scripture through thou shalt reade of a Minister in the Church but thou shalt neuer reade a word of a ministeriall head or Vicar of Christ But would you know how he comes to this glorie Yea to speake it so before hee came to this glorie there was much adoe and great stirre and busines in heauen and earth and a great hardnes The Pope he will start vp to it at the first dash before Christ came to this glorie heauen and earth was moued with a wonderfull motion before hee was exalted to it he was wonderfully humbled If you will make a comparison it was an easie thing to be the image of the inuisible God to haue created all things and to preserue them all was easie but when he comes to this there must be a great change this sonne of God is humbled and his glorie is wonderfully obscured Reade Philip. 2. 6. 7. and there you shall see the whole manner of it Iesus saith he was in the forme of God and hee thought it no robberie to be equall with God yet hee is not the head of the Church what doth he then The Apostle saith he emptieth himselfe of his owne glorie he makes himselfe of no reputation How doth hee that In taking on him the shape of a seruant What an humbling is this to clothe himselfe with the forme of an abiect seruant Thou thinkest it nothing but surelie it a wonderful matter if ye consider it rightly so then there is a wide step a strange step that he steppeth downe from his glorie wherein hee stood equall with the Father Yet he goes another step downward being found in the habite of a man he to whom all other creatures giues obedience of his owne will becomes obedient to his father Wherein stands this obedience not in doing only but in dying What death The death of the Crosse an execrable death the bitterest death that euer was nay neuer man died so bitter a death as Christ died All the death of men and Angels is not comparable to that death of Iesus Christ that he died for the redemption of sinfull man There is his humiliation Looke now to his exaltation Therefore saith the Apostle the father raised him vp to a wonderfull highnes and gaue him a name aboue all names that at his name all knees should bow In the Epistle to the Ephesians 1. 20. 21. the degrees of his glorie are set downe first he raised him from death secondly he hath set him at the right hand of his father that is he hath giuen him all power of heauen and earth and he declares this power Then he turnes to the Church in particular and calles him head of the Church for he could not haue been the head except hee had had flesh and bloud Trowest thou that thou canst come to that honour to bee a member of his bodie before thou bee humbled first No no thou must answere in proportion to him in his humilitie otherwise thou shalt neuer bee partaker of his glorie This for the sixt part of the description of the Lord Iesus in the which marke this as before wee heard many grounds of redemption made by his bloud so in this point of the glorie of Christ there is another ground of our redemption As thy Redeemer is the image of God the creator of all things and so foorth as you heard him defined before so thy Redeemer he is the glorious head of the Church yea he is thy owne head and thou art a member of him so thou seest not onely a glorious Redeemer but a sib a kinsman redeemer Therefore precious must that bloud be and of necessitie if thou beleeue in this bloud thou must be redeemed To goe forward Here followes the seuenth part of his description and the seuenth point of his glorie The beginning and the first begotten of the dead Yee heard he was called the first borne of all creatures because he was before them all and not for that onely was he called so but because he gaue the being to all creatures All creatures were created by vertue of him and by participation of that being that is in him for the first borne in the families of old communicated the speciall blessings to their brethren euen so Christ because he communicates to the rest of his creatures such speciall blessings as pleaseth best his wisedome he is called the first borne of many brethren Now he is called the first borne of the dead because he was the first that rose from the dead for there was neuer man that died that rose before the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 15. 20. He is called the first fruits of them that sleepe because that al y t shall rise they shall rise by vertue of his resurrection Then what will you haue He was the beginning of the creation now he is the beginning of the resurrection of the dead Then all mercie and glorie must come out of him No creation without him no resurrection without him If you will consider this it is a great matter when he had created man man by his fall lost the creation nay by thy fall in Adam thou hast lost thy creation and as thou wast made of nothing so by this fall of Adam thou turnest to nothing and well were that man that is out of Christ if he were turned into nothing No no he shall not be turned to nothing but he shall be turned to worse then nothing So man by his fall lost his creation and death seased vpon him and leaues him not till he turnes him into dust and powder And if Iesus comes not in now after that man hath lost his creation he would neuer be a creature againe Therefore the second benefit which is greater then the first is that my bodie shall rise againe so in comes Iesus Christ and that creature that was brought
the enmitie who was the cause of the variance where begun it Man himselfe he begun the variance But who begun the friendship began man it againe Ioh. 3. 16. began Adam the reconciliation thought he of it No he neuer thought of it to begin it againe God the father who called vpon him when he was runne away began the friendship Thou begans it not nay there was neuer such a thing as a thought of it The father he began it euen when thou wast running headlong to thy destruction turning thy backe vpon God Thou maist be at oddes with God when thou wilt but thou wilt not be the beginner of the friendship againe except The loue of the father the fountaine of reconciliation hee of mercie begin it with thee so it is the father that is the authour and fountaine of our reconciliation Yet brethren what is this that the father begins the friendship being the partie aduersarie and the greatest and the worthiest partie This is a rare thing that one of two parties aduersaries and the worthiest should seeke reconciliation of the other that is nothing in comparison of him So this lets vs see a passing loue and mercie in God that began first to seeke thee But yet what a partie aduersarie was he to wit he was that partie aduersarie that was offended by man he did no offence to man but man offended him Indeede there had been lesse matter of marueiling if hee had begun the feude and enmitie but hee brake not a iot to man of his part of the couenant made with him But man false man kept neuer a point of his part and therefore as man is called a lier after that breach of promise to God his maker so this is found that he who hath receiued the wrong and the more strong and worthie partie that that partie will begin the amitie againe This is that incomparable loue that in the Rom. 5. 