vnspeakable and glorious It is euen so with the Church howbeit wee see not the members of Christ in the bodie yet if we haue the spirituall eye we shall see them and they vs and shall haue this spirituall ioy spoken of in this place And this same ioy that is in this life with the Saints is a sure argument of a passing ioy that wee shall haue with the Church when we are gathered to our head Iesus Christ when with the eye of the bodie we shall see those glorified bodies O vaine bodie thou neuer wist what ioy glorie and beautie meaneth if thou attaine not to this to be a member of Iesus Christ and to haue a spirituall presence with others Now followes what matter of ioy he heard in them Beholding saith he your order then the stedfastnes of your faith Hee saw this in spirit and not with the eye of the bodie Brethren certainly the thing that man walkes in if it be in the ioy of the heart it must be pleasant it must be a pleasant sight that will make a man to reioyce Ye see when a man sees a thing that is not pleasant he wil not reioyce So that except the man of God see that that is pleasant he will not neither can he reioyce in heart Now what is more beautifull then the spouse of Iesus sauing the Lord himselfe who is the bridegroome There is nothing more beautifull to the spirituall eye then the Church of Christ howsoeuer she seemes to be vile in this world The first part of this beautie is Order that is a well ordered The beautie of the Church life holines of manners according to the rule of the Gospell so holines of life is the order he saw among them and thou shalt neuer see a face so pleasant as holines is when it is vttered by a well ordred life That is the fairest beautie that a man or woman can haue if thou want this wash and decke thy selfe as well as thou canst thou art no better then dirt and dung that is troden vnder feete If a man looke vpon thee with a spirituall eye if thou wert a Queene pamper thy selfe vp as thou wilt want thou holines thou art but dirt and filthie dung for all thy outward brauerie of attire The second thing that made him to reioyce with them in Faith spirit it was deeper then the first Holines is outward therefore he goes further downe and in through their life he looks and sees the faith that lay in the heart that is to say of the outward behauiour he gathers more of their inward faith from the which holines proceedeth For certaine it is that thou canst not be holy if thou haue not a good action in thy hand nor an holy word in thy mouth if faith be not in thy heart So when a man hath a spirituall eye hee will presse into the heart and not stand vpon outward appearances O then how great is the beautie of faith Thy outward actions are nothing without this faith in thy heart and it is a thing most pleasant to God when hee seeth faith in thy heart and that thou beleeuest in Iesus He calles it not simply faith but hee calles it that solidnes that stedfastnes of faith in Iesus Christ Well thou that wouldest haue faith thou must haue a solide faith if thou be wagging and wauering nodding here and there so that when thou art in Scotland thou art of the religion there professed when thou art in France Germany of Trauellers into Spaine and Italy the religions professed there and when thou art in Spaine Italy and Rome thou art of their religion Is that thy faith That faith of thine shall doe thee no good thou art but a vaine bodie there is no stedfastnesse in thee and except there bee stedfastnesse of faith in thy heart thou shalt neuer be a holy liuer Many will professe at this day I haue faith in Christ Iesus I beleeue but to come to their life there is no such thing and this is because there is no sound faith in their heart but their faith is onely in the tip of their tongue For thou that leadest a life contrary to faith thou hast no faith at al. For the Apostle seeing a godly life in these Colossians hee gathers that there was a solide faith in them Then in a word there is the matter of ioy that the godly haue when they see first that outward How wee may truly ioy in our brethren when vve see them stand fast in faith liue godly and righteously beautie of holines and godlines of conuersation in thee or in any man and then that stedfast faith from whence it springs there is matter of ioy When wee see a Church liue godly and then haue faith stedfast in Christ here the ioy of the heart will arise and by the contrary there cannot be a greater displeasure then to see a Church out of order liuing a life directly contrary to their profesion there is the displeasure and grief of the faithfull And so to come to our selues if we would be pleasant to others that neuer saw vs let vs liue after this order and seeke to haue faith in Iesus otherwise be sure they that neuer sawe thee will be witnesses against thee to thy iust damnation that thou professest one way and hast liued cleane contrary to thy profession In the next verses hee returnes to his exhortation and gathers his conclusion Therefore saith the Apostle as ye haue receiued Christ Iesus the Lord and begun exceeding well both in life and faith so walke in him perseuere in him there is the exhortation Note heere first the thing that should moue a Church or any person to perseuerance What should moue thee to hold on to the end Hast thou begun in holines of life and faith in the heart The beginning should moue thee to goe forward to the end A good beginning would haue a good end otherwise it had been better thou hadst neuer begun I shall giue thee a faithfull counsell either minde neuer to be a Christian man or woman or else beginning once and taking that name vpon thee hold on perseuere for euer For if thou Perseuerance perseuere not thy damnation shall be double and thou shalt curse the day that euer thou heardst of Iesus so Iesus shall be either saluation to thee or damnation Peter saith in his second Epistle chap. 2. 21. It had been better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnes thē after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto them It had been better for thee neuer to haue receiued this word and doctrine of the Gospell then to haue fallen backe from this holy doctrine Then I note the manner of perseuering Euen as thou hast receiued him walke in him As if he would say ye haue receiued him in simplicitie of heart ye haue receiued the Gospell without the traditions of
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
spirituall life begun here The perfect life of glorie is with Christ therefore they should set their eye on heauen and heauenly things Now to go forward they might haue demaunded when shall wee haue that life and when shall it be manifested To this the Apostle in the first verse which I haue now read answereth and saith it shall be reuealed to you yea rather ye shall appeare as soone as Iesus Christ the Lord of life shall be reuealed After this followeth another exhortation grounded vpon this answere and promise of life to be reuealed as we shall heare To come then to the first part of their demaund and question they moue I marke this first when once any hath begun to taste of that life to come and of heauenly things as the Colossians did there is a continuall longing and desire to haue the fulnes and accomplishment thereof If thou hadst tasted it thou wilt long for it and aske when it shall be fully reuealed Such as haue tasted Christ effectually long to see him And therefore Paul to the Romanes chap. 8. vers 23. saith We that haue receiued the first fruites of the spirit there is the beginning of the life spirituall and of heauen we sigh within our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies What thing can be more cleere then this And in the 2. Cor. chap. 5. vers 2. We saith he being burdened with this mortalitie we sigh not that we would cast away these bodies but that we would be cloathed vpon Then he expoundeth himselfe that mortalitie might be swallowed of life So the taste of a spirituall life here hath euer a continuall longing and a desire to haue it fully manifested that it might appeare as it is It is euer enquiring The first obseruation when it shall be fulfilled but thou that hast not tasted it thou canst not seeke after it and thou that hast not tasted it in this life thou shalt neuer finde it hereafter But I debarre thee from heauen and this life of Iesus play thy part as thou wilt and reele here and there at thy pleasure if thou haue not a taste of heauen and of the life of Iesus here thou shalt neuer see it hereafter I giue thee this doome The next thing I obserue about this demaund is They aske not so soone but as soone they are answered yea they are preuented The second obseruatiō and they get no leasure as it were to aske So thou that seekest for comfort shalt get comfort they that seeke for that life euerlasting shall get a meeting and finde a comfortable answere It cannot faile at the least while they be put in possession of it they shall be fed with the promise of that life and shall no sooner aske for it but the answere shall be made to them When Christ shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glorie And least brethren ye should thinke these promises to be but bare words Peter in his first Epistle and first chapter resolueth you when he saith beleeuing in the promise ye reioyce with a ioy vnspeakable and glorious The faith in the promise of things that are not yet come filleth the heart with ioy and bringeth some sense of that we long for for the faith in the promise sucketh that life out of heauen Therefore beleeue while thou seest let faith hold vp thy heart vntill thou be put in the full possession of the things beleeued in To come to the words of the text The promise is this Ye shall appeare in glorie and ye shall see your life There is the promise The time is defined here when Christ shall appeare vpon this defining of the time ye shall note Our life dependeth vpon Christ the time of it dependeth vpon his time all the time from the beginning to his first comming in our nature as hee was hid and was not yet manifested So that heauenly life lay hid and shined not in the world and more I tell you few gat it and few saw it Then againe when hee begun to come out and manifest himselfe in our nature then our life came out and begun to appeare Lastly when hee shall come againe in this full manifestation of his glorie that that thou now hast is but little in respect of that which thou shalt see It was but a small sight the Iewes gat in respect of that thou shalt get then for then shall thy life appeare in the fulnes of it there shall nothing be hidden but all shall be made manifest And seeing then our life dependeth on him alwaies hang thou on him by faith and waite for his comming Alas cannot thy eye once in the day be lifted vp to heauen to waite for him Paul maketh the promise to none but to those who waite for his last comming and so it shall not pertaine to thee if thou waite not for his comming Againe another thing followeth cleerely of these words and The third obseruatiō this manifestation The glorie of Christ must be in the first place it must be formost Then secondly followeth thy life and thy glorie as one pendicle of his glorie for thy life is manifested with him when hee shall appeare who is thy life then shalt thou appeare So his life and glorie goeth first and then thine followeth after And when Christ shal come in that day the chiefest respect he shal haue shall be to his own glory And therefore 2. Thess chap. 1. vers 10. it is said when he shall come he shall come that he may be glorified among his Saints So the end of his comming is his glorie that hee may be admirable that all The manifestation of Christ in his compleate glorie vnto men and Angels with admiration the Angels and all the Saints may stand about to giue glorie to Iesus Nay there shall not be such a wondring at the elects glorie as at his glorie he shall be a perpetuall admiration to man and Angell Then the lesson is seeing it is his glorie that first shall appeare giue it the first place and let it be deerer to thee then thy life and thy glorie both Thou shalt not diminish one iot of that yea chuse rather to goe to hell then that he should not haue his glorie yea if thou account more of thy life then his of glorie thou shalt neither get life nor glorie In some measure thou must do as Moses and Paul did rather then hee should want his glorie desire rather to be rased out of the booke of life and to be Anathema accursed for therein thou shalt lose nothing but thou preferring his glorie to thy very life and saluation shalt find life glorie and saluation for euer for he loueth them decrely that loue him In the beginning of this verse there is a short description of Christ when Christ that is our life This short description containeth the cause wherefore when he shall be glorified and appeare
Then in this life in the faithfull Christ is not all in vs for there is much ill stuffe besides grace in vs. Goe thy way to thy heart and thou shalt finde it thus and thou shouldest thinke it a marueile that one sparke of grace should abide within thee But come to that life to come In the resurrection when faith shall goe away Iesus Christ shall be in thee in his full glorie Then in that estate there shall be nothing but Christ Al this vncleannes and vilenes shall be cast away and that heart of thine shall be inlightened and shine in thy bodie It shall not hold in thee but it shall breake out in thy face and make all glorious both thy hands and feete and all this mortalitie shall be scoured out of thee and then it shall be truly spoken Christ is all in all Now one thing and so I end Comparing this place with that to the Galath chap. 3. vers 28. I finde there one end of the comming of Christ and of the new man in this word that is not specified here and it is that all might be made one in Iesus Christ for as long as hee is a Iew and a Grecian they are two but when once this commeth that they are new men they are made one in Christ so the words spoken import For Christ being in all who is one of necessitie all must be one And againe if hee be all in all it being but one of necessarie force it must be one Ye see the end of Christs comming into this world of the new man it is this to make all one to put Communiō of Saints away all this variance and to ioyne all in one There is much adoe to ioyne altogether wouldest thou haue thy blessednes to stand it standeth in ioyning thee first with thy head Iesus Christ and then in making thee a member of his bodie If it were but one ioynt of his little finger if thou be but one toe of that bodie thou shalt be safe Well wanton men and women goe out from the Church But O that terrible wrath if thou be not found in that blessed societie make a iest of it as long as thou wilt if thou be not of the militant Church thou shalt not see the triumphant Church and thou shalt not be of the number of them that shall be glorified I might let you see the example what danger it is to be cut off from this bodie of the Church I aske what is a mans arme worth when it is cut off it serueth for nothing it dieth and perisheth Now it is euen as sure if thou be cut off from this militant Church thou shalt die and perish and thou shalt neuer haue part with thy head Iesus Christ if thou abide cut off thou shalt die euerlastingly Wherefore count it your blessednes to be first conioyned with Christ and then with his members Now what is the blessednes of the true God euen an vnitie in trinitie So thou art blessed when thou art one with the members of Christ and all thy ioy is to be in the Lord Iesus Now the Lord graunt we may abide one vntill we obtaine this vnitie in perfection in Iesus Christ to whom be all honour and praise now and for euer Amen THE XXIX LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 12. 13. 