it is indeede O the blindnes the world hath lien long in especially the Gentiles Plato seemed to haue great knowledge of God he was called diuine Plato but he had no knowledge in deede for he knewe him not distinct in persons And all other knowledge is to damnation for there was neuer a science that made this plaine but this Gospell of Iesus preached by the Apostles and left to this day in register to vs. All the science of Philosophers is meere follie in respect of this science of the Gospell The knowledge that the Iewes had of God was but as a glimmering for all were vnder shadowes and types but in the Gospell there is the full sight So that as thou seest the Sunne shining whereby thou art able to discerne and iudge of euery obiect so thou hauing this Gospell shining in thy soule thou shalt see distinctly the God of heauen in his essence and shalt discerne the persons of the Trinitie wherein thou shalt finde ioy O the ioy that ariseth vpon this spirituall knowledge and sight of God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word Alwaies brethren marke the gloriousnes of this Gospell It lets thee see cleerely and distinctly thy God thy redeemer if thou 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. wilt prease to looke without it to see him thou shalt be the more blinde and the more dimme and the further from seeing of him Therefore striue to get a sight of God in his Gospell otherwise thou shalt not get a sight of him to thy comfort Now making mention of Christ he subioynes a description of Christ In whom saith he that is in Christ Iesus is all treasure weigh euery word of wisedome and knowledge I cannot see when euer he names Christ that he can let him goe so but the heart is so full of him that his mouth is full of him also He before called him that hope of glorie and now naming him hee saith In whom is all treasure of knowledge and wisedome Alas brethren to speake this by the way this tastlesse speaking of Christ testifies that there is little of Christ in the heart of men How to speak comfortablie and cheerefully of Christ. and women now adaies If thy heart were filled of him in any measure thou wouldest euer be speaking of him and so fully as thy heart could deuise Now the Lord teach vs to speake of him so ioyfully as wee may euer more and more take pleasure to speake of his name to his euerlasting praise that wee may finde what vertues be in the Lord Christ Iesus Amen But to come to the words he laies out the rich merchandise that is in him take heed ye that would be merchants and that The riches of Christ that is in him he calles wisedome and knowledge I will not be curious to distinguish them except ye will call wisedome that hid mysterie and knowledge this knowledge of earthly and heauenly things all is in Christ hee hath this knowledge these two are distinguished Rom. 11. 33. O the deepnes of this riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! For there is no other wisedome but in Iesus Christ for the fulnes of God is in him Now he calles it not bare knowledge and wisedome but he saith In whom are the treasures of all wisedome and knowledge Many will haue wisedome and knowledge but neuer a one hath the storehouse of it saue Iesus Christ Now hee saith not the treasures but all treasures to shew you that there is not a treasure without him Ye haue heard before of this fulnes In him saith he this fulnes dwels Now againe hee saith In whom are all treasures And againe in a higher stile hereafter vers 9. In whom dwels the fulnes of the Godhead bodily looke what a Sauiour ye haue all is included within the vaile and nature of man and shines as it were through the vaile Then of this I conclude there is nothing to be sought without him Thou that hast need seeke nothing without Iesus For he that would be wise without Iesus Christ hee would be wise without God because the father is in him So thou that wilt haue all fulnes seeke it in him Brethren if this Iesus that is reuealed this day were sought earnestly we would finde it by plaine experience in our selues that there was nothing lacking in him that might doe vs good but he would minister vnto vs wisedome and knowledge and all other benefits And I charge thee vnder the paine of thy life that thou goe to no other to seeke for ought without him Seeke not to mans traditions to these deceiuers of Gods people May not their deceits be perceiued by you May you not see that poyson of theirs in their doctrine Fie on that man of sinne fie on him that drownes all the world with his foule stinke of traditions Rest vpon this Gospell and spit at this beast and this poyson that hee offers to the world Content thee with this Gospell Would to God I or thou could attaine to the thousand part of this Gospell If thou wist what this Gospell were and what treasures of wisdome were in it thou wouldest neuer let it be out of thy sight night nor day Thou wouldest spit at all other doctrine and tradition that sauoured not of this Gospel For in this Gospel is light and life but in mans tradition thou shalt finde no light nor life Darknes and damnation shall be the end to them which imbrace them O damnation to thee ô man that leaues the fountaine of liuing waters and diggest vp to thy selfe cesternes of rotten water Woe vnto thee that leaues the truth of the Gospell to follow the traditions and fantasies of mans braine Lord deliuer vs from that poysonfull doctrine and they that are in the chaines of it the Lord deliuer them out of the same and giue them this full riches of the Gospell of Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holie Spirit one euerlasting God be praise for euer Amen THE FOVRTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE Epistle of PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 4 5 6 7. 4 And this I say least any man should beguile you with entising words 5 For though I be absent in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit reioycing and beholding your order and your stedfast faith in Christ 6 As ye haue therefore receiued Christ Iesus the Lord so walke in him 7 Rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith as ye haue been taught abounding therein with thankesgiuing AFter brethren that the Apostle hath spoken at large of his owne person to purchase authoritie to his doctrine and exhortation now in the first verse which I haue read hee returnes to the exhortation begun in the first chapter taking the occasion of the words going before For there the Apostle shewed that in Iesus Christ were all treasures of wisedome and Coherence vnderstanding hid Vpon this hee concludes in this verse seeing