18. is spoken of There is not such a loue to be found in heauen or earth that the partie that is offended and hath done no offence that he should beginne the peace yea more should giue his onely begotten sonne his deere sonne to be a ransome for the offence done to him There is that incomprehensible loue of God towards man What tongue is able to expresse y t thousand part of that loue Nay al the wit of men and Angels is not able once sufficiently thinke of it Let be to expresse it as it is in thy selfe Thus far for the second Now the third is what moued the father to enter into new friendship with man saw hee ought in me in thee or in any man to moue him to be reconciled with me or thee or any man It is said It hath pleased him then it was his owne pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beneplacitum eius this was it that moued him to be reconciled with vs. This pleasure it was not a thing in time What the loue of the father is but it was a decree that past in heauen from al eternitie A decree that proceeded of meere loue and grace and not of a foresight of any good that either he saw thē presently in man or that he foresaw should be in man hereafter but it was of a free grace without any merit of man And therfore in his own time for the fulfilling of this decree of reconciliation hee sent his onely begotten sonne into the world to preach this word of reconciliation to the world So this word It hath pleased him excludes all merit and worthines in man and it lets thee see that that friendship was without thy merit yea to speake Merit it so against thy merit I know not a merit that thou hast but the merit of hell and damnation Come to the fourth circumstance who were they that were reconciled It is said It hath pleased him to reconcile all things The fourth circumstance And then in the end of the verse he laies this vniuersalitie in the parts of it All things both in heauen and earth This vniuersall particle All things extends not to all creatures yea it extends not to all reasonable creatures it extends not to the diuels no reconciliation with the diuell nor with the Angels that made that foule defection I tell you more it extends not to all men and women no reconciliation with the reprobate for euer they are in ranke with the diuell himselfe This reconciliation it extends then to the blessed Angels who haue stood from the beginning It extends to men and women not to all but to the chosen and elect ones from all eternitie Now there is no question of sinfull man All will graunt that man who was chosen to life howbeit before hee was an enemie to God yet now in time he is reconciled to him But all the question is about the blessed Angels that fell not from God How can it be said that they are reconciled to God Well I will not be curious if you will consider these blessed Angels in themselues Whether the elect Angels be reconciled to God by Christ or what benefit they haue by him apart from the bodie which is the Church indeede it is true they cannot properly be said to be reconciled because they were neuer at feud or enmitie with God for reconciliation as yee haue heard imports a feud but if you consider them in the bodie in a manner they may be said to be reconciled in the bodie for howbeit they be bound vp without the bodie yet they must euer be considered to be in the bodie and so in the bodie they get a new coniunction with God through the Lord Iesus Christ The estate of the blessed Angels before the comming of Christ it was this They hung as it were by the head to speake it so by a stitch as certaine members seuered from the body when Christ comes in he couples them together he makes man and Angell all vp together faster then euer they were before So to leaue this you may see the very blessed Angels who fell not from God they got a benefit by the Mediatour as man doth I say the blessednes of the Angels was not perfected till Christ came They were indeed blessed but they had not a firme blessing while Christ came who established their blessednes And therefore as it is said y e Abraham long before the Lord Iesus came into the world saw him and reioyced so the Angels they saw the Lord Iesus long ere he came and when he came they reioyced at his comming And it is said in 1. Pet. 1. 12. that it is their pleasure to looke in through that vaile to see and behold the Lord Iesus Thus much concerning the Angels Then the thing I note for our selues is this Will you marke what care God hath had of man God he would not perfect the blessednes of the Angels without man he would not giue them that blessing till Iesus Christ the man
not barely a mysterie but a glorious mysterie and not that onely but he cals it the riches that is the infinitnes of the glorie of this mysterie Then ye haue a glorious mysterie and a rich mysterie of glorie a plentie of glorie such as neuer was I remember in the Ephesians 1. 18. Paul speaking of that inheritance he calles it not barely a heritage but the glorie of his inheritance and not that only but his inheritance glorious among the Saints This let vs see first that all the graces wee haue in Christ are good in substance they are profitable and not that onely but also it The riches of Christ lets vs see the gloriousnes of them in qualitie and not that only but also it lets vs see the infinitnes of them in quantitie So what would you haue in Christ In him thou hast good things in him thou hast glorious things in him thou hast infinite things infinite in length breadth and heighth infinite in deepnes incomprehensible euery manner of way So in Christ all things glorious and neuer a thing we haue in Christ but it is a thing of infinite weight yea the least thou hast it is of infinite weight All these earthly things in comparison of these are of no value the least bit of thy regeneration is worth them all so the grace of Christ is incomparable Howbeit the Apostle borroweth the speeches to expresse the same in some manner yet the grace of Christ is vnspeakable O if we could take some apprehension in heart and but once thinke of it no the heart is not capable of it no more then the tongue can expresse it And in the day of the Lord we shall see these things to be verified and happie shal we be if we can striue to know these things of Christ and striue to haue them in vs in some measure All our strife should be to prease forward to take euer a further and further apprehension of these gifts of Christ in our hearts then next to speake of them with a full perswasion Alas our speech is but a tastelesse word which testifies How we should speake of Christ that thou wotst not what the grace of Christ meanes When wilt thou learne to call it a glorious Gospell Yet brethren marke this Gospell for as sillie as it seemes to you it is a rich thing it is the riches of God Wouldest thou bee rich Seeke the Gospell Wouldest thou be wise Seeke the Gospell For if thou hadst all the riches vnder the Sunne if thou want Christ thou art a poore wretch And if thou hadst al the glorie in the world if thou want Christ thou art an ignominious bodie full of shame If thou want the Gospell thou hast no wit thou art a foole if thou wert neuer so fine a Mathematician a Phisitian and a Lawyer O foole if thou hast not the reuelation of Christ thou hast a foolish head and thou shalt be shut vp in hell as a foole So brethren there is nothing to make choise of besides this Gospell and one day it shall proue so And one day you shall see it either to your shame or to your glorie Now to goe forward Among whom is this so glorious and so rich a Gospell reuealed He saith among you who are Gentiles Not among the Iewes and their nation onely for brethren so great a light craueth greater bounds who will goe draw in the Sunne into a house to make a house the seate of it and make it as it were a candle shining in the house O this passing light of the Gospell it must not bee drawne into one nation onely but this light that would illuminate a thousand worlds it must be set vp on high to shine on all the nations in the world And therefore hee saith it is manifested among the nations and so it is extended to this sillie vnworthy nation of Scotland O Scotland thy onely light is the Gospell and thy onely glorie is the glorie of the Gospell and shame and darknes shall come to thee if euer thou let this glorious light of the Gospell depart And I say to thee let this glorious Gospell slip and then of all the iudgements that euer came vpon a nation or countrey the most fearefull and terrible shall light on thee And therefore as euer thou wilt haue life and the ioyes of heauen striue euer to hold in this light But here the goodnes of God appeares that to condemned creatures he should haue suffered this light to shine all were condemned creatures the sentence was pronounced against all We of Scotland were of that number Gentiles Alas if we could once consider this O wretched man that euer thou shouldest haue seene this sight of the Sunne of righteousnes if thou reioyce not in it If thou couldest consider the benefit that thou art borne in the daies of light that y e beames of Iesus Christ goe into thy heart thou wouldest count more of it then of al the kingdoms in the world yea thou wouldest say euery morning and euening Blessed be God that I was borne in this lightsome time and among all things y t should make thee thankful this should be the chiefest that thou wast borne in the time of the light and grace of Iesus Christ offered to the world Hitherto wee haue spoken of these foure circumstances In euery one of them shines the glorie of God and that so wonderfully that God got not to himselfe in the creation such a glorie as he hath gotten by the reuelation of this mysterie of Iesus Christ For aboue all his workes the worke of this his mercie is the greatest Now in the end of the verse hee makes this more plaine that hee spake of the riches of God and the Gospell And hee comes downe more homely to their vnderstanding as if he would say O ye Colossians would you know what I meane by these riches I meane nought but Christ as these riches be nothing but Christ What was hid in this mysterie of the reuelation nothing but Christ when it was reuealed and the glorie of it laid out abroad as merchandise is vsed to be there was nothing in it but Christ For brethren all this word of the Gospell is nothing but Christ Al our preaching what is it but Christ The word of the crosse and then of his ascension all our Gospell hath no other matter nor substance And when he hath drawne these riches to Christ and made him all then hee comes neerer them and drawes in Christ to them to their consolation It is not enough that they should heare of Christ and him preached but he applies the same vnto their hearts and soules so the lesson is All the heauenly glorie and riches which thou hearest tell of draw it into In Christ consists all fulnes of glorie Christ for there is no glorie but Christs glorie For the glorie of the Father and of the holy Ghost dwels in him bodily and thou shalt neuer
to Angels to condemne a man for ceremonies much lesse oughtest thou to condemne a man specially for a shadow And yet for all that brethren as I said before this is the nature of an erronious spirit all their censuring Iudging of men by their obseruation of ceremonies proceedes of iudging a man for obseruation of ceremonies and they will send him to heauen and hell for euery trifle at their pleasure So marke an erronious spirit and a deceiuer his head is busie about these trifling things censuring vpon shadowes putting a necessitie where there is none and stepping ouer the necessarie poynts of Religion In a word ye shall finde the diuell hath been a sore enemie to this christian libertie to burden thee with things indifferent But as Paul counselleth thee Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made thee free and count him for a false teacher that would restraine thee But to weigh the words better which are but shadowes that is no substantiall thing There is a great difference betweene the shadow and the body for a man going to the East his shadow striketh to the west so all the shadowes when Christ rose in the East were stricken backe to the precedent times and for the times since his resurrection are abolished and done away The Sacraments that we now receiue are not shadowes but sure seales of Iesus Christ alreadie come Marke what was the estate of the Iewe he liued vpon shadowes vnder the law and yet he was safe not by the vertue of the shadowes but because in the meane time while he is in remembring of the The Iewes before Christ. shadowes his eye lookes out beyond the shadow to that body that was comming So it was hope that saued him As for those that had no eye to the bodie they got no life but death by the shadow Thou shalt neuer haue life by these outward exercises of Religion except thou haue the inward substances for the outward shall euer turne to thy damnation if thou haue not the inward And further the very estate of the Iewes doth recommend to thee the blessednes of thy estate aboue the Kings and all the Prophets of old They embraced the shadow but thou embracest the bodie Iesus Christ is come alreadie crucified in the Gospell so that thy estate is such a blessed estate y t thou canst neuer think enough of it But alas heauēly things are not regarded when thou hast gotten some small preferment in the world thou wilt make much of it but as for this preferment in Iesus Christ thou carest not for it Yet the end will commend or condemne all thy ioyes Now mark the power that riseth from the shadowes of Christ the very shadow of him being rightly taken saueth and comforteth the sinfull soule It was his shadow that saued Adam and all Kings and people before his comming in the flesh but yet as the shadow must be still vnderstood to be accompanied with the bodie and to haue the power from it O what power must be in the bodie when it is standing before thee without the shadow seeing the shadow is so powerfull O the wonderfull power that is offered to me and thee fie on vs that finde it not the blame is in vs that we finde not this power and not in Iesus Seeke to Iesus take hold of him by faith and I doe assure thee there shall come out of him such a power that shall quicken thee so as thou wouldest not want it for all the world Thirdly ye shall see how foolish these false teachers are they are teaching to embrace a shadow when the bodie is come See how vaine they are The Iewes did well that embraced the shadow before Christ came but after his comming it was vaine to doe it and so it was as much as to bid them embrace the thing that was not And admit that the shadow abode still were it not follie to comprize the shadow with the bodie the shadow goeth before the bodie commeth after But brethren such is the follie of these vanishing heads this fellow will seeme to be some bodie a iolly fellow as who but he and yet hee will make thee to thinke that light and darknes may dwell together the shadow and the bodie to be both in one place O but all this is vanitie decline thou once from the truth thou be commest mad thou wilt cause the people to erre So blessed is the man that stickes by Iesus and stands by the scripture of God and if thou doe it thou shalt be safe otherwise thou shalt goe into euerlasting darkenes As the Apostle Rom. 1. 21. testifieth ye shall become mad fooles and in the end perish with the reprobate if yee sticke not to this Iesus Christ and his word Now to come to the end they might haue said if these be the shadowes where is the bodie He answers But the bodie is in Christ. There are two things here first there is the shadow of things to come the second is the bodie which is Christ and followes the shadow The bodie that followes is not this or that bodie not Iohn the Baptist not one of the Prophets but onely Iesus Christ Then note first there was neuer from the beginning nor is nor shall be to the end any other subiect of Religion of godlines but Iesus Christ the Lord seeke it where ye will there is no other foundation of faith No man saith Paul 1. Cor. 3. 11. can lay any other foundation beside that that is laid Iesus Christ. Onely this is the difference amongst the Iewes he was but a shadow now he is the bodie So wouldest thou haue a godly man defined it is he whose heart is occupied about Christ in some measure how he was incarnate and of his passion Thinkest thou that this should goe out of thy thought Alas if thou thoughtest of thy sin thou shouldst neuer get rest till thou thinke of his crosse then of his resurrection This is the godly harted man Paul 1. Tim. 3. 16. when he had said Great is the mysterie of godlines then he comes to the parts of it God manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit and so forth till he comes to the last receiued vp in glorie where we are taught that the mysterie of godlines is onely in Iesus Christ So that if thou wouldst haue thy heart occupied in godlines fixe thy heart on Iesus Christ for I assure you this thinke of any thing in this world or out of it and leaue out Iesus Christ not thinking of him thou shalt find that thy heart shall not be sanctified but prophane and wicked So there is nothing to make a godly heart but to thinke on Iesus When thou art thinking of many things reserue a peece of thy heart for him giue him a thought if thou wert a King be not so busie in thy affaires if thou wert in Parliament take heed thou forget him not but euer giue him
crie for it or els thou shalt die and apprehend the death of Christ for it is the death of Christ that slayeth the flesh and takes away the corruption of thy nature Now to come againe to the false teacher I gaue you a mark Markes of false teachers of him before hee is pert hee is shamelesse and hath a brasen face otherwise hee durst not affirme such points of doctrine Another marke of a false teacher he is proud as proud as the diuell as wee say what were it if hee had matter but hee is proud with the winde of false doctrine for as humble as hee will seeme to thee yet beware of him his heart is blowne vp with pride There is not a false teacher but hee is proud a proud heart in a poore breast he is a poore diuell I remember a sentence of Augustine to Paulinus It is a wonderfull thing that a man should be more proud of humilitie then if he were openly proud and I will assure thee a deceiuer will be prouder in his counterfeit humilitie then he that is openly proud A simple man cannot doe it and of all the proud men in the world the deceiuer is greatest Another thing I marke false doctrine and pride are companions together so that if thou say there is false doctrine I will say there is pride also If thou wilt say there is false doctrine in this heart I will say there is a proud bodie as a man of a foule stomacke will giue a foule belch So a blast of false doctrine is a puffe of pride wherewith the heart is filled vp Therefore it is no marueile though I say a false Doctor is a proud man Be not deceiued with a Iesuite when hee commeth with his side long cloake and his broad brimbd hat who is so humble as hee but I say hee is full of pride and thou shalt bewaile the time that thou sawest him Keepe him in thy chambers as thou wilt hee shall sting thee to death The last argument of the condemning of this false doctrine is in these words he saith He hath not to doe with the head Iesus Christ The third argument of false doctrine He vttereth plainly he neuer wist what Christ was and that hee neuer tasted of that power and vertue which descendeth from the head to the bodie for if hee had tasted of it O for all the world hee would not haue put an Angell betwixt him and Christ VVilt thou put one betweene thee and thy head An Angell is but a stranger to thee in respect of Iesus Is not a mans head the most familiar and best thing that a man hath will he not haue recourse to his head O would the deceiuer put thee from thy head Iesus Christ he plainly testifieth that Iesus Christ thy head stood neuer vpon his necke Iesus stood neuer vpon the necke of a Papist speake of him what he will for if he were thy head O Papist and haddest tasted the vertue that descended from him thou wouldest neuer seeke to Angels and Saints to bid them open their mouth to pray for thee But thou that followest after Saints and huntest after Angels thou shewest that thou neuer tastedst of the head Iesus Christ And therefore thou testifiest that thou art a false teacher and thou that followest such a teacher thou art a false professor of Iesus Christ Here I end onely I request you sticke to Iesus once get him to be thy head and I shall promise thee thou shalt neuer long for Angell nor Saint For thou shalt finde such a power and vertue of life to flow out of him to thee and such a sweetnes as therewith thy soule shall be contented and as thou continuest with him thou shalt finde thy selfe more and more liuely and ioyfull in thy heart thou shalt sucke continually life and ioy out of him till at the last thou shalt see him in his Iob. 21. 22 glorie and be filled fully in him for in his countenance is the sacietie and fulnes of ioy And thou shalt not seeke to Angels and bid one of them goe betwixt thee and him at that day O then acquaint you with him for the Angels are but ministering spirits at his commaund I say O acquaint you with him and sticke by him immutably and thou shalt finde the ioy of thy heart vnspeakable To Iesus Christ with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise Amen THE XXI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 19. 20. 19 And holdeth not the head whereof all the bodie furnished and knit together by ioynts and bands encreaseth with the encreasing of God 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though ye liued in the world are ye burdened with traditions YE heard brethren the admonition of the Apostle that the Colossians should not suffer themselues to be abused by false Apostles especially with the rites and ceremonies that sometimes were giuen to the people of the Iewes and after abolished by Christs comming Secondly that they should not suffer themselues to be abused by no other kinde of traditions which God neuer gaue to any people as the worshipping of Angels whereon wee insisted the last day This kinde of tradition it came in vnder the pretence of Coherence humilitie and it was refuted and condemned by the Apostle as ye heard by three arguments first it comes of shamelesse pertnes of men pretending to haue a knowledge of that they neuer saw nor heard Where sawe they the Angels and their intercession they make in heauen where heard they of it and so it is a false doctrine to propound any thing whereof they haue no warrant The second argument is taken from the pride that is in them for this doctrine concerning the worshipping of Angels it commeth of pride without any cause or knowledge and so it is no more but a blast of a foule proud stinking heart The third argument which is in the beginning of this verse is from the want of Christ the head These doctors neuer tasted that Christ was their head for if they had they would neuer haue sought nor bidden seeke to Angels to bee mediatours betwixt them and God So briefly there be these three arguments whereby this false doctrine is refuted and taken away Yet the Papist defendeth it by the same arguments that the false Apostles defended it It commeth of humilitie to vse them as mediatours that are most familiar and conuersant with God Alas a new heretike is wondrous like to an old heretike So it is but a damned doctrine that they haue raised vp in these daies Now the Apostle hauing spoken of the head Iesus Christ hee falleth out into a description of him from the relation to the bodie and from the effects of the bodie which is the Church all to this end to shew the false teachers and their followers of how great a good
God Therefore seeke it of him He calleth it the growth of God because the furniture is of God for where the furniture is of God there must be the growth of God As the naturall furniture maketh the naturall growth euen so where the spirituall furniture is it maketh the spirituall growth and as the one failes see that the other grow daily Endeuour to grow spiritually otherwise this life is most miserable and a wofull death will abide thee Therefore haue a greater respect to the spirituall growth then to this temporall If it be a great corsiue to this life to be bereft of visible and earthly things what a sore sting shall it be to be depriued of the life to come and the ioyes of heauen and the sight of the spirituall things there There must bee sorow of sorrowes the greatest and wofullest sorrow that euer was Further I see there is set downe here an opposition betwixt this growth of God and the swelling vp of the false Apostles Where Iesus is the head and furniture sent downe from him Where Christ is there is the growth of God where he is not and no furniture from him there is no solid growth there There may well be one blowne vp with a vaine winde of poyson as a bodie that will swell foote and hand he may well swell vp in the wombe of sinne but if there be not a furniture from Iesus thou shalt neuer grow truly either in knowledge or sanctification thy estate shall be as the women learning but neuer come to the knowledge of the truth Our Noblemen will take in Iesuites into their chambers and will giue eare to them but I say to thee heare as thou wilt there is no solid growth to be had of his speech There is no sound spirituall growth in the kingdome of Antichrist It may be ye thinke it growes because the world followeth it for the kingdome of the truth of Iesus is in a narrow bound but I say vnto you there is no good growth in that kingdome of Antichrist therefore flye from them flie from Babylon for Babylon shall be destroyed flie away then from them Shame shall befall them that ioyne with them This for the description of Iesus and the growth in him In the next verse hee returneth to his admonition and he saith be not burthened alas these traditions are a burthen of Traditions such weight that whosoeuer will take them on they shall presse them downe to hell and damnation The argument that he vseth ye are dead with Christ and by his crosse he hath freed you if saith he ye be dead with Christ why should ye suffer your selues to be burthened with such trifles as the false Apostles would haue you berthened with as if he would say it is a great indignitie done to Christ if ye doe so He said before they were buried with him now he saith they are dead with Christ Who euer thou be then that hast any part with Iesus thou must be dead with Iesus There is none but they must be dead in this world with Iesus if they would haue any part with him A man that is quicke in this world giues a token that he hath no part with Iesus But heare this death described Yee were dead saith hee with Christ then hee hath a companion that is a blessed death that hath the fellowship of Iesus It is better to die with Iesus then to liue with all the world The word which he vseth imports further To die by vertue of his death so it is his death that maketh vs to die O there is a double happines blessed is that soule that dieth by vertue of the death of Iesus So then it is not so much thou that diest as it is sinne that dieth in thee by vertue of his death Yet more he saith ye were dead with Christ Where from from the ordinances or elements that is the grosse rudiments of Religion that imported a subiection and a thraldome to the law Looke if this be a burthen or not So in a word there is the greatest happines to die with Christ for to die with him is to be freed of the law and of sinne So wouldest thou haue a blessed death dye this death with Christ for it bringeth to thee a faire libertie It is better to dye with Christ then to liue a slaue with sinne And if thou wouldest liue a free man leaue Libertie sinne and seeke the libertie that is in Christ He saith if ye be dead with Christ why are ye burthened with traditions somewhat sharply and angerly Fie shame fie shame on thee that goest to put thy necke vnder traditions wherefrom thou wast once freed fie on thee man that makest defection to Papistrie why goest thou to be burthened with such vanities Now he lets them see that it was a mischieuous thing that they cast off Christ to liue to this life This is a miserable case with the wofull and sinfull life in this world O thou Papist woe is thee that makest this choice thou that hast dyed with Christ thou wilt begin to liue with the Pope and his vaine traditions It shall neuer make thee to haue life no not in this world as quicke as thou seemest to be I insist so much the more in this that ye that stand should be moued to stand still and not to be chaunged from your Christ as many doe when they goe to these parts of the Popes dominions O it will be a blacke day to you if ye stand not fast euer by Christ and his truth Be ioyfull that ye are crucified with Christ and be not wanton with the world but be sorie for sinnefor if sinne liue in you ye shall dye but if thou leaue it in the teares of repentance thou shalt liue for euer I loue not a wanton sinner be therefore buried and dead with Christ that ye may liue with him To whom with the Father and holie Spirit bee euerlasting praise and glorie for euer and euer Amen THE XXII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 21. 22. 23. 21 As touch not taste not handle not 22 Which all perish with the vsing and are after the commaundements and doctrines of men 23 Which things haue in deede a shew of wisedome in voluntary religion and humblenes of minde and in not sparing the bodie which are things of no value sith they pertaine to the filling of the flesh YE heard the last day welbeloued brethren in Iesus Christ the Apostle when he had set downe that faire description of Christ the head of the bodie he returned to his purpose and that admonition which is through this whole chapter that they should beware of false teachers and false doctrine and especially that they should not take on thē the burthen of ordinances that is to say y e burthen of the rites and ceremonies of the law that sometime had place in the Church of the Iewes
earnest in keeping and hearing such doctrine as concerneth life euerlasting and when thou hearest this doctrine of dirt turne thy eare away from it for there is no godlines in it And I giue you my counsell heare him not that speaketh of such things but heare him that will speake of Christ Iesus and his doctrine which shall feede thee to life euerlasting It will not be meate and drinke and the doctrine thereof which will feede thee but it must be this doctrine of Christ wherewith thou must be fed and thou must still feede on it vntill thou be glorified in him and with him for euer and euer To whom with the Father and holy Spirit be al praise and honour now and euer Amen THE XXIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 1. 2. 3. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God 2 Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth 3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God WE haue heard in this Epistle beloued brethren in Iesus Christ first the inscription of the Epistle Secondly The parts of this epistle alreadie handled the preface Thirdly the doctrine touching Christ and his benefits And then fourthly wee haue heard how he passed from the doctrine to the exhortations and admonitions exhorting the Colossians to perseuerance in that faith which they had receiued admonishing them to beware of the false Apostles their doctrine and mens traditions In this admonition hee insisteth throughout the whole second chapter Now brethren in this third chapter taking occasion of the vaine and corruptible things as meate drink and such things of which are the traditions of men from the which he had disswaded them in the former chapter he begins to exhort them to other things not corruptible but euerlasting not earthly but heauenly in the which true godlines and holines standeth Throughout all this whole chapter he insisteth vpon this first in general and then he cōmeth to his exhortation in speciall And he continueth so to the seuenth verse of the next chapter The particulars I remit to the diduction of the text and I come to the words presently read In thē there are two exhortatiōs to one thing together with sundry arguments hee exhorteth in both to the things aboue to heauenly things and the foresaid exhortation which he vseth for this purpose is to seeke them and the second exhortation is to know them to be wise in them and to vnderstand them for that is the force of the word Then to come to the first exhortation If ye be risen with Christ seeke the things that are aboue There is the exhortation and the first argument which is ye are risen with Christ to life after that ye were dead to all these beggerly ceremonies to mens traditions of meate and drinke and such like Now after ye were dead to these ye are risen againe to a life and to an heauenly life therefore seeke the things that are in heauen Now to insist vpon euery word Ye see here and in the chapter before mention is made of a dying of Christ and of a buriall with him and of a rising and liuing with him so that when he dieth wee die and when hee riseth and liueth we rise and liue Marke it well In a word as he altereth wee alter so many as beleeue in him of necessitie they change as he change when he dies they die by vertue of his death to sinne and to the world and sinne dieth in them when he riseth they rise with him vnto that heauenly life This alteration is wonderfull What man is high in the world which wil draw others after him after this manner that when he dieth wil cause another to die with him that neuer saw him bodily in this life What is he I say looke through the whole world and to all the Kings of the world whom will ye find in heauen or earth that will alter men after this manner by his death and life This is one common doctrine but it would be considered well for there are few which vnderstande this doctrine Then of necessitie in Iesus Christ there must be a great force and vertue Ye see now the Heauens Planets Sunne Moone and the rest because they by their operation do make alteration in these inferiour things as in plants grasse fields and euen in the bodie of man because I say of this operation in these inferiour creatures wee ascribe a great vertue to them But all these celestiall bodies cannot worke such effects as Iesus Simile his death and life can worke No no if thou were once dead these celestiall signes and planets will not make thee liue againe The Sunne nor the Moone cannot make thee liue when once thou art dead but when thou art dead Iesus will raise thee vp more liuely then euer thou werst before So there The power of Christs death and resurrection must be in him a force aboue all the force and power that euer God made or gaue to any creature But marke brethren concerning this power he must be a man in whom this power is because this vertue cannot come to thee but through the nature of man man cannot die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse but by that vertue that commeth through man yet he must be more then a man and that a holie man without al spot of sinne He must be more then this I say he must be God to Rom. 8. 11 Phil. 3. 10. 11. make thee die to sinne and rise vnto righteousnes This commeth of the special power and vertue of God for none is able in heauen or earth to worke such a strange worke as this except hee be God Yet there must be more of necessitie there must be a coniunction betwixt thee and him he must be ioyned Our communion with Christ to thee and thou to him otherwise his vertue will not come to thee either to thy death or to thy life he must bee thy husband and thou his spouse yea hee must be more then thy husband for the husband cannot draw the wife after him by vertue of his death or life either to liue or to die as Christ can doe He must be then thy head he must be as neere as thy head is neere thy bodie That is the familiar similitude of the Scripture When the head dieth the bodie dieth with it and when the head is liuely the bodie hath sense and being So when Iesus dieth the bodie dieth when Iesus riseth the bodie riseth also So the meetest thing to expresse him and his coniunction with vs is the head bodie of man and yet he must be more then the head for there came neuer such vertue from the head of a man to the bodie as there shall come from thy head Iesus Christ
this vice of filthie speaking would ye know it There is no house but it is full of this villanie The villaine cannot speake two words but the one is filthie speaking and so it is no wonder that this ayre is defiled Thou bringest on Gods iudgements on thee and thy corne both thou art a foule speaker Paul in the Ephesians calleth it rotten speech stinking speech and that because it is of foule things For where the thing is filthie the talke must be filthie also And as the filthie thing defileth and corrupteth the flesh and vitiateth all that it toucheth euen so out of question the filthie speech will rot thee Put a fresh apple amongst the rotten the very rotten apples will rot the fresh euen so thou Simile shalt rot thy selfe by thy foule speech Ye will say to me Is there such a force in a word what doe I reckon of it it is but winde But Paul 1. Cor. chap. 15. vers 23. saith be not beguiled thou thinkest words be nothing what addeth he wicked speeches corrupt good manners wicked speeches therfore will rot thee be not beguiled with them By this learne thou then how subiect the heart of man is to vanitie and how readie hee will be to sucke it in Hee will sucke it in faster then euer a drie mouth will drinke in drinke and he will speake of his vanitie and filthines no there is not an obiect cast vp but it will defile the soule of the filthie speaker To what end should I speak of these things the foule heart will commit filthines with the shadow of it and ere euer thou be a harlot in thy bodie thou wilt be a harlot in thy heart and tongue first and then it will not rest vntill thou pollute that bodie of thine Looke to it and proue thy experience if thy heart hath not committed adulterie or euer thy bodie committeth it The bodie was neuer so subiect to draw a pestilence as the hart is to attract the vice of adulterie and all other filthie vices and thy senses in thy head are as many doores to the soule that letteth in either good or euill things when they are open especially take heed The senses windowes to thy eyes and eares for they are principall but the eares chiefest For as the greatest grace is let in by the care for from whence commeth faith but by the hearing From whence cōmeth edificatiō but by the care and so it is a special sense in a man and therfore take heed to it As it receiueth the greatest grace so it will take in the foulest greatest vice that is Take heed thē to it let it not be giuen to euery bodies talk keep her chast lend her not to filthie speaking when thou hearest any speake filthie talke turne thy eare from him I giue this exhortation to yong ones that are brought vp in filthie houses with gentlemen with swaggerers I say this therefore for them that they may receiue knowledge for it will take a deepe impression And therefore it should be enformed in good things for there is none of you but the filthie things ye gate in your youth hindreth you in good operation Therefore thou that art young keepe a chast eare abhorre filthie companie And you know if the pestilence were in a house you would not abide there O if thou knewest the pestilence of filthie talke thou wouldest not abide in the house with him that speaketh filthie talke For as filthie thoughts are put from the heart so filthie speaking is from the mouth and as there is mortification required in the heart so there is mortification required in the mouth and tongue That spirit crieth to all runne vp thorough the bodie and all the members of it and mortifie them beginning at the heart Therefore thou that wouldest speake speake cleane things minister grace in thy talke purge the heart for yee know out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Therefore I say to you if thou heare a Lord speake foule talke say my Lord your heart is foule stinking like a priuie I will say this to thee Lord clense thy heart and tongue or els both will be burnt in hell Againe brethren as the contagion ariseth out of the heart to the tongue euen so the filthy word goeth not so soone from the mouth or tongue but it sendeth a stinke back againe to the heart and it maketh it fouler then before and so thou defilest not thy tongue only by thy filthie speech but thou defilest thy heart and laiest on it a double filthines Is it not as good then to be silent and euer purging your hearts Thou that thinkest both filthie things and speakest filthy things O vile villaine thou sinnest doubly But alas who can hinder this filthines in man or woman alas so long as we liue we shall finde it in them yet I giue thee my counsell lend not thy tongue to it but aske grace of God in Iesus Christ to keepe thy heart and tongue from this vncleannes and be slaine in thy heart and surely thou shalt get grace in thy heart to slay it by the spirit of the Lord Iesus to whom be all honour and praise for euer THE XXVII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 9. 10. 9 Lie not one to another seeing that ye haue put off the old man with his workes 10 And haue put on the new which is renued in knowledge after the image of him that created him WE insist yet brethren in this exhortation which the Apostle hath to the Colossians to this end that they should mortifie their earthly members that is their lusts and foule affections He vseth sundrie arguments to this purpose as we heard and at last hee concludeth that purpose in other words Before he said mortifie and now put away seeing it is to day it is a shame that they should bee seene now in Coherence the day light of righteousnes to walke in vncleannes and filthie lust Then he rehearseth vp a number of vices besides them that were before namely wrath anger which is firie malice cursed speaking filthie speaking And here we left the last day Now we shall goe forward with the last vice which is lying we be to speake of it first here and so to passe forward to the argument taken from that regeneration begun and therefore it should perseuere in vs to the end But to come to the vice of lying There be here three vices Three vices of the tongue reckoned that follow the tongue for if it bee euill it is the worst member in the bodie The first is cursed speaking when we hurt the fame of our brother The second is filthy speaking rotten speaking as hee saith in another place when wee defile the eare and consequently the heart of our brother with the breath of our mouth for we defile all and our owne heart also whereunto our foule speech returneth as ye