12 Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued put on tender mercie kindnes humblenes of minde meeknes long suffering 13 Forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell to another euen as Christ forgaue you euen so doe ye BEfore in this chapter the Apostle hath exhorted the Colossians to mortifie slay and put away the members affections and actions of the old man that is of the sinful and corrupt nature Now because it is not enough to put off the members of the old man the actions of the sinfull nature except we appeare before God with other actions for we cannot stand naked before him therfore in the second roume hee exhorteth vs to put on the members actions and affections of the new man these are the actions and this is the cloathing wherewith we must be clad to stand before God Then to come to the words and to weigh euery word as the Lord shall giue the grace The first word is Therfore put on c. He hath spoken immediatly before of the new man now vpon the occasion of this word new man he gathers his conclusion Haue you put on the new man Therefore put on all his actions If ye be holie cloathe your selues with holy actions The obseruation is short The new man which consists in holines and righteousnes requires a new life and new actions for if the life be not yet renewed but that the old life yet abide with the old actions I say you wot not what the new man meanes This is but a vaine boasting of regeneration that is in the mouthes of men to say thou art renewed and made a new man all is but vaine Let me see thy life and thy actions and I shall tell thee by them what thou art otherwise thou shalt neuer perswade me that thou hast put on the new man Now the Apostle saith Therefore put on as it were a garment or raiment neuer to be put off againe I shewed you before that when once thou hast put on this new man thou must not cast him off againe as thou wilt doe with thy coate at night when thou goest to bed which thou wilt cast off and the morrow put it on againe but this cloathing thou must goe in it walke in it lye downe with it and rise with it Now the parts of the cloathing followe Put on therefore the bowels of mercie c. Note then briefly wherein stands this abiliment of the new man It is made of sundrie parts it is like the coate of Ioseph made of sundrie colours This coate is so pleasant that it is wonderfull to looke on Mercie a pleasant sight Bountifulnes pleasant Modestie pleasant Meekenes pleasant Lenitie pleasant so there was neuer so pleasant a garment put vpon the backe of man Before hee comes to the parts of this garment hee puts in by the way sundrie arguments to moue them to put on this new man The motiues are three the first is election the second holines the third the loue of God towards vs. Ye are the chosen of God the holy ones of God the beloued of God therfore put on this garment that is pleasant in the eyes of God But to examine these grounds The first is their election that is the calling them out of this darknes into the light of God so Peter defines it 1. Pet. 2. 9. a faire choise This Gospell that ye heare is the light of the world and so this election whereof the Apostle speakes here is nothing els but that which we call commonly our vocation For whom God hath
that the Gospell bringeth out in the heart of man in the circumstance of the time of the hastie working of the Gospell in the hearts of men euen in that same hower that man heareth it first he findes it so powerfull in him and the continuance of it working still in him that it is a sure argument to him and a note not onely of the truth of the Gospell but also that it is the very truth of God If any hath found this sincere working in his heart by the Gospell this is a sure argument that it is the truth of God which you heare though all the world and the Pope himselfe should crye against it Briefly as in these words he commends the Gospell so he commends the Colossians because they receiued it and continued in the same The spirit of God when he giues thee a grace he will fall out in commending of thee and this testifyeth a wonderfull loue and mercy in God and of his liking of them to whom he giues his grace he will giue them such a praise as if they God commends and crownes his own graces in vs. were something and yet they are nothing this should make vs to meete him with thankefulnesse to praise him for something when he praiseth thee for nothing When he hath done with the Gospell he comes to the person they might haue said what is this man that preacheth the Gospell hee is no Apostle Paul answereth in effect whatsoeuer the man be he hath taught you the truth and then he commends the man as for the man I will tell you hee is a fellow labourer with me howbeit I be an Apostle he is no seruant to me but with me he hath his owne roome and why he is a minister of Iesus Christ more he is beloued of me I tender the cause he is a minister and a faithfull minister he is sincere in his calling and as for you he is wholy for your behoofe and profit he is sent to you and for you a faithfull minister in Iesus Christ And he hath shewen indeede that he is for you for he hath testified True loue of you and of your heartie loue and he calleth it the loue of the spirit thereby highly commending their loue because if loue be true it must not onely proceede of thy affection but it must proceede of the spirit of Iesus Thus for the words marke then when we see a man faithfull in any calling whether in the Church or common-wealth this same recommendation Obserue that Paul makes of Epaphras teacheth vs to recommend that man that dischargeth a faithfull dutie according to the grace giuen him that they may haue the better lyking of him I say he is a minister of Sathan that seeing a man faithfull in any calling goeth about to seuer them and him to put a misliking in the hearts of the people to seuer them whom God hath ioyned together Now to goe to the next argument hitherto haue you heard of the first argument touching thanksgiuing the next followeth in prayer Therefore saith he from the first day that I haue heard of this grace vncessantly I pray to God for you Marke first that same very grace of spirituall loue and charitie wherefore he thanketh God moueth him to pray to God for them Then brethren in any grace whether it bee faith or loue or patience c. there is matter both of thanksgiuing and prayer to God as thou art bound to thanke God for the grace receiued so thou art bound to pray for the same and Prayer to God the more graces we see in a man the greater care ought we to haue to pray to God to keepe him in those graces But the time is to be considered euen as soone as hee heard of their faith and loue hee begunne to pray and from that day to this day his prayer abideth This teacheth first that after a man hath receiued a great grace from God hee should euer pray that that grace receiued may abide with him and he with it according to the example of Paul for such is the frailtie of mans nature that euery moment he is readie to fal from grace except the Lord holde him vp Againe marke this when he would haue the grace kept in the heart what meanes vseth he prayer immediatly hee prayeth to God for them Then in a word earnest and feruent prayer to God is the meanes to get grace from him to keepe it either in thy owne heart or in others If thou wouldest haue any grace of God and haue it abiding with thee fructifying in thy heart pray to God Prayer Prayer is the only meane to effect and obtaine of God whatsoeuer thou standest in neede of and when thou hast gotten any thing prayer is the meanes to procure a blessing to the same that it abide with thee What prayeth he for to them It is no grace that they had gotten alreadie Wherefore then that you may be filled Marke the words for there is exceeding great pith in them and would to God we could attaine to the force of them that ye may be filled saith he with grace as if he would say grace is begun with you alreadie now I pray that you may be filled with grace you are not full yet for so long as thou liuest thou mayest get grace but I say thou wilt neuer be filled with grace here in this world but there will euer be some emptinesse and wastnes in thee There is euer some want in the regenerate man Learne another lesson Wherein standeth thy felicitie and blessednes euen in this in a filling vp of that wastnes and emptines within thee alas if thou saw and felt thy own voydnesse and want of grace in thy heart thou wouldest neuer cease but euer bee seeking and crying for abundance of faith for an emptie heart will perish Surely if thy heart bee voyde of grace goe as gallantly as thou pleasest casting thy head in the winde if thou haue not grace and a fulnesse of grace in the end thou shalt perish looke to it as thou wilt Thinke ye not that our blessednesse is to be in likenesse with God and Iesus Christ our head God is full O what fulnes is in God! Iesus Christ is full wee sawe him saith Iohn 1. 14. Full of glorie Then it must follow if we would be truly blessed we must bee full as our head is full and as the Apostle to the Colossians saith we must be filled with that fulnesse of God Blessed are they saith Christ Matth. 5. 6. that hunger for righteousnesse Col. 3. 19. for they shall be filled Then hunger euer for righteousnesse that thou mayest be filled for to be filled is the blessednesse of mans estate But what stuffe must this be wherewith we must bee filled it is not thy happinesse to bee filled with euery thing as with meate and drinke oft times when thou art fullest after that manner thou art emptiest of
grace He prayeth that they should be filled with knowledge with light euen with that that they haue most neede of O the darknesse that is in man naturally he is full of that blacke smoake of darkenesse he is choked full of it lying wallowing in it so that of all things he hath greatest misse of light If thou were lying in a pit thou wouldest thinke it a great benefit to get a glimse The naturall blindnes of man Ephes 6. 12. 13. of light O but if thou sawst thy owne darkenesse in thy soule thou wouldest neuer bee ioyfull whilst thou gatst this light which the Apostle prayeth for So thē the thing we need most is the spirituall light of God for God is light and dwelleth in light that hath no accesse 1. Tim. 6. 16. What is then thy blessednesse to be filled with this light to be partaker of it in some part as thou art able to be filled with it So the thing promised in the scripture is knowledge and light and the first thing the Apostle prayeth for is to get knowledge of this mysterie of Christ The second word is to be marked that you may be filled with all knowledge This speech letteth vs see that it will not be a part of knowledge that will fill a man but he must be filled with all knowledge how beit the heart of man be but of a small roome and capacitie yet if his heart be sanctified it is a wonderfull thing the length and the depth of the grace that it will receiue howbeit it be finit yet vnspeakable how infinite a thing it will receiue God shall dwell and be all in all in that heart that is once sanctified so infinite a thing it will be capable of Take it in the owne nature thereof ye finde it in A sanctified heart experience in common sciences it is not capable of things that are finit but get it once sanctified it will take apprehension of that infinit maiestie and riches in him That you may be filled with all knowledge whereof there are many things better not to be knowen then to bee knowen Adam would faine haue knowne the mysterie of the forbidden tree and it had been wel for him that he had neuer knowne it Whereof then must this knowledge be of his will what a will is that Euen that will that Iesus his sonne comming out of the bosome of the father hath reuealed to the world that was the best and ioyfullest reuelation that euer was So it must be the knowledge of the will of God reuealed Where was this will some will aske all the time preceding the comming of Christ looke 1. Cor. 2. 7. It was a wisedome in a mysterie hid and neuer fully reuealed while Christ came which was appointed reade the place vnto our glorie Then he comes to that that was contained in that mysterie The things saith he that the eye neuer saw the eare neuer heard neither entred into the heart of man loue him if thou wilt which God hath prepared and reuealed to vs by his spirit If thou haue his spirit thou wilt pierce into the gulfe of his loue towards thee in Iesus Christ and of his riches And in the epistle to the Ephesians 1. hee opens the mysterie more cleerely well it is no small matter to get the eye of thy minde opened Thou wilt thinke it a great matter to get the eye of thy body opened that thou mightest see the visible creatures of God But what is that sight and the opening of the bodily eye to the sight of the soule and opening of the eye of thy soule whereby thou shalt see God and the things of God for thy weale There is no match here Therefore the Apostle to the Ephesians explaines this mysterie more cleerely where he saith that You may see what is the hope of his calling yet he goeth further and what is the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and then he goeth further And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towards vs. And if thou hast faith thou shalt tast of such an excellent grace that thou shalt wonder that that same sory and sillie heart could gripe and attaine to such vnsearchable riches The effect of his will is this the way of redemption to the lost world is reuealed the way of remission of sinnes how to be made holy and the rest of the graces reuealed in Iesus Christ True wisedome This is the will of God Note then what call you true wisdome Men would be wise man inclines to nothing more then to haue knowledge Then what is true knowledge To know the way of thy redemption And if thou want this the greater knowledge thou hast the greater foole Be a foole man to come to this knowledge Come down thou art that scansing soring I wot not where come downe come downe I say if thou know not Iesus thou art a foole thou shalt neuer reach to the wisdome of Christ thou must come down and leaue thy foolery and proud conceite of knowledge if thou wilt be truly wise In the end of the verse when generally he hath spoken of this knowledge he laieth it out abroad and saith With all wisdome and vnderstanding By wisdome briefly he vnderstandeth all that knowledge that consists not so much in doing as in contemplation By vnderstanding he meanes such knowledge as stands in doing for religion and that true Philosophie and wisdome is not a bare meditation for a man to sit in his chamber all the day and like a Cloister Monke and in the meane time to doe nothing thereby to profit the Church of God it is nothing it auailes not But religion is a knowledge and a meditation and a doing Practise thy religion or else it is not worth a penny And if it shine not in thy life it is but durt so you haue the parts of this knowledge wisdome Wisedome in meditation vnderstanding in practise in meditation vnderstanding in practising to profit the world You see first this knowledge is spirituall in quality not earthly It is of things that neuer shall take end it is parted it stands in wisdome and stands in practising will you come to degrees It is perfect in degrees and then it is perfect in parts in the which there is nothing that wants or is superfluous This is that knowledge that we haue in Christ howbeit the Apostle would seeme that he prayeth that they should get this faith here yet is it sure that it is neuer gotten in this life if thou shouldest liue Methusalems daies It must be that thou grow in filling vp this faith euery day thou liuest more and more but so long as thou brookest this mortalitie this fulnes whereof the Apostle speakes shal neuer be for this mortalitie must be swallowed vp of life If thou wouldest haue this faith thou shalt neuer get it till the day of the resurrection at which time God shall be all in all 1.
not The rule is as it becommeth that Lord of light as it becommeth that glorious Gospell this reuelation of the God of glorie as it becommeth so glorious a calling Then he sheweth what it is to walke worthie of the Lord it is to please him in all things in all our actions and cogitations to studie to please him to make him a meeting as the Apostle speaketh seeing he hath set himselfe to please vs we should goe about euery way to please him Now brethren thus farre wee heard the last day briefly in this text first we haue foure points or heads in the which consisteth the pleasing of the Lord. Then we are to enter into the third part of the epistle concerning the doctrine to the Colossians The first part of the pleasing of the Lord is this fructifying saith he in euery good worke there 4. points wherein we ought to indeauour to please God is the first part The second is growing in knowledge The third is to be strengthened with all might through his glorious power The fourth and last is being strengthened with all might vnto patience vnder the crosse to thanke him cheerefully and ioyfully These are the foure points wherein the pleasuring of God standeth To come to the first it is to fructifie in euery good worke marke it the speech is borrowed from a tree that brings out good fruite We knowe the pleasure of the Husband-man is when he seeth a tree in his garden fruiteful and bringing out good fruite in due season Euen so the pleasure of the Lord is when he looketh downe to thee as vnto a tree planted in his garden and seeth thee fructifying in euery good worke that is his pleasure But here the difference betwixt the fruitfull tree and the godly man is this The tree that is most frutefull S. will bring out but a kinde of fruite onely an apple tree will bring forth apples a peare tree peares and another his kinde of fruite and so forth in the rest but thou that art a fruitfull tree in the garden of the Lord thou must not bee bound to one kinde of fruite but as the Apostle speaketh you must bring forth all good workes both of soule and body for the Lord will not haue the fruite of the one without the other But if thou be planted in the garden of the Lord thou must bring forth fruite to the pleasure of God both of soule and body Againe you knowe a tree hath the season but thou art not bound to one season to sommer winter or haruest but thou art bound to beare fruites continually So briefly brethren there is the first point of the pleasing of God wouldest thou please him looke that thou bee fruitefull bee not barren worke be not idle be occupied and well occupied doe no euill but good not one sort of goodnesse but all the good that is possible for thee to doe Now to come to the second point of the pleasing of God it stands in growing in knowledge and that is faith This point flowes from the first marke it A man that fructifieth in good workes he feedes vpon his owne workes by the very iuyce and sap of the workes Growth in knowledge knowledge or faith is nourished It is true in deede good workes must come of faith and there cannot be good workes where faith is not first they must rise of faith in the heart and faith as the Apostle saith worketh by charitie Galath 5. 6. Euen Good workes Note well as good workes come of faith so good workes nourish augment and intertaine the mother of it that is faith This is the difference betwixt the fruitfull man and the tree The tree bringeth not forth the fruite to it selfe nor feedes on it It is not so with the fruitfull man In deede it is true the good workes of a man which are the fruite of faith they serue first to the glorie of God and next to the good of his neighbour But there is further vse of them he getteth the best himselfe Doest thou a good turne to any man thou hast the best of it thy selfe and thou feedest more on thy good worke then the person doth vpon whom thou bestowdest thy good worke So this is sure good workes nourish faith euen as euill workes sowre and bitter fruites whereof this land is ful foule thoughts in thy heart foule and filthie speeches in thy mouth cruell and barbarous deedes in thy hand nourish vnbeleefe in the filthie and wicked person Trowest thou all is gone from thee when thou hast suffered a foule word to passe out of thy mouth and an euill deede to passe from thy hand that thou art quit of them No no it comes backe vpon thy selfe and leaueth a foule blacke spot behinde it and if thou bee an infidell thy infidelitie increaseth in thy heart and thou art nourished by it Alas the best of vs all is subiect at all times to one euill or other If thou be faithfull the very euill deede will come backe vpon thee and anger thy heart The very euill deedes if thou goe forward in them shall extinguish thy faith or feeling as the Apostle saith 1. Thes 5. 19. So thy fruits shall either augment thy faith or else extinguish thy faith if thou continue Therefore take heede to thy doings that they wound thee not to thy heart and if thou wouldest please God fructifie in good workes and secondly by them growe in faith The third point followes being strengthened with all might through his glorious power and this followeth from the second for euery one followeth from other Wee knowe that the tree that groweth as it fructifieth so it groweth strong a growing thing groweth euer to strength as a decreasing thing faileth more and more to weakenes and the more the fruitfull tree groweth it is the stronger so a man growing in faith and good workes he growes to strength For except the tree groweth to strength it may well fructifie for a time but it is not able to fructifie long the sommer will wither it and the winter will rot it euen so a man except he growe in faith and in the fruits of faith to a strength till he be strong and growe in strength of well doing he shall not be able to stand and abide all He shall not be able to abide the dint of persecutions the sword hunger imprisonment and such other afflictions I say he shall not be able to abide these things except he growe to a strength of God but the heate of persecution shall make him to perish and wither away He is not content with this simple word of strength but he addeth to all might A christian man must not be content with one sort of strength in this life In deede were there but one calamitie one affliction and one persecution one sort of strength might suffice but seeing there are manifold yea a thousand fold thy strength must bee a manifold strength thou must
all is but dung before God So you see what should be the first thing we should begin at to wit at a standing and perseuering in the faith of the Mediatour Abide in this and all shall follow of their owne will holines weldoing and the rest In the words following he shewes vs the way how to perseuere in faith If so be that you abide in the faith grounded founded The word is borrowed from building on a ground stone How to perseuere in faith the second word is and established euen as you see a man set down in a chaire resting without mouing or wagging sitteth still immoueable If thou wilt abide in faith thou must bee grounded and set downe and must not goe wagging fleeting and flowing as you see some doe Then what is this foundation whereupon thou must be grounded It is euen this same faith Thou must be grounded on it or else thou shalt not abide in it and if thou bee not built vpon it as vpon a building thou shalt not abide in it Faith then must bee the ground It must not be built as it were vpon thy heart it is the falsest ground The heart must be built and rest on faith that euer was but thy heart must be built on faith For faith in Iesus is a fast and established ground Now what is the seate euen this same faith Faith must not sit vpon thy heart which is but a ioggling seate a loose seate but thy heart must be turned ouer vpon the faith of Iesus Christ that is a fast seate so that all the powers in the world will not moue it In a word if Rest not night nor day till thou seele thy faith lying vnder thy heart and thy heart resting firme and stable on it thou abide and perseuere in the faith of Iesus Christ bee built on it rest neuer while thou rise vp vpon it as a building Rest not night nor day till thou feele it lying vnder thy heart rest not till thou finde thy heart setled without staggering sitting downe as it were on a fast stoole and seatc If thou be once setled and builded all the waues of temptations shall not once moue thee thou shalt stand fast like a house built on a strong rocke but if thou be not built and setled on it the least blast of winde of false doctrine and of affliction wil blow thee from Matth. 7. 24. 25. thy faith thy faith from thee like chaffe Alas see we not this inconstancie in fleeting and flowing A vaine lowne he is here to day and away to morrow a Protestant to day a Papist to morrow a Christian to day a Turk or Pagan to morrow and what ye will haue him What is the cause of this O that heart of thine was neuer established by grace A vaine and emptie heart was neuer grounded vpon faith in Iesus Christ And therefore it is that these miserable creatures are caried away as they are and be assured let thy heart abide in that miserable estate of inconstancie till the Lord come thou and it shall be turned into hell headlong as the lightest and rottennest thing in the world Thus much for this first perseuerance in faith He ads to another perseuerance and he saith If you be not 2 Perseuerance in hope of the Gospell moued from the hope of the Gospell that is if you perseuer in the hope of all these faire graces and mercies especially of that life euerlasting promised in the Gospell Now brethren would you know what this Gospell is The Gospell of Iesus Christ is like a mirror or looking glasse so the Apostle cals it 2. Cor. 3. 18. In the which we may see many faire things First we see Iesus Christ the Lord of glorie and then all the faire graces that followes on him thy remission of sinnes thy iustification 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. thy sanctification the heauen and life and all things what wouldst thou haue more Now the eye that lookes in it is not the eye of the bodie but the eye of faith quicker and cleerer than all the bodily eyes in the world The hand that holds vp that mirror is faith faith is an eye and a hand it sees and holds Now as faith is looking in the mirrour to Iesus Christ and to all the graces that followes him and to that life and glorie that neuer shall haue end in comes this hope and she awaiteth constantly for the accomplishment of all those graces Hope what and of that life euerlasting that faith sees in the mirror and she awaites till Christ come with that life in his hand with the glorie in his hand that he shall bring with him for them who awaits for him As soone as he comes the mirror fals downe The word goes away there shall be no more preaching when he comes And as thou sawst him before in the mirror so then thou shalt see his glorious face as he is so the mirror shall goe away that faith of thine shall goe away What shall be then in steed of all this Thou shalt get that that Paul saies 2. Cor. 5. 7. Now we walke by faith but then we shall walke by sight Our reioycing shall be in the sight of him for euer Now brethren you shal marke here briefly it is not enough to abide in the faith of the promise wherein thou hast promised to thee life euerlasting but with the faith thou must haue a hope awaiting constantly for the thing promised as thou beleeuest the promise that is the word so thou must hope for himselfe and his comming and that life he brings with him Ioyne these two together faith in the promise and hope in the performance of necessitie thou shalt get life That hope shall Faith and hope companions Rom. 5. 5. 6. neuer make thee a shamed It is a thing impossible that a man that waits for Christs comming can be disappointed for heauen and earth shal perish ere that man be disappointed of that he hoped for so then saith he if you be not moued from the hope of the Gospell I say then so long as we liue we must not want Take away the Gospel yee take away faith and hope this mirror of the Gospell Take away the mirror thou shalt see nought Take away the Gospell thou shalt not haue faith Take it away wherein shines all these heauenly graces thou hast nought to hope for and if thou hearest not of a life after this life thou canst not hope for it So these men in the world not onely among Pagans but amongst Christians Lords Barons that haue no pleasure in hearing of the Gospell to looke into Iesus that is in it trowe yee if thus they continue that they shall goe to heauen thinke ye that they can haue faith and hope no no more then a dog hath and their death shall be worse then a dogs death As euer then you would haue life faith and hope keepe the
if faith ioyne them not if thou wert all my kinne if thou haue not one faith with me we cannot be ioyned together And therefore considering this whatsoeuer thou bee that wouldest labour to conioyne a bodie with the Church striue day and night to bring that person to the faith of the Church For he will neuer be conioyned with the body that hath not this faith of the body But let vs marke the words All riches a high word of the full assurance of vnderstanding To begin at this hee calles faith Faith is an vnderstanding The wofull state of such as be ignorant of the Gospell an vnderstanding Faith is not ignorance and blindnes but it is an vnderstanding and thou that art altogether ignorant of God and of Iesus Christ thou hast no more faith then a dogge Bragge as thou wilt of it ignorant men will begin to crake of faith as though they knew it Faith is an eye that seeth more cleerely then all the eyes of the world It is a light Faith is an eye and vnderstanding the eye of the soule whereby we see God and his sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour yea faith is more then an vnderstanding it is a certaintie of the whole truth of God especially of the promises in Iesus Christ When thou art sure that euery word of the Gospell is true that is the assurance of faith and with this there is conioyned a heartie imbracing of the heart for when thou art sure of the promises O how the heart wil fold about y e promises of God! Haue you not assaied it yet Whē the heart hath assurance of the truth O how it wil cleaue to it For as it is said A true saying is worthie to be imbraced Now faith is not onely this full assurance but it is a riches The beleeuer most rich and most ioyfull Ye that would be rich take heede faith is not a poore thing a beggerly thing A faithfull bodie is no begger but he is rich But yet more he calles it not only riches but he calles it all riches So there is no riches without it thou that hast not faith hast no riches for howbeit thy hand be full yet if thou want faith thy hand is emptie He that hath not faith is euer poore and the beggerliest creature that is but he that hath faith giue him but a coate on his backe he is rich enough and he is the ioyfullest body that euer was ioyfuller by ten thousand times then these worldlings that gruntle on this pelfe of this world Well well then get faith and thinke that without it thou art not rich for if thou haue an emptie bag in thy hart thou art but a poore miserable creature Brethren ye heard how Paul speaking of this mysterie of the Gospel he called it the riches of God hid now speaking of faith he calles it riches also and all riches So I see all is riches Iesus is riches all things concerning Iesus be riches That mysterie of him is the riches of glorie This faith and full perswasion is riches And therefore wilt thou be rich seeke to Christ seeke to this Gospell swallow it vp seeke to faith And be not content till thou hast got a heartfull of this faith of Iesus Christ and then I promise thee thou shalt be rich and more ioyfull then if thou hadst all the world howbeit thou leaue not a peny behind thee Now to come to the rest of the words that I haue read they tend to the declaration of that that is spoken especially of the riches of faith Defining first the riches of faith hee cals it the knowledge that was hid vp in a mysterie and at last reuealed to the world to the euerlasting consolation of the world Then I see this faith is a relatiue to the mysterie that is to the Gospel and to speake it so the obiect of faith which faith seeth and vnderstandeth is the Gospell Now concerning this mysterie you heard before it was the riches of glorie Well if the obiect of faith bee the riches of glorie of necessitie thy faith must be glorious rich For a rich obiect makes a rich knowledge The Gospel the obiect of faith Knowest thou all the Sciences in the world all is but beggerly knowledge if thou want the knowledge of faith Therefore thou who wouldest know striue to know this rich mysterie for it shall giue theefull riches Now in the words God the subiect of the Gospel following he insists vpon this subiect of faith It is the mysterie of God then the subiect of it is God O that is a faire science that speakes of God! All other sciences that speake of the creatures it is but of dirt they speake of in respect of him who made them all One will come of and speake of the earth of fishes and paint out a faire storie of this King or that King of cornes of lands and that will be his subiect Another will goe vpward and speake of the heauen and starres but what is all that in respect of that glorious Creator but dirt So this Gospell of Iesus Christ is onely the eminent science that mounts The Gospel the science of sciences vp aboue all sciences And therefore this mysterie and this Gospell that speakes of this subiect must be glorious albeit the coate of it be but sober and simple howbeit it be preached by simple men and therefore our great men thinke nothing of it But if thou saw the glorie and riches that is in this Gospell O thou wouldest seeke it before all riches and all glorie It would be thy ioy day night teach it who will Well then take the Lord Iesus who is offred to thee in this base clothing as thou wouldest be partaker of him in glorie when this coate shall be shaken off The Apostle hauing made mention of God he leaues not off so but laies him out in two glorious personages and saith God euen the father and of Christ. God saith he that stands in these two personages glorious and equall in glorie the Father and the Sonne So what place would ye haue to know the Christ proued very God Godhead of the Lord our Sauiour if this place will not tell you For when hee hath set downe the Father to be the onely true God he sets down his sone Iesus Christ to be God equall with him in all things euery way So that Iesus thy redeemer he is so man that he is God glorious for euer I see againe there is no true vnderstanding of God but that whereby hee is knowne distinct in persons It is not enough to know that he The true knowledge of God is one in essence but if thou know him well thou must know him distinguished in three persons the Father Sonne and holy Spirit all eternall all equall in power glorie and maiestie onely one true and euerliuing God If this brethren be the true knowledge of God as
men perseuere in the same manner and put not to it so much as one tradition of any man The Lord Traditions Iesus cannot abide that the inuention of mans braine should be foysted into his Gospell So either keepe the Gospell in the owne simplicitie and spit out the dreames and traditions of men which they labour to put to it as though it were not sufficient or else neuer know it let it goe by thee and then woe to thee euermore Keepe it in it owne simplicitie for if thou mingle of thy inuentions with it thou shalt lose the efficacie and force of the Gospell Imbrace once Papistrie I assure thee thou hast fallen from Christ thou hast but fancied to thy selfe the name of a Christian Therefore either lay the Gospell from thee and take thee to traditions or else keepe it in it owne simplicitie Then thirdly I see what faith is Faith is nothing els but the VVhat faith is and perseuerance receiuing of Christ not with the hand but with the hart He is giuen thee thou receiuest nothing but that that is offered And what is preseuerance A walking and going forward in Christ Wouldest thou perseuere Thou must not sit downe thou must not stand still but thou must goe forward in him and make progresse at the least thou must striue to goe on vnto the time thou meete with him A bodie that sits downe shall neuer meere with him thou must therefore goe on thy way and be on thy iourney or else thou shalt lose him If thou make not progresse thou shalt goe backward Therefore run hauing thy eye vpon the goale and count not that thou hast done till thou get the goale which shall be in the day of the resurrection In the next verse when hee hath exhorted them to perseuerance hee lets them see how they shall come by this perscuerance Marke the way if thou perseuere in him Thou must be well knit vp and fast ioyned with him or else thou canst neuer goe on foote for foote with him This coniunction is set downe in two borrowed words The first is rooted in him no neuer tree tooke such roote in the earth as thou must take in Christ if thou goe with him And therefore he borrowed this word from a tree and if thou be rooted in Iesus that sappe of life must runne from that roote and make thee to grow The second word is as wee would goe forward with him wee must be grounded vpon him as a building builded vpon a foundation Nay there was neuer building so builded and setled as thou must be in Christ if euer thou wilt perseuere or else the least blast of winde shall blow thee away As the Lord in the Gospell in the similitude of the house builded vpon the sea sand doth declare Matth. 7. 26. 27. Then marke wee must haue a streight coniunction with Christ if we wil goe forward with him Therefore our care should be euer to see that wee take roote further and further in Christ and to see that stedfast foundation laide vp vnder our hearts and that wee grow euery day more and more on him Well is the man that can enter into this count with himselfe Then learne thy lesson at the tree when thou seest it rooted in the earth say O Lord let my heart be builded on thee and as the building riseth so raise thou A prayer vp my heart on thee And the Lord shall make thee a fairer building then all the buildings in the world Then that which he hath spoken in borrowed speeches he speakes it plainly and he saith established in faith As if hee would say it is nothing that I meane but your stablishing in faith O the vnstabilitie of man without faith O vaine man that hath not faith If thou finde any stabilitie in faith thou shalt say O my heart where hast thou been stragling there is no anchor that can fasten or stablish thine heart but faith and hope in Iesus Christ When by this anchor thou art anchored on him then thou shalt stand so fast that no winde nor waue of the sea shall be able to remoue thee And therefore except thou wouldest goe lose thy selfe seeke to get thy heart anchored on Iesus who is only able to make it fast A Papists heart hath no stedfastnes nor stabilitie because it is grounded on the wrong place it is founded vpon Antichrist Now to the establishing of thy heart he requires two properties To stablish thine heart in the faith note two things The first is in the faith that ye haue been instructed into that is by the Gospell of Christ Then brethren there is nothing will stablish thy heart but that faith that is taught out of the Gospell If thou get not thy faith out of this Gospell the Scripture of God and that onely without paring or adding of mens dreames thou shalt neuer get it The Lord shall iustifie this one day seeke it where thou wilt thou shalt not find it without the Gospel Seeke it in the Councels of the Fathers seeke it among the Popes Clergie thou shalt not finde it amongst them thou shalt euer be the further from it For the Apostle streightens them sore he sees lownes creeping in vnder the cloake of Christ and stealing in traditions of mens wisedome Therefore he warnes them and saith I charge you that ye seeke saith only out of this Gospell And this day also I charge all flesh from Kings to beggers to seeke faith onely out of this Gospell and spit at the vile inuentions of men or else thou shalt neuer see the face of God nor the ioyes of that life in him Therefore sticke by this Gospell and suffer not thy selfe to be seuered from it yea rather suffer thy skinne be pulled off thee as the Martyrs did before thou shouldest be parted from the Gospell The second propertie that is required to the establishing of thy heart in faith is Thy faith must abound abounding saith he with thankesgiuing It must abound it must grow aboundantly it must not begin onely but it must grow degree by degree For brethren O how voide is the heart of man of grace and ful of vanitie It wil not be a degree of grace y t will fill thy heart nor two nor three c. but there must be aboundance Faith must abound and grow so long as thou abidest in this world thy heart must euer be filling But alas thou art euer filling thy bodie and forgets thy heart O but thou must be more carefull to fill thy heart then thy bodie Crie therefore euer to haue thy heart filled with faith in Iesus and say Lord as thou fillest my bodie so fill my heart also For thy body being Pray that thy heart may be filled with faith filled shall perish but if thy soule be filled with the faith of Iesus thou shalt liue for euer and euer And therefore seeke this aboundance and be not content with one degree
of grace or two or sixe or seauen for there is no facietie till thou get that sight of the countenance of Iesus in the heauen as he is Now he ioynes with this aboundance thankesgiuing as if he would say as thou findest thy faith grow euer thanke him that giues thee it For these two are inseparably coupled together so that if you take thankes away there will be no abounding of faith Thou that canst not thanke God thou hast no faith thou that canst not perseuere in thanksgiuing thou growest not in faith For thanksgiuing is an vnseparable companion of faith Growest thou in thanksgiuing thou growest in faith True signes of faith for it is a plaine argument of the growth of faith in thee Hast thou a pleasure to pray and to aske and to thanke God thou canst not get a surer token of the aboundance of faith then that Then thou maist reioyce and say Praised be God my faith growes and I shall get daily a cleerer sight of the face of Christ and so shall be made conformable to my Sauiour the Lord Iesus Now the Lord worke this grace and earnestnes in our hearts for this his Christs sake To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise for euer Amen THE FIFTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 8. 9. 10. 8 Beware least there be any man that spoyles you through Philosophie and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily 10 Andye are compleate in him which is the head of all principalitie and power THe Apostle brethren hauing set downe his doctrine as ye heard in the first chapter he addes hereunto an exhortation and admonition He hath exhorted to perseuerance in faith now hee admonisheth to beware of false teachers and of false doctrine He began his exhortation in the first chapter then hauing spoken something of himself partly in the first partly in the second he returnes and giues this admonition to beware of false teachers Then after he returnes to the exhortation again calling vpon them to be constant in the doctrine once receiued Now in the text that wee haue read this day he returnes to the admonition admonishing them to beware of false teachers Then briefly to come to the words Beware saith he least there be any man that spoyles you The word in the originall language signifies Let no man The sense of the word spoiles carrie you away as a pray The word is borrowed from robbers and theeues that come vpon a folde of sheepe and carrie away the sheepe as a pray Euen so false teachers are naught else but robbers brigands theeues that come vpon the sheepfold of the Lord Iesus and carrie away his sheepe as a pray The manner how they doe this is not by strong hand or by violence but it is by Philosophie by deceiuing of the sheepe and snaring of them first by sophistrie and then when they haue snared them and trapped them they binde them and so take them on their shoulders and they goe on willingly being deceiued Therefore wouldest thou not be a pray to a false teacher keep thee from his deceit keepe thee from the Papists traditions mens Philosophie For all their religion is meere peltrie I say to thee their Philosophie that is their deceit and vanitie in doctrine The philosophie of the enemies of the Church more to be feared then their violence or power is more to be feared then their violence and power because by it onely they get their pray if thou keepe thee from their deceit they shall not bee able to take thee as a pray As for their violence if they beguile thee not it shall neuer seuer thee from the Lord Iesus Christ Yet to insist vpon this hee calles it Philosophie A faire name to be called wisedome but hee giues it as foule a name afterward when he names it vaine deceit that is vanitie that deceiues there is no soliditie in all their doctrine Search it who will Indeede it is true the wisedome of man so long as it is within the bounds of things that are earthly and worldly things naturall things concerning policie it will haue some soliditie but so soone as the head of a man albeit neuer so ingenious and learned reacheth without the bounds of earthly and naturall things begins to climbe vp to heauen and to seeke out God and his worship there the head of man vanisheth and becomes foolishnes O how great distance is there betwixt the wisedome of God and man Therefore Paul to the Romanes chap. 1. 21. speaking of the wise Philosophers seeing to be wise saith they became starke fooles Diuine Plato a very foole in the knowledge and worship of God and all the rest fooles concerning God Yet brethren he saith This wisedome of theirs is deceiuing Although it be vaine notwithstanding it is effectuall to beguile thee because it will seeme to be wisedome and it is dyed with the colour of wisedome so that if thou wilt looke on it at the first face it wil seeme wisedome for outwardly it hath a fairer shew then the greatest wisdome of God So I note here alas how lightly and with how light a thing is a bodie deceiued Follie will seeme wisedome and vanitie will seeme stedfastnes vnto him There is none borne otherwise if he haue no more then his natural birth So there must be a deeper ground of this matter What can be the cause that vanitie and follie can so soone deceiue a man Alas if the cause were not in thee thou couldest not so soone be deceiued Thou art borne with a vaine hart and thou drinkest it vp as naturally as sand doth water If thou hadst not this nature and this vaine heart none would be able to beguile thee When I consider this O fie vpon the deceit of the world I wonder not to see millions of Papists Poperie is a naturall religion Kings and nations to be so blinded this day at the light of the Gospell for that is the naturall disposition of all men but rather I wonder to see one silly body to haue that change that he can drinke in the truth of God And if thou haue it thy selfe wonder at it and giue him thanks that hath shewed such grace and mercie on thee To go forward In the second word when he hath set down this vaine deceit he specifies it more particularly and saith Through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not according to Christ I aske the question what thinkest thou by the vainest doctrine that euer was taught I answere out of this place of the Apostle when hee hath said Traditions of men the vainest deceit in the world vaine deceit hee expounds it mens traditions so the vainest doctrine in the world is mens traditions If thou wouldest
that cannot speake as the Apostles and Saints of God did wee should learne how to speake of God Paul the more he insists in speaking of Christ and his fulnes the more his heart aboundeth and the more How to speake of Christ with grace his mouth is filled with words to his praise degree by degree So the mans heart being filled with Iesus his mouth is filled a full mouth speaking of Christ wil fill the harts of the hearers Then brethren learne the more y t one speakes of the fulnes of Christ and of his glorie the more more shall he finde his hart abound his mouth filled And it is impossible if thy heart be full of him but thy mouth must be full and thou wilt speake of him with a full mouth and not lightly a word and away And then who wots but the Lord will make that fulnes to fill some of the hearts of the hearers Blessed is that heart that can get any part of that fulnes of Iesus for thy heart was neuer stablished with grace that neuer got no part of the fulnes of Iesus All this speaking tels thee Christ is no winde nor vanitie If thou hadst no other thing to know stedfastnes by this same speaking of Paul tels thee that all soliditie and fulnes is in Iesus Christ Therefore when thou readest this marke it and say I see here a fulnes Alas that there should be such fulnes in Christ and I hauing so small part of it Lord let me finde this fulnes in some measure Cease not while thou finde it for it stands thee vpon life and life and the heart that is not filled with Christ here in some measure shall neuer be filled with his presence and ioyes in heauen hereafter And therefore thou that wouldest haue that onely fulnes which shall be in heauen by the sweete presence of Iesus there where thou shalt see him as hee is in our nature full of glorie and maiestie which sight shall make thee reioyce exceedingly looke as thou wouldst haue ioy for euermore that thou be filled with Iesus here on earth in some measure otherwaies away with thee thou art a cast away and thy end shall be in euerlasting woe woe vpon woe and euer in woe So then you may see all the glorie in heauen is in Iesus Christ there is not a iot of glorie out of him but all is in him that is in thy Sauiour Wouldest thou haue a Sauiour where wouldest thou get one if thou misse this Sauiour See the honour of thy nature in him All the glorie of heauen shines through the vaile of thy nature in him thy nature is the very vaile that hangs about that glorious Christ God manifested in our flesh maiestie that light that hath no accesse and it shines to thee through the vaile I speake this for this cause that thou presse not to seeke heauen nor no ioy nor glorie therein but in this Lord Iesus Christ No looke not here nor there but directly set thine eye vpon him that sits at the right hand of the Father For in him is all the glorie of the Father and looke that thou imagine not to see any glorie but that that is in thy head Where is thine heauen Iesus is thine heauen All thy heauen here and hence is as it were included in him Seeke it where thou wilt thou shalt finde no heauen without Christ Now to come to the next verse the Colossians might haue said What is that to vs that thou hast told vs of the great fulnes that is in him he is full but we are emptie what vantage haue wee by it Euen as if one would tell of a glorious King another will answere what is that to me The Apostle meetes with this obiection and saith In whom ye are complete who is the head of all principalitie and power As if he would say O Colossians in him ye are filled his fulnes is yours it serues for your profit So you see that not onely all fulnes of glorie is in Iesus Christ in his owne person but with the beames of it as it were all creatures are filled yea heauen it selfe is filled with his glorie and the earth is filled with his glorie and this is the felicitie of all the creatures in the world Wherein trowest thou stands the blessednes of the earth of the heauen and of all the elements Note Looke the eight chapter to the Romanes vers 21. 22. and there you shall finde that the blessednes of the creature stands in the gloriousnes of Rom. 8. 21 22 Christ one day to be reuealed And therefore Paul saith that the world groanes sighing for the reuelation of his glorie for the glorie of the earth and heauen is not yet reuealed Peter saith in his second Epistle chap. 3. 12. 13. When that the Lord shall come in his glorie that the heauens shall burne and be dissolued and the elements shall melt then there shall be new heauens A new heauen and a new earth made and a new earth So that thou shalt see another glorie in heauen and earth then euer was before or is now seene But to speake of man especially they that would beleeue and would be in him they shall be ingrafted as it were into him and set as it were in his fulnes aboue all other creatures for they shall be filled with his own fulnes If thou be set in him as the Sunne is in the firmament the fulnes of the glorie that is in him shall shine in thee aboue the earth aboue the Moone aboue the Sun it selfe So that this is felicitie to haue a share and portion of the grace and glorie of Christ to receiue of his fulnes for he is full of grace and veritie saith Iohn 1. 14. It is true indeed and so long as wee liue here this appeares not There is neuer a one that beleeues but he is a Kings sonne and a Kings daughter But saith John 1. Ioh. 3. 2. it appeares not as yet but when hee comes then it shall appeare wee shall all shine in glorie And the reprobate that thought thee but a lost creature shall wonder that euer there should be such a glorie prepared for thee Albeit thou shine not now yet if thou beleeue thou hast this vantage all that glorie that is in Christ is thine I say to thee a man is not so surely clad with his shirt as thou that beleeuest in Christ art clad with him He is a garment to thee haue what clothing thou wilt if thou hadst but a ragged coate yet if thou beleeuest in him thou art clad with him Goe where thou wilt if thou cast off thy coate Iesus will sticke by thee There is neuer a faithfull Saint wants Iesus And therefore thou maist say The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance Onely beleeue in him be ingrafted in him by faith Onely possesse him in thy heart Thou hast all his glorie and maiestie
And againe you see no man needes to enuie the glorie that Christ hath in him for he communicates that glorie to vs you see we enuie the glorie of earthly Princes This wee haue by nature we would haue it all our selues and the seed of ambition is in the beastliest bodie that is vpon earth which Ambition raiseth all these seditions tumults warres and vprores that is now adaies and hath been from the beginning Such is the enuie that euery man hath against another mans preferment his honour and estimation that hee cannot away with it except he haue all in himselfe And therefore hee leaues nothing vndone if it were to cut his throte so be it he may get his glory and renowne But thou that beleeuest needs not in such wise to enuie the glorie of Iesus Christ A King will not communicate his glorie with thee no not a iot of it but Iesus Christ communicates all his glorie with thee and therefore thou shouldest loue him the more yea and the faithfull man the more he sees God glorified the more is his ioy but a reprobate wil enuie the glorie of God Nay there was neuer such a subiect that enuied the glorie and honour of a Prince or of his master as a reprobate will enuie the glorie of Iesus Hee would if he might plucke him from his glorie such is the malice of his heart against Iesus Christ Yea the reprobate would The reprobate if it were possible bereaue the Saints of their glorie and whē this glorie of the Saints shall be reuealed the reprobate shall fret and fume they desire not to heare tell of the glorie of Christ and of his Saints And when they heare of it for they shall heare of it in despite of their teeth they heare it with the sadnes of their heart it is no comfort nor consolation to them to heare of it And by the contrary the faithfull one reioyceth when he heares of it it makes his hart to leape for ioy as Iohns did in his mothers belly when Mary the mother of Christ A sure token of election spake to Elizabeth Luk. 1. 41. Therefore if thou canst reioyce when thou hearest of Gods glorie in Iesus Christ it is a good and sure token of thy election And againe seeing that in Iesus there is this fulnes thou needes neuer to be emptie or feare to want Thou that findest any wastnes or emptines put out thy hand to the ambrie of the Gospel wherein this fulnes of grace The Gospel is the meane whereby Christ communicates his fulnes vnto vs. and glorie is to be had A contemner of the Gospell if he were a King he shall not taste of this fulnes and of this glorie of Iesus for there is no way to be partaker of this fulnes but by the Gospell It is the ambrie wherein it is contained And if thou misse it thou shalt neuer get a cheekefull or morfell of any fulnes in thy soule When hee hath said And in him ye are filled he subioynes a glorious description of him who is the head of all principalitie and power He cannot leaue of to speake of that glorious maiestie he said before In him are hid all treasures of wisedome and knowledge and againe in him dwelleth the Godhead bodily and so foorth as you haue heard now againe when he hath cast in a word of him he leaues him not so but hee will yet paint him out in his glorie Then learne to speake fully of Christ Alas this hungry speaking of Christ testifies the emptines and voidnes To speake fully of Christ of God in our hearts It is a true saying Of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh If thy heart were full of him as I haue said thy mouth would be full and thou wouldest speak fully of him but thy heart being so emptie what marueile is it to heare thee speake coldly of this Lord full of glorie Well there is no question but by this description wherein he makes him Lord ouer all both in heauen and earth hee meanes this that he is not onely Lord aboue them all but that also they are cast downe vnder his feete hee is mounted aboue them all Now there be two things that will make vs chiefly to account of this gloriousnes that is in Christ Iesus The one Two things do cause vs to thinke highly of Christ thing is his highnes a maiestie about all maiesties There is not a maiestie but that maiestie The other thing is thy lowlines and thy basenes thou art but a worme on earth hee is aboue all heauens Is not this a great goodnes that he that is so high should so lowly humble himselfe so that he should abase himselfe as it were to become a worme Men would wonder that euer the God of glorie should so haue humbled himself yea the Angels wonder at this that euer sinfull man should haue gotten a share or portion of that grace of God So this is my counsell if thou feele a smacke of grace of consolation or A speciall consolatiō of faith if it were but as a mustard seede count more of it then of all the kingdomes of the earth For it will weigh downe all keepe it well in thy heart and lose thy life and all before thou wilt lose it I counsell thee to looke vp to heauen first and say yet this Lord will giue me more of his grace and glorie when I shall see him with this eye of the bodie then the Lord will fill me with glorie and I will hope and be content to lose all before I should lose this Keepe this earnest peny for it is the ioy of the creature to keepe this earnest peny for one day thou shalt get the full summe and fulnes of ioy If thou keepe it not and haue no regard of it and hold not vp thy eye by night and by day by looking to Iesus in this Gospell thou shalt neuer get the full summe and entire payment The sucking of the hearts of the faithfull and the drinking in this milke of the word is the way to get Iesus to The way to get Iesus into the heart thy heart and to keepe him night and day yea it is the way appointed from all eternitie Abraham sought for him and got faith in him by the word of promise which is the Gospell Therefore it is said that he sawe him and reioyced Ioh. 8. 56. Nay Abraham neuer suffered himselfe to be seuered from that grace that was in him So the Gospel is the way to bring Christ out of heauen to thee and to fill the elect with all ioy and glorie To him therefore be euerlasting glorie praise and dominion for euer Amen THE SIXTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 11. 12. 11 In whom also yee are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull bodie of the flesh through the circumcision
hereof and those that neuer mourne for their sinnes doe suppose that they shall rise laughing The promise is made to them that mourne Blessed are they saith Christ that mourne to wit for sinne for they shall receiue comfort Matth. 5 4. Men thinke they shall come to heauen before their feete be colde and yet they delight themselues in their sinnes Nay goe thy way crucifie thy sinne and thy selfe to sinne or else thou shalt neuer see heauen nor come to glorie Would to God this were as well felt as it is knowne Now the meanes whereby this dying is wrought is Baptisme instituted by Iesus Christ that put away and abolished Baptisme not only representeth the crucifying and burying of Christ but also is powerfull in the baptized in the whole course of his life Circumcision and placed Baptisme in steede thereof I will speake somewhat of Baptisme but as it concerneth the matter we haue in hand It not onely representeth the death and buriall of Christ and as oft as thou seest it so often thou seest or at the least shouldest see Iesus crucified and buried it hath not onely the naked representation hereof but the vertue of that death and buriall It crucifieth the bodie that is baptized it burieth the old man it is the very power of God to the mortification of thy sinfull nature and the Lord is powerfull in it not onely at that instant when thou art baptized as the Papists say but also continueth so in thee in the whole course of thy life Thou thinkest it is but for children onely nay it is euen for old bodies also and if thou keepe it in thy sight and remembrance thou maist be perswaded that the Lord will worke most assuredly thy mortification as long as thou liuest Therefore neglect not thy Baptisme as thou wouldest goe forward in the mortification of thy sinne and thinke euer and The vse of baptisme in our whole life say O Lord I was baptized in thy name Lord let it not be gone out of my minde make it powerfull in me to the mortification of sinne and it shall haue force euen in thy very death I speake this because men thinke there is no more required but an outward shew but if thou knewest the force and powerfull working of the Lord thou wouldest remember thy Baptisme euen as long as thou liuest and if thou diddest finde it to haue any working in thee thou wouldest reuerence it more and more And so much for the first part of the likenes of Iesus Christ Then he proceedeth to the second part of this conformitie that is by Baptisme In whom ye are also raised vp This followeth vpon the other as the Apostle Rom. 6. 5. proueth this consequence where euer this buriall goeth before all the world cannot stay thee from life Thou that findest any mortification of sinne assure thy selfe of life but if thou finde not the death and buriall of sinne looke not to finde life And I say more there shall be no deferring of time for thy comfort as if thou shouldest first dye a long time before thou rise to Iesus Christ Indeede the last resurrection shall be in the last day but I say When the life of God begins in vs. thou shalt begin no sooner to dye to sinne in this life and find any compūction and heauines in thy heart for it but with the death of sinne and the buriall and slaying of it immediatly shall come life This life breaketh vp through death and ioy breaketh vp through sadnes al heauenly ioy riseth vp through an heanie heart so that thou shalt not feele ioy vnlesse thy heart be pressed downe with the heauines of sinne And this ioy as Peter 1. Epist 1. 8. saith is vnspeakable so that when a man is sighing most for sinne drawing sighes from the bottome of his heart then the quickest and sweetest ioy ariseth but whē thou art laughing and singing there is no such thing as ioy at thy heart Wherefore should I speake of these things Onely learne this to be sad and to sigh for sinne that with it thou maist get some ioy of thy heart which is an earnest peny that thou shalt be filled with it at the sight of that glorious maiestie Now to goe forward How is this resurrection wrought Euen as death was wrought by Baptisme for as it representeth the death of Christ so so often as thou seest Baptisme ministred thou seest in it the resurrection of Christ Yea and it raiseth vp the bodie of him that is baptized to life by vertue of the resurrection of Christ who is also manifested in Baptisme Immediatly and in one instant the Lord will work two contrary things he will cast thee downe to hell and then in the same moment he will raise thee vp to heauen And Baptisme hath this force continually so long as thou liuest if so be thou remember it looke for the vertue of it to the last houre of thy death In the words following least they should haue thought this signe of Baptisme should haue had this force as we say virtute operis operati to haue buried sinne and quickened a man againe without any more he ioyneth by faith not onely by Baptisme as if he would say we are buried to sinne and raised Faith required in baptisme to apprehend Christ and to receiue vertue from him to righteousnes but this great worke is wrought also by faith so that if thou haue not faith apprehending and taking hold of God if thou send not faith to heauen in the ministerie of the Sacrament and the word preached and if thou want faith to applie grace to thee the Sacrament and the word preached shall neuer doe thee good And if thou get not this faith at one time or other this Sacrament shall be a seale to thy damnation and the word preached shall aggrauate thy iudgement So if there were no other place to condemne the Papists error of opus operatum this place were sufficient to condemne it for Opus operatum the Apostle meaneth plainly that Baptisme hath no force without faith and this Gospell hath no power to thy saluation without faith Away then with that erronious doctrine of these vaine babling fooles of opus operatum It is diuellishnes and lying In the next words he sheweth the obiect of faith It must lay hold vpon something for faith is an holding fast an hand that taketh hold apprehendeth something It is an anchor cast out to hold thee by so this faith must haue some obiect to leane vpon otherwise thou wouldest be dasht on euery side Obiect of faith with each waue till thy ship be broken What is then the obiect of faith The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an effectualnes The Apostle to the Ephesians chap. 1. 19. taketh it to bee the effectualnes of the strong power of God that must be the thing to stay thee that must hold thy heart that it fleete not nor flow not
here and there that which thou must rest vpon must be nothing else but the power of God the efficacie of the strong power of God Thou must not lay hold vpon Angels Saints or vpon Princes in the earth thou wilt be beguiled yea thou and they going about so to vphold thee will both to hell together Therefore suffer not thy selfe to be deceiued with an opinion of them I dare be bold to say that if the Angels and Saints would take the honour that the Pope and his Clergie Inuocation and worship of Saints and Angels would giue them they should all goe to hell and leaue the ioyes which they now haue So the stay of thy faith and that which thou must apprehend is the mortification of thy sinne and thy quickening to newnes of life it must not be by the mediation of man or Angell or of any Saint glorified but by the onely and immediate mediation of Iesus Christ there only thou gettest that spirituall power that quickeneth thee to life It is easie to slay a man and men now a daies think slaughter but a sport yea and rather then they will not slay they had liefer goe quicke to hell as they vse to say but the slaying of sinne must be onely by the power of God Sinne must be vanquished by faith and without faith thou shalt neuer mortifie sinne Therefore continually put out that hand of faith and pluck down that power of God for thy saluation euer crie for this hand of faith Draw draw spare not for there is no want in him That well of his effectuall power will neuer waxe drie and this bloud of Christ will neuer drie vp all power is through that bloud of Christ Then first by a true faith lay hold vpon Christ on the crosse and then sitting at the right hand of the Father and so thou shalt neuer depart with him till thy glorious resurrection be accomplished When hee had spoken of God when hee had said through faith of the effectualnes of God then he subioyneth Who raised him from death Hauing once spoken of that God who is so effectuall when hee nameth God hee leaueth him not but hee subioyneth some glorious description of him so speaking of him here hee describeth him first in respect of Christ and his resurrection Secondly in respect of raising of the Gentiles Thirdly in respect of the abolishing of the law and quickning of the Iewes And in respect of Christ hee saith who raised him from the dead to wit by the effectualnes of that strong power that is in him The first that euer he raised by that power is Iesus Christ And therefore he is called the first borne of the dead chap. 1. 18. For this resurrection from the dead is first by decree afore all times and then in time it begun at Christ who was that lambe that was sacrificed from the beginning and gaue grace to all other sacrifices so that they in his sacrifice Resurrection following regeneration and both depēding on Christ were accepted of God and then his resurrection is deriued to all them that doe or euer shall rise hereafter in Christ for they that are not in Christ haue no resurrection for them because there is no regeneration for them in this life and consequently no resurrection for them hereafter It is true that by vertue and power of that Godhead the most wicked and vnregenerate shall rise but they shall not rise in him that is new creatures who before in this life were regenerated and liue the life of Christ There shall be no such thing to follow them in their resurrection Againe you shall perceiue in the writing of the Apostles when hee would set out that all-sufficiencie of God and his mightie power he deliuereth it by the effects for therby it is knowne Now what an effect chuseth he not the creation of the world for he leaueth that and maketh choise of the raising of Iesus Christ as though the all-sufficient mightie power of God had neuer been so powerfully declared as in the death of Iesus Christ his resurrection Reade in the Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 1. 19. 20. where you shall finde this manifestly proued how God shewed this his power when hee The greatest power of God manifested most in Christs death and resurrection raised vp Iesus from the dead and placed him at his right hand Rom. 1. 4. There was neuer such a power vttered as this was in raising Christ from the dead What can be the cause of this Is it not a great power to create a thing and to create all things of nothing Iesus was something lying in a graue I answere that that power was so much the greater in respect there was neuer any so humbled as Iesus was so cōpassed with the bands of death as he so that by loosing of those bands there must of necessitie appeare the greatest power that euer was or should be for the strongest bands require the mightiest power to loose them There were neuer bands so strōg as Christ God equall with his Father was bound withall As for thee and me the bands of death wherewith wee are or shall be bound they are but gentle and it is but an easie matter to binde any of vs. Neuer any was bound as Iesus and therefore a stronger power is required to raise him then to raise any of vs. Well the Lord he raised him vp by the efficacie of his great power Now hee being raised who was bound in such strong bands despaire not thou but take thee comfort and say My Lord when he was bound with a strong power God raised him therefore it is an easie matter for him when I am dead and laid in graue to raise me in respect of him if he did raise Christ with his whole hand he will raise me with his little finger But beloued learne if by faith thou be not bound and ioined with him in his death and burial for thou must be conioyned with him in his death and thou must lie as it were vnder him in the graue if thou be not so conioyned thou shalt not rise with him But if thou be bound with him by faith as I haue said as he rose thou shalt rise and thou shalt be pulled vp out of that graue with him otherwise when the Lord raiseth him thou shalt lie still Then seeke faith in Iesus and that blessed coniunction with him through faith sticke by him in death and in the graue and let him not be raised without thee fixe thy heart to him and assuredly thou shalt rise with him in that day and he shal pull thee out so glorious a bodie as that then he and his father shall take pleasure in thee and thou shalt raigne with him for euer and euer Now to this powerfull God that raised this Lord Iesus with the holie Spirit be all honour and dominion Amen THE SEVENTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE Epistle of PAVL to the Colossians
a thought or a looke otherwaies thou art not sanctified yea if in all thine affaires thou thinke not on Christ and haue not a presence of God the very horse thou ridest on is better then thou and the higher thou art mounted vp the more miserable if thou want a thought of God in Iesus Christ Againe yee see Iesus is called the bodie yee know that by humane reason a bodie is a solide thing with dimensions that thou maist apprehend solidlie In a word Christ hath this prerogatiue to be called a bodie Iesus Christ of all things is the solidest and firmest in comparison of him there is not a bodie in the world I say to thee when thou puttest out thy hand to lay hold on the most solid thing in the world thou shalt not find it so solid as the heart of the godly shall by when it by the hand of faith layeth hold on him for as soone as Iesus toucheth the heart then the heart that before was vaine and superficiall is made a solid bodie so there is not a solid heart but it that hath Iesus closed in it I tell thee thy heart is but as an emptie bagge if thou get not Iesus into it therefore crye euer Iesus fill my emptie heart Neuerthelesse fooles set not greatly by this but I say to thee if thou wert a King thou shalt neuer be solid thy heart shall neuer be solid but a blast of wind shall carrie thee away if thou haue not Iesus Christ in thy heart Lastly I see the religious heart that is occupied vpon Christ is occupied vpon the firmest thing in the world those that faine would bee godly and separate themselues from this world and lay hold on Christ the prophane may well say of him what is this bodie doing he is a sillie foolish bodie But if he were a King if he knew the estate of that bodie he would change his estate with his this you may see in the example of Paul speaking to Agrippa Acts chap. 26. vers 29. Well as I haue said before the end shall trie all and they that in this life followed Iesus and set their eye vpon this solid thing they shall abide because they haue laid hold on him who is eternall and abides for euer and blessed is the soule that apprehendeth this onely solid thing Iesus And thou that laiest holde on the things that are seene on the pleasures of this world O they shall vanish they shall be caried away as dust because the things that are seene are momentanie and passe away Therefore if thou wouldest liue for euer fasten thy heart vpon Christ it will not be honour meate and drinke that will establish thy heart when heauen and earth shall be shaken together nothing shall establish thee but that ankering of thee vpon Christ and therefore seeke to bee ankered vpon him To whom bee all honour and praise Amen THE TWENTITH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 18. 18 Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenes of mind and worshipping of Angels aduauncing himselfe in those things which he neuer saw rashly puft vp with his fleshly mind THe Apostle brethren throughout this whole chapter admonisheth the Colossians to beware of false teachers and of mens doctrine and traditions The traditions he admonisheth them to beware of are of two sorts the first sort is the olde ceremonies that the Lorde sometime gaue to bee obserued by the people of the Iewes which at Christs comming were wholy abolished and put away and therefore the receiuing of them againe into the Church of Christ it was nothing else but the doctrine of men and not Two sorts oferaditions of God The second sort of traditions are such as God neuer gaue to any people nor will giue to the end of the world to be obserued as this To bid men goe worship Angels to call vpon Saints they are such as the Lord neuer knew of nor gaue to man he neuer commaunded to worship an Angell nor call vpon a Saint Wee heard the last day of the first sort of mens traditions and the doctrine concerning the ceremonies that were abolished by Christs comming Let no man condemne you saith he in meate or drinke there is the first sort The ceremonies of the Iewes in the which the Apostle wils them that they suffer not themselues to be condemned for not keeping them because they are alreadie abolished Now brethren in this text presently read we are admonished concerning the second sort of traditions namely concerning the worshipping of Angels To come then to the purpose and words of the text Let no man saith he to the Colossians at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by submission of minde and worshipping of Angels These are the words Let no man beare rule ouer you The word is to bee considered in the originall it signifieth to play the part of a moderator and of a Iudge and not that onely but it signifieth to beare rule not for men and their will but against them and to their hurt and domage This is the force of the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he would say Let no man beare rule ouer you that is against you and to your hurt and domage The Apostle vseth sundrie words whereby hee expresseth the action of false teachers and deceiuers First in the eight verse of this chapter he said Let no man spoyle you carrie you away as a pray Then he saies Let no man condemne you sit vpon you to iudge and condemne you Thirdly Let no man beare rule ouer you What meanes this varietie of words and euery one worse then other All tends to this to let vs see False teachers described that there is no kinde of euill that one man can doe against another but a false teacher will doe it against man What thing can any man doe against another bodily but a false teacher will doe against him spiritually and it is worse an hundred times to be hurt spiritually then bodily One man wil come to another and take him and draw him away bodily but a false teacher will draw him away spiritually and that more cruelly then one man will draw away another bodily This man will giue him whom he draweth leaue to breathe and to rest a while but a false teacher if once hee take a man in his snare he will not giue him rest night nor day till he bring him to damnation Againe men will condemne thee bodily but false teachers wil condēne thy soule So in one word there was neuer a tyrant frō the beginning of the world that hath done so much euill to the world as the Pope and his Clergie haue done O the soules of them that he hath made to perish fie on this world that sees not this lowne plainly playing the tyrant daily Alas worldly tyrants destroy the bodies and goods of men only but he destroyeth the soules and
come and take vp the bodie and so sinne is not a light thing Seeing then it is so hard to slay these affections continue in slaying them and thinke it not enough thou hast giuen sinne a wound to day and so leaue off I tell thee it will slay thee if thou slay not it daily and hourely For that is it Paul saith Rom. chap. 7. vers 18. 19. A wanton girle and a wanton fellow they thinke they are liuing but I say there is not a sparke of life in them and well were they that they had not that life Therefore continue in slaying of sinne or else thou shalt be slaine of sinne and the life of lifes shall be taken from thee Ye that haue bin occupied in slaying of others slay your selues and your affections But how shall ye slay your affection It lieth not in thy hand to doe it there is no vertue in thee thou canst not slay one affection I will tell thee The meanes are two the first is faith in Iesus and in his death that is the death of Iesus apprehended by faith draw him as greedily Two means to kill sin to thee as thou suckest sinne It is the vertue of the crosse of Iesus that slayeth sinne and thy foule affections so that if thou haue not faith in him and his death thou shalt neuer be Gal. 6. 14. 15. able to slay sinne in thee nor to mortifie one foule affection The other meane to slay sinne and foule affections is the spirit of Iesus that accompanieth the crosse of Iesus take away the crosse of Iesus no spirit Then this spirit comming into thy heart it falleth to and putteth his hand in that sinne which is within thee and killeth it by little and little for as hee is a quickening spirit so hee is a slaying spirit of sinne So Christs crosse embraced by faith then his spirit they are the meanes to slay sinne in thee Then thou hast no more to doe but by faith to entertaine that crosse of Christ and his spirit for woe Rom. 8. 2. 3. 4. is that heart that is without the spirit of Christ But how shall this be I tell thee faith is by hearing heare the Gospell then for if thou take no pleasure in the Gospell faith Christ and his spirit shall goe from thee Besides these two there are other godly exercises profitable to the same purpose continuall prayer for that is the exercise that God delighteth in Meanes to come by to increase saith earnest exercising of the workes of charitie if thou leaue off these exercises thou shalt lose Christ and his spirit and shalt grow in sinne and then thou shalt be cast into damnation for euer Gods iudgement shall light on thy necke and shall crush thee downe to hell and thy sinne both This for the word mortifying The next is what should wee mortifie Hee saith not thy neighbour no no but hee saith mortifie thy cancred affection that moueth thee to slay thy neighbour slay thy selfe that is that masse of sinne that is within thee and cut off from thy bodie euery vncleane thing and slay euery member thereof and leaue not so much as thy little finger vnslaine By the mēbers Members of sinne I vnderstand the foule affections in thy heart which run thorough the whole bodie and fill the eye with pride with adulterie with wrath and crueltie in such sort that the very looke of the eye is defiled and will runne to vncleannes The hand is defiled and runneth to bloud the foote is defiled and hasteth to murther yea thy foule affections in the heart they will come to the tongue and imploy it all in their seruice so that thou maist perceiue what a sinne lieth in thy heart that infecteth all the members Therefore this is the exhortation of the Apostle slay the foule affections in thy members if it be in thy eye plucke it away that is plucke away that foule affection in thy eye for better it is for thee to bee crooked and blinde then to be cast into hell and there to curse thy hand and feete and all the members of thy bodie euerlastingly Now then of this briefly Ye see how farre sinne spreadeth in man and woman it is not content to occupie one part onely of man it will not be content with thy soule but it runneth through all It leaueth not one part free but filleth al the parts of man and woman Therefore mortification must not bee in one part it must not be in the soule onely but as farre as sin Mortification in all parts reacheth so farre must thy mortification reach Then begin at thy heart and next come to the outward members of the bodie for it auaileth nothing to haue a faire counterfaite face without if thou haue a foule heart within Yet the stile is to be noted that he giueth the members he calleth them earthly not heauenly All these foule affections are called earthly because in themselues they are grosse and earthly and their obiects are earthly And what matter brethren if these affections were made of the best part of the earth they are made of the dirt of the earth of these ofscourings of the dirt that thou wouldest lothe to look to Note Indeed there are some that be of the good earth as eating drinking and sleeping c. therefore are lawfull being sanctified but as for these affections of harlotrie of concupiscence of murther of couetousnes they are vnlawful and vncleane wilt thou then foster them No mortifie them slay them and cut them away Christ came not to make thy harlotrie cleane to thee no no thou lies in thy throate cut it away therefore otherwise thou and it both shal perish This for the generall Now I come to the particular members Because the large dispute vpon the particulars fitteth not for this time onely I will speake so farre as serueth for the purpose of this text Hee beginneth first at fornication Then hee commeth to vncleannesse Thirdly to inordinate passions Fourthly to euill concupiscence And fiftly he commeth to auarice and he would haue all these cut away Now to prosecute euery one of these The first is fornication harlotrie when whores and harlots go together Paul to the Romanes chap. 1. vers 24. and Ephes chap. 5. vers 5. when hee counteth out the vices of the Gentiles hee beginneth alwaies at harlotrie and fornication and then from that hee commeth to other vices In the first to the Corinthians chap. 6. he insisteth more largely Fornication in condemning of that sinne then commonly yee shall finde him to doe in any other vice and hee vseth for the condemning of it fiue or sixe arguments What meaneth this constant doing in condemning this vice The spirit doth it not in vaine no not one word commeth from that holie spirit in vaine I shall tel you the cause This sinne was a sinne common among the Gentiles and they thought it no sinne they
first creation he lost the image of God and Christ came and renued that image of God againe for there was not one sparke of the spirit of God left in man Therefore hee must be renued againe Then ye haue heard his substance The chiefe point is knowledge of things heauenly of God and his glorie by faith To this wee added two other things holines and righteousnes So there is the new man The knowledge in the minde holines in the heart iust dealing in all thy actions with thy neighbour and so he couereth vs both inwardly and outwardly There is not a part vncloathed and happie is hee that is cloathed with this cloathing of Christ Lastly ye heard the paterne whereunto hee is made hee is not made to the paterne of Angels nor of Sunne and Moone but he is made to the paterne of the Lord. O that glorie that thou hast in this thy renuing and blessed is hee that hath it These things shall be perfited at that day at the appearance of the sonne of glorie and then it shal appeare that we are made to his paterne and that wee are the sons of God For it appeareth not as yet as Iohn saith 1. Epist chap. 3. vers 2. yet it shall appeare in that day Now to come to the text read In the first verse wee haue a certaine propertie of this new man set downe and it is this Where hee is all these old things these outward things which men most respect and make account of as nation kindred bloud honour riches bondage freedome beautie deformitie c. where this new man commeth out all these cease he hath no more regard to the King then to the beggar he hath no more regard to the free then to the slaue but hee extendeth himselfe alike to all This is his propertie But it shall appeare better in weighing the words of the text therefore marke them with me And to begin at the first word Where he is where this new man commeth there is neither Grecian nor Iew. That is to say where he is all these externall things these carnall and old things so the Apostle calleth them 2. Cor. 5. 17. all turne to ashes he knoweth none of them All these things that were wont to put a difference betwixt man and man he is a King he is a subiect and the rest all these cease to this new man But to goe to particulars There are sundrie of these old and worne things reckoned vp The first is the nation wherein wee are borne as the nation of the Iew the nation of the Grecian The nation wherein a man was borne was wont to put a difference betwixt man and man but when Christ commeth and this new man with him there is no regard of nation this new man respecteth not one more then another all is alike to him To be homely with you Frenchman Dutchman Italian Indian Scottishman Englishman all is alike to him The poorest nation that is the new man wil account of it This is plaine by experience for if Christ had respected this nation hee had neuer come this way The second particular of these outward things that was wont to be accounted of is of these outward markes that the Iew and Gentile had The Iew had circumcision the Gentile had vncircumcision whereby they were discerned But Christ when he commeth out hee looketh not to these things he putteth no difference betwixt the one and the other he accounteth all alike to him And to come home to our selues wee were of the vncircumcised number and if Christ had had respect to this Scotland had not been called to grace The third particular is the language It put a difference betweene man and man The Greeke had a trim and eloquent language all others besides the Grecians had but barbarous languages But when Christ commeth and this new man with him he respecteth not one more then another but Grecian and Barbarian all is one to him This pertaineth to vs all we were Barbarians so that if Christ had respected barbarousnes and exempted it from grace Scotland had not gotten grace So wee should draw comfort out of this and say grace pertaineth to me as well as to the Iew or Grecian The last particular is the estate of men in policie some are free some are bond some masters some seruants This diuersitie of estate put difference betwixt man and man but Christ comming respecteth not one more then another but all are alike to him And so seruants haue to reioyce for they are not secluded from grace more then their masters otherwise slaues had been most miserable creatures and better had it been for them that they had bin made beasts Reade the Galat. chap. 3. vers 28. ye shall finde this matter handled There is another particular reckoned vp there male and female that was wont to put a difference betwixt man and man but all is alike to Christ he respecteth not one more then another The female is no more exempted from grace then the male but this new man extēdeth to al. Now I assure you if God had had respect to the sex your estate of women had bin miserable So that there is not one word here but it offereth consolation to vs. Brethren there be many other particulars for these old things are infinite and that that I haue spoken is to be vnderstoode likewise of riches and pouertie al is alike to Christ his grace extendeth to all Therefore our lesson is in the matter of saluation Obserue the Lord hath no respect to persons to men to women there is the generall but all that will beleeue all is alike to him Iew and Gentile male female rich poore honourable vnhonourable If thou beleeue in Christ thy estate in grace is as good as the Kings thou art as high in grace as the greatest Monarch that euer was And to bee more plaine in the matter of our Christian calling iustifying glorifying and sanctifying there is no difference al is alike to him I might proue this by Scripture Rom. 8. vers 30. Whom he hath called them also he hath iustified c. There ye see this Christian calling to be vniuersall And in the Romanes chap. 3. vers 21. speaking of iustification hee saith the righteousnes of God is made manifest Againe in this place of regeneration there is no difference so this abideth sure in the matters of saluation and all poynts thereof there is no difference of persons all is alike to him It is to be noted that I say in the matters of saluation least that I should seeme to take away policie and some wicked spirit hath brought in such a conclusion as the Anabaptists but all is but vanity For brethren as in the matters of saluation there The Gospell and Christian policie doe well agree is no difference euen so the Lord hath ordained a difference in policie he hath ordained that there should some be kings some subiects some masters
all the graces that are in the bodie that is a great benefit yea the graces that are not in thee thou maist challenge them being in thy brethren members with thee of one bodie Therefore enuie not any mans grace but challenge it as thy owne Euery one would haue al who is he or she that would not haue all graces and perfectiō But I shall teach thee how thou shalt be perfect Wilt thou stand vp thy self alone like an A per se A and say I wil not be in any mans Common and so seuer thy self frō the body I say thou shalt haue no perfection thou shalt be as a rottē branch cast into y e fire if thou were a King the Lord shall cause thee stinke and die in thine owne pollution Away with a proude headed lowne who cannot humble himselfe to creepe in to the bodie Then the way to be perfect is to seeke to the body for there euery member shall supplie thy want Thus for this faire peece of garment Loue or charitie Goe to the rest that followes The eight peece of this garment is set down in these words And let the peace of God beare rule in your hearts So the eight 8 The eight part of the garment of the nevv man peece of this garment is vnitie of minde concord followes vppon charitie for he that loues must be a peaceable man They will not be restles spirits full of enmitie and strife I will not insist much to speake of this peace onely this I call this peace nothing els but a sweete quietnes in the heart of man and woman together with amitie and concord with thy neighbour for when thy heart hath peace within thee then thy heart is in Peace vnitie with thy neighbour and therefore it is opposed to that restlesnesse of the affections of mens hearts Alas what pleasure canst thou haue when thy heart cannot rest within thee The peace of heart comes not of nature no no by nature thy heart is troubled and out of tune and all is vnruly reeling and rumbling within thee From whence comes it then Of grace that God giues in Iesus Christ If thou haue a pacified heart the Lord hath giuen it thee and therefore it is called the peace of God and it is not of one sort for there is a peace Note of the kinds of peace that is with God himselfe and that is the first peace there is another peace that is with thy neighbour The peace that thou hast with God is a pacified heart with God so that thy Peace with God heart is setled with him that it stirres thee not vp to enmitie against God When thou findest that thou art iustified by faith in Christ O the peace of heart that thou shalt haue with God! thou wilt appeare before his tribunall with boldnes Rom. 5. 1. For being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. The peace with man is a pacified heart with man when the affection is ioyned in loue with man This peace comes of the other for being at peace with God thou art at peace with all the world get once a setled heart towards God of necessitie Peace with man thou must be at vnitie and peace with all men O then begin at God! What is the cause of all these variances debates and al these slaughters It is the want of the peace with God O murtherer thou hast no peace with God thou hast nothing to do with God and therefore that wrath of God shall consume thee O murtherer when thou fightest with man thou hast to doe with the great God O restles spirit that canst not rest till thou haue bathed thy selfe in thy neighbours bloud thou art at warres both with thy selfe and with the great God who shall at one time or other meete with thee and plucke off all thy harnesse and then thou shalt neuer get peace nor rest Now to come to this peace that is with man that is spoken of here This peace it must beare rule in thee it must be a commaunder of thee She must sit ouer thee and hold downe thy foule affections when they are fighting within thee Where must she sit In thy heart and not in thy hand for oftentimes when thy hand will be hindred to murther thy heart will be persecuting thy neighbour to death therefore it must be in thy heart Now marke the order When hee hath required all good vertues at last hee requires peace Whereunto To be commaunder of thine affections This teacheth thee that except they be commaunded and put in order looke not that thou Affections must be cōmanded can doe any good turne in the world Canst thou who art disordred in thine affection doe any good to thy neighbour No therefore minde not to doe any good without this peace Then beseech the Lord that hee will put this peace in thy heart to put these affections into an order For when enmitie possesseth the heart what good canst thou doe Well is that bodie that can lie downe in peace with God and man Therefore aske the peace of God that thou maist rest in peace with thy selfe and liue in peace with thy neighbour O villaine thou that liest downe with anger and a restles affection and risest vp and goest out and stabst thy neighbour what disorder is in thee and what peace hast thou with God No thou art in rage with God himselfe when thine affections be not ruled with loue to thy neighbour and peace thou canst not haue with thy neighbour if thou haue not the first peace which is with God And so thou in bearing hatred against thy neighbour tellest plainly thou hast no peace with God and wanting this thou tellest plainly that thou art yet in thy sinnes and therefore vnder the wrath of God Now when hee hath exhorted them to this peace hee subioynes the argument To the which saith he ye are called in one bodie They who are in one bodie should liue in peace together An argument to moue vs to peace The first argument then is from our Christian calling It is a shame to a man not to be answerable to his calling if thou be called to such a thing why shouldest thou not doe it But aboue all a Christian man is called to this peace and therefore woe is to him in that great day if he bee one who hath wanted it Now take the lesson As ye see a man is called to be a member in any citie not to liue at variance or debate with his neighbours no no he is called to peace and to be a quiet man an vnquiet man is an euill neighbour a restlesse spirit a seditious and an vnpeaceable spirit is an euill neighbour euen so a man called to be a member in the citie of God in the kingdome of Christ for that is our calling he is called to be a quiet and peaceable body For saith the Apostle what is
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
nature of men they cannot beare superioritie make thee a King thou shalt be a slaue to thy affections So it is profitable to them to be threatned that they may keepe them within the bounds of their dutie And I say they that would euer giue them faire words they are but flatterers and if they would haue them wracked or vndone let them euer speake faire to them Therefore let the Gospell haue it owne freedome Binde men as yee will but binde not the word if thou binde the Gospell O the band thou shalt finde in that day Let euery man be contained within a dutie to other that we may be partakers of the eternall kingdome where there is onely true libertie in Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honor and glorie now and for euer Amen THE XXXV LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 2. 3. 4. 2 Continue in prayer watch in the same with thanke sgiuing 3 Praying for vs that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtterance to speake the mysterie of Christ wherfore I am also in bands 4 That I may vtter it as it becommeth me to speake WE heard brethren the last day as God gaue the grace certaine speciall precepts of manners that were directed to particular estates of men as to Husbands and Wiues Parents and Children Masters and Seruants now in this text we returne to the generall exhortations that generally concernes euery estate in this world whereof the first set downe here is concerning prayer which is a common dutie that euery one that is borne oweth to God in Iesus Christ To come to the words Continue in prayer be instant in Prayer a common dutie prayer pray continually all is one thing To speake of prayer because it is a common place I will not insist but only so farre as the text will furnish me for the matter is ample and therefore I will bound me within the text As for the causes and necessitie of praier I need not to speake much ye know the Lord giues a commaundement that we should pray and that in the name of Iesus Christ and if there were no more but this it is a Motiues to prayer cause sufficient to moue thee to pray The Lord commaunds thee But there is more to wit a promise the Lord hath promised 1. Charge 2. Promise to euery one that prayeth in faith Aske and ye shall receiue Luk. 11. c. this promise may allure the heart of euery one to pray There is yet more who is he that feeles not the necessitie 3. Necessitie and wants that be in euery one of vs so long as we liue who is he that hath so much that he needes no more Yea though he were a Monarch hath he such sufficiencie that he needs not to seeke more at God Besides this there be such riches plentie and aboundance in God through Iesus Christ that it is able to fill vp all the wants that be in vs. Therefore the very 4. Gods riches riches that be in him should driue vs to desire a portion of that fulnes which is in him But brethren to leaue this and to come to the words If there were no more but this that wee are commaunded to pray it is a sufficient argument to euery one to assure them that there is no merit in vs. Wee deserue nothing of God but all that wee get we get it of free mercie and grace and that in Iesus Christ If thou come on with a deseruing and a merit of thy righteousnes thou shalt neuer get mercie I seclude thee from God for what is praying but begging not of worthines but of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ And when thou hast done all say fie on my workes and aske mercie for that bloud of Iesus Christs sake In the text there be two qualities of prayer set downe The first is an instātnes without tyring The second is watchfulnes Two things in prayer first constancie secondly watchfulnes For he who praieth should not be a sleeper but watchfull both night and day To come then to the first hee saith Be instant perseuer continue all is one thing The thing that he requires is perseuerance ardentnes continuance I neede not to insist vpon the causes of this Needest thou not continually Findest thou not that there is not an houre wherein thou wantest not either things heauenly or earthly if thou wantest not earthly indeede it may be that thou knowest not the want of heauenly things but woe is that soule that findeth not the want of heauenly food and so if thou needest continually why should not thy prayer be continuall for it is prayer that supplies that want Moreouer there is none of you but ye finde this by experience God will not heare a man at the first but crie as thou wilt he will not seeme to heare he will seeme to haue a Luk. 18. 1. 2. 3 deafe eare and all to this end that thou shouldest perseuere in prayer For hee hath pleasure to trie thy patience faith and prayer which is the best exercise And so supposing that thou get not that that thou askest yet if thou get perseuerance Perseuerance Whatsoeuer thou gettest without prayer is but stolen and an argument of wrath thou gettest a greater gift then if thou hadst that that thou askedst at the first yea if thou get all the world without prayer for all is giuen in wrath if he should aduance thee to a kingdome it is but a bait to thy damnation except thou get a heart to pray and to continue in prayer Of all graces a spirituall grace is best a little bit of regeneration is better then all the kingdomes in the earth howbeit thou set light by it now yet when thou art driuen to the vtmost point or at the last gaspe thou wouldest giue all the world to haue a bit of it There is the first qualitie in prayer perseuerance The second is watchfulnes watching in it Watchfulnes is feruencie in prayer when not the bodie onely but when the soule and all the affections are waking and bent to heauen when the Spirit is instant with God in Iesus Christ It is opposed to this coldnes that ouergoes vs all Our prayer is in sleeping and when we are sleeping we are praying and so comes out a cold prayer out of a cold heart and it is opposed to this sluggishnes and deadnes in prayer with yawning and gaping halfe sleeping and halfe waking Alas our necessitie requires another earnestnes it stands vs in the losing of heauen and shutting of vs in hell and damnation The diuell stands to catch vs if wee could see our danger and when thou thinkest thou art most sure he is busiest about thee if thou knew this thou wouldest watch better and wouldest seek more feruently to God to keepe thee But alas all are so blinded and all are
and armed with the weapons of the holy Ghost that is with faith and hope and other good graces expressed and plainly put downe Ephes 6. Neither may we at any hand suffer our enemies to be more powerfull in hindring our praiers then the might of the spirit to further them in vs. For the first of these is to giue place vnto Satan and the latter were to quench and coole the spirit and both be euill and therefore wee should auoidthem But he addeth in the doing of this dutie alwaies in sinuating thereby that as he did it often and earnestly so we should not doe it for a time onely as many doe but that this combate and conflict of ours in and about prayer must bee perpetuall and continuall euen as our prayers themselues ought so to be Whereunto the better to bee prouoked wee must remember these two things first that whether we pray for our selues or Two things furthering perseuevance in prayer for others wee haue daily need of some new benefit and increase of Gods grace in vs. Secondly that wee should euery moment and minute forgoe the grace that we haue receiued from God except God who hath giuen it vs did preserue the same both in our selues and in others To which we may adde the third that we can neuer come to praier but that Satan our common aduersarie will set himselfe against vs and do what hee can to hinder our prayers and that therefore he being alwaies opposite we should alwaies pray The next thing he telleth vs of in this seruice of prayer is the parties for whom we must pray for you True it is that we must powre foorth prayers and striue in our supplication for all men according to which the Apostle saith 1. Timoth. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that aboue all things supplications prayers intercessions and thankesgiuings be made for all men yet we are more specially bound to pray for them that are linked vnto vs in Whom we should chiefly pray for the same fellowship of the bodie of the Church then for others not so straitly ioyned with vs. Again amongst the faithfull we are more obliged to pray for them that are of kin vnto vs in the flesh and touch vs in our bloud then those that are further remoued For euen this naturall coniunction worketh in them that otherwise are ioyned together in Christ some more great and excellent degree of loue The reason is because the more bands we haue to tye vs together so much the more great ought to be our loue and care for our and others saluation And this doth Paul professe Rom. 9. 2. 3. saying that he was especially carefull for the Israelites his kinsmen according to the flesh And Philip. 2. 26. he commendeth Epaphroditus that he was much troubled and grieued by reason of the sorrow of the Philippians from whom he was sent as it should seeme to the Apostle Now wee come to the matter for which he prayeth as on the behalfe of the Colossians in these words that ye may stand perfect and complet c. He doth not pray for this onely that they might be perfect but that they might stand perfect that What it is to stand perfect is that they might constantly perseuere and goe forward in that perfection which God had vouchsafed vnto them For the word of standing signifieth constancie and perseuerance yea such a constancie and perseuerance as hath courage of heart ioyned therewithall Our perfection standeth in the knowledge of God in righteousnesse holines c. And this is two-fold One imputed vnto vs that is that perfect righteousnesse Two sorts of perfection and satisfaction of Christ which God imputeth vnto vs that through faith beleeue in Christ and in which hee doth euen think vs as perfect as if we were altogether iust and holie in our selues The other is inherent in vs when the holie Ghost worketh in our mindes the knowledge of God and of his will and in our hearts holines and righteousnes and wholy purgeth vs in the inward man from sinne and natural corruption The first of these is wholy and altogether perfect and that euen in this life and indeed is the true cause of that perfection that is inherent in vs which wholy floweth from or consisteth in our coniunction and fellowship with Christ without which indeede there could be no perfection at all in vs. But as for that other namely that inherent perfection which is wrought in vs by the holie Ghost regenerating vs it cannot be absolute and in euery respect perfect in vs in this life by reason of some darknesses that we carrie about with vs in our minds for we know in part and prophecie in part as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 13. 9. and by reason of the remainders of sinne and filthines of corruption which shall neuer be vtterly and altogether abolished in vs vntill that by the spirit of Christ dwelling fully in vs we be perfectly freed from impuritie and all manner of pollution which shall be brought to passe in that other life that is to come when wee shall be altogether present with the Lord. Notwithstanding wee must endeuour and striue continually that we may be comefully perfect and daily attaine to greater perfection Christ so commanding vs Matth. 5. 48. Be ye perfect for vnlesse wee daily proceed in perfection in this life wee shall neuer haue it altogether perfect and absolute in that which is to come And this indeed is it which the Apostle saith Epaphras prayed for as on the behalfe of the Colossians that they might in an vnwearied course perseuere and hold on till they came to be perfect He addeth In all the will of God In which words he doth after a sort as it were limit this perfection And it is the same with that which he wisheth to the Ephesians that they might be filled with all that fulnes of God Ephes 3. 19. for all that fulnes of God which he mentioneth there is nothing else but al that fulfilling in all the will of God which he speaketh of here And in both places the Apostle adding an vniuersall terme he thereby declareth that it is not enough for perfection and filling that in some one or sundrie things wee studie to please God but that it is necessarie that in all things we should be conformed In all things we must siudie to please God to his will which then is brought to passe when the eyes of our minds are inlightened that we may both know and acknowledge him and his will and that our hearts and all the affections thereof are sanctified vnto his obedience and all our actions both outward and inward are framed according to his law which is the most exact rule of righteousnes religion and whatsoeuer else In the next verse to wit the 13. the Apostle declareth that these earnest prayers which the Apostle sheweth Epaphras made for the Colossians did proceede not onely from a great care
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