with the filthines of nature that it cannot hunger for the word nor feele the sweetnes of it therefore emptie thy heart of this filth which is in it that being emptied thou maist haue some greedines of spirituall things Know you not the necessitie of this If in some measure thou emptie it not and fill it not with this word of grace I giue thee this doome looke not for a life to come For there is no fulnes of glorie except the fulnes of the word goe before in thee So if thou be not filled with the word in this life looke not to haue a life with Iesus in that day Seeing then it stands vpon such a paine take pleasure in this word albeit he be but a base sillie man that vtters it to thee for it is the meane that the Lord hath vsed to fill thy soule with and it hath pleased the Lord to put this iewell in earthen vessels therefore take heede to them 2. Cor. 5. 18. 19. 20. and fill thy selfe for els at that day thou shalt repent the time that thou wouldest not take grace when grace was offered being offended at the basenes of men in the Ministerie O let not the basenes of Christs seruants be a let to thee but be thou euer greedie to fill thy self with the word And woe be to them that would put this word away from thee and stuffe in vanities in steede of it woe to thee with thine Earldome except the Lord conuert thee in time The Lord in his mercie giue vs grace to keepe this word of Iesus and to feede thereupon To this Lord with the Sonne and holy Spirit be all praise for euermore Amen THE XXXI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 16. 17. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs sing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoeuer ye shall doe inword or deede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God euen the father by him WE haue heard brethren heretofore of this spirituall araiment of the new man or new creature made by Iesus Christ and wee haue heard of so many parts and peeces of it as haue been thus farre reckoned vp Of mercie kindnes humilitie mildnes lenitie forgiuing charitie peace and lastly thankfulnes for benefits receiued Now in the beginning of this text the Apostle recommends that meane whereby these graces and all other such like are gotten and wrought in the heart of man The meane briefly hee Coherence calles the word of Christ the speech of Christ Let saith hee the speech of Christ dwel in you plenteously For without this word which is the instrument of the spirit of Iesus wherby he works in the heart and without the which he workes not ordinarily there can be no grace wrought in the heart For to speake The Gentiles had no spiritual grace the truth neuer Gentile had any of these graces and for any that they had they were but dead images of vertues without life for where the word is not there can be no grace life nor vertue in man But to come to the words in particular Let saith he the word of God dwell in you plenteously Then the meane of all these graces is the speech or language to take it generally that comes out of the mouth Well brethren there is no little moment in speaking and it hath no small force in the hearer either to good or euill The language thou hearest will either do thee good or euill for it enters not so soone into the eare but Speech euer doth good or hurt as soone it goes to the heart and either will corrupt or sanctifie the heart Corrupt language will rot thy heart Ephes 4. 29. if thou takest pleasure to heare it it will cause thy heart to stinke Againe so soone as we haue spoken a word of grace by speaking it it will cleanse the heart and put out vncleannes for there is not a graine of it but it is full of stinke And therfore 1. Cor. 15. 33. When he hath recited the words of the Epicures Eate say they drinke let vs take our pastime then the Apostle subioynes be not deceiued for saith he wicked speaking corrupts good manners foule speeches euil talke will make thee an euill man For first it defiles thy heart and then thy actions Againe Ephes 4. 29. he giues expresse commandement Looke saith he that no rotten speech proceede out of thy mouth vpon paine of thy life Albeit thy heart thinke it as thy heart is euil inclined to thinke it yet keepe thy mouth close and vetter it Pro. 3. 24. Keepe the mouth close albeit the heart haue vncleane thoughts not Then he saith recommending the talke that should bee spoken Speake that that is to the edification of the hearer Speake no speech but that that is gracious I will not insist in this only keepe thy owne tongue first that thou corrupt not thy selfe or thy neighbour then take heede to thy neighbours tongue least in case thou lend thine eare to his talke that thou get not a filthie heart by it But to our purpose Speech that strikes in the eare it is of great force in the heart But whose speech must this be that workes these graces which are reckoned vp Will euery speech worke it No whose must it be then Let saith he the speech of Christ be in your hearts dwelling in all plentie Then it is Christs speech O it must be the speech of a great personage that must make this operation It is his speech that will pearce downe The speech of Christ only is the instrument of grace to the spirit because he is a spirit a diuine spirit and is the maker of all spirits and therefore it is he who pearceth downe to the heart and all his words are spirit and life This Peter saith Whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life Ioh. 6. 68. And therefore seeing he hath the spirit if the Auditor were neuer so dead he will make him heare The time is come now saith he in Ioh. 5. 25. when the dead shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God O then heare the word of Christ and it will giue thee life Then the speech of Christ is nought els but the Gospell which the Apostle to the Romanes chap. 1. 16. calles the power of God vnto saluation to euery one who beleeues Beleeue it and thou shalt find this power in thee For as concerning the Gospell it was Iesus Christ who was the first speaker of it first in The Gospel preached by Christ since the beginning Paradice and then to the Fathers in order and lastly in his owne person in a full reuelation hee spake this word of life Looke not then for life let none from the King to the beggar