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
the kingdome of God It is peace and ioy in the holie Ghost Rom. 14. 17. So if thou be one of that kingdome thou wilt be a peaceable bodie Then the man that cannot liue in peace but is full of variance euer troubling and renting the members of the Common-weale who will not say that that man is not to bee suffered in the towne hee is not worthie to dwell in it much more a restles spirit in the kingdome of Iesus Christ Disturbers of the peace of Church and Common wealth should bee driuen out of the towne Looke if our text speakes not this These restles spirits that trouble not only the Common-weale this whole kingdom and haue studied to the subuersion of the whole land but haue by their meanes gone about to trouble the whole kingdome of Christ they should haue no place neither in Church nor Common-weale they are vnworthie of any calling either in Church or policie they haue pulled themselues asunder from both The second argument is from the body wherein we are vnited Were it not a monstrous thing to see the hand strike the face if thou hadst spiritual eyes it would seeme as monstrous a thing to thee to see a member of that body of Christ to strike another Then briefly as the ioyning of men in a citie requires a peaceable life and that they should liue in peace much more this vnion of the members not in a citie and Common-weale onely but in a body so that some of them are the hand some the eye some the foot and so foorth This vnion requires peace and quietnes they should not be restles spirits nor full of variance and therefore thou that art a restles spirit in the Church of God and yet saist thou art of the Church and wilt say thou beleeuest I say to thee thou shewest plainly thou hast nought to doe with the bodie And as I said before these troublesome men full of debate I will affirme it againe they neuer wist what that vnion with Christ is for if they had that vnion with Christ that grace of Christ would come downe from the head and bind them with the bodie So thou shewest Such as loue not peace haue nothing to doe with Christ nor his Church plainly that thou hast not to doe neither with the bodie nor with the head O murtherers your hearts are full of dissension ye shall perish in that great day I giue you this doome ye shall not escape Thus much for the eight peece of this garment of regeneration and sanctification In the end of this verse wee haue the ninth grace and peece of this garment and it is this Be thankefull that is the force of The ninth part of the garment of the nevv man the word so it is thankfulnes that he requires All the rest before are offices and graces that preuent a good deede done As when a man begins to bee mercifull to any or mercie bee shewen to him of that person that is a good deede done and so the former graces stand in doing But this grace of thankfulnes VVhat thankefulnes is it is such as stands in recompencing a good deede done In rendring good for good If thou wilt compare this grace with them that went before it is lesse then any of them for it is a greater matter to be the beginner of any good deede then to recompence a good deede done to thee And thou art a wretched bodie that neither canst doe good nor when good is done to thee canst not render thankes for it There be three Three sorts of good mē sorts of good men First he is a good man that can begin to do any good to another not prouoked by any thing that is done to him which for Gods cause can bee beneficiall to his neighbour Secondly he is a good man that can render good for good and recompence the good done to him but there can no true recompencing come without the spirit of grace Lastly he is the best man that can render good for euill that can finde in his heart to meete an euill deede with any good There be as many sorts of euill men he is an euill man that cannot shew mercie to another nor begin to doe any good but hath Three sorts of euill mē his heart locked vp Againe hee is farre worse that when hee hath gotten good cannot recompence it with good againe especially to them to whom he hath been most indebted as to his parents This countrie is full of such this man is a wretch he is worse then an Infidell An Ethnick can render good for good thou shamest thy parents What if this ingratitude were to common men but it is to them to whom they are most bound to and it is an argument that thou art vngratefull to the Lord. But the worst of all is he that for good repaies euill and this land is full of such also yea they who haue done them most good they will meete them with an euill turne All these are vngratefull men and when thou hast called a man an vngratefull man thou hast called him all the euill in the world for such a one is vnworthie to liue Therefore studie to be thankfull and thou that gettest any good done to thee by any man at the least meete him with thankfulnes It is meruaile how a man can lie downe without this consideration for if thou suffer thy selfe to be opprest with ingratitude thou shalt perish If the time would serue I would goe forward I will marke onely this All these graces are grounded vpon the word of Iesus Christ vpon this Gospell Wouldest thou be mercifull let the word dwell in thee Wouldest thou be kind wouldest thou be humblie minded and so foorth of the rest of the graces let the word of Iesus Christ raigne in thee This is the meane that ingenders these graces and keepes them in thy heart to wit the word of Iesus So thou who wouldest be gracious The Gospell is Gods hand to fill vs vvith graces and full of grace be full of the Gospell For it is that word that purifieth the heart neuer rest til thou get thy heart full of the Gospell Thou thinkest that nothing can fill thee but a bodily foode no no the word of Iesus is as effectuall to fill the heart as sensible as euer thou foundest thy stomacke fed with foode But consider this this fulnes of the heart is not gotten so long as we liue here Therefore let our pleasure bee euer in filling of our hearts with the Gospel as thou hast pleasure to fill thy stomacke with meate and drinke so fill thy Simile heart thine emptie heart that is full of nothing but winde fill it with the Gospell Alas if we could get an hunger of the word for the soule that hungers for the foode of the word it shall be filled and it shall feele the sweetnes of the word But the heart is so filled