of the word I beseech you looke how you haue it Some will clatter ouer Scripture and yet they will be the vainest bodies that are Therefore content not thy selfe with a rote rime of the word except thou finde an illumination by it in thy minde wisedome and knowledge in thy heart What good doth the repetition of certaine sentences of the Scripture if this be not I say to thee thou abusest them and thou shalt be challenged for it Now to come to the next effect Teaching and admonishing The second effect of the word your owne selues with Psalmes hymnes and spirituall songs with grace in the heart singing to God the Lord. So the next effect of this riches of the word is in respect of others hee that aboundeth himselfe in the riches of the word hauing a store of it in his breast he must redound and runne ouer as a full vessel that runnes ouer he must not onely be a vessell that is full but he must be a full vessell running ouer So hee must runne ouer in Simile graces to others and there is none of these graces that runne ouer that falles to the ground but the hearers receiue them We get not this grace to keepe it to our selues and to hide it as a hoord in our owne breast so that none other know of it what auailes that hoord Wherefore serues siluer if it be not imployed to the vse of men euen so what auailes wisedome and knowledge if it be not imployed to the vse of men and communicated to others it will rot within thee and neuer doe thee good And thinkest thou that the more narrowly thou keepest it that it will grow vp the more No no if thou haue siluer and thou giue it not out it will not grow but if thou laist it out thou keepest the stocke and receiuest the profit Euen so the word of God and the riches thereof if thou giue it not foorth it cannot grow but if thou giue it out and communicate the same to others it shall grow in thee Concerning this matter Paul 2. Tim. chap. 1. vers 14. saith Keepe that faire thing that is committed in trust to thee meaning this word Then in the chapter following in the beginning he saith These things thou hast heard what shalt thou doe with them Cammunicate them to faithfull men And what shall they doe To speake much of the word to others with them that are able saith he to teach others So the onely way to keepe this riches with a continuall increase is euer to be speaking of it and communicating of it to others VVhere thou seest an ignorant soule giue to that soule one peece of that riches I speake not this to Ministers onely but to euery one of you who heare me for wee and ye are bound to communicate this word one to another And thou who art the first giuer of it it shall grow the more with thee for it growes through giuing of it It is not like temporall riches of which the more is giuen the more they decrease but these spirituall riches the more they be giuen the more they grow Therefore be euer giuing of them that thou maist bring many liuing stones vnto the house of God and of Iesus Christ for thou shalt not be glorified till the whole bodie be glorified Therefore as thou wouldest be glorified seeke the rest of the members to be glorified with thee and be euer bestowing of these riches vpon the members of Christ as thou hast receiued of him These are the two effects that this word hath in others The first is in the minde The second is in the heart and affections of the hearers In the minde the effect of the word is when thou teachest the ignorant that hath no knowledge by Teaching of minde opening vp the word thou doest minister knowledge to the ignorant and so it stands in doctrine The effect that it works in the heart is by admonishing and comforting rebuking as Admonishing and comforting the heart occasion serues So I note the word of Iesus workes in all the parts and powers of the soule of man in the minde will and euery affection it runnes through al the faculties of the soule As for the word of a Philosopher that hath the knowledge of things earthly it will informe thy knowledge and it will let thee know the thing thou knewest not before but it will not Psalm 19. 7. 8 reforme nor alter thine heart it is onely Christs word that doth that Men are inclined to reade good morall bookes but I warne thee except thou reade this word of Christ nothing can reforme thy heart Therefore seeke to this Gospell This is one thing I note and another note is this It is not enough for thee that hast the word of Christ in thy hart in great plentie and aboundance to informe the vnderstanding of an ignorant no not in heauenly things yea and it were to vnderstand the whole Scriptures thou hast not done all thou shouldest do to make a learned hearer though it were in the whole Note of a true teacher ministerie of God what shouldest thou do more Thou must admonish that is thou must go to the heart of the hearer and his affections to see how he is disposed So that if thou see the affections to be out of rule as they will appeare in the manners of men thou must tune thy speech according to the affections of them and striue to put them in order And if they be ouer loftie thou must bring them low downe and if they be deiected thou must cheere them vp againe comfort and incourage them In a word thou must comfort admonish and rebuke according as thou shalt finde the disposition of the hearer if he were a King thou must rebuke him as thou findest Admonition hard occasion The world cannot abide this Speake to my vnderstanding say they teach me Christ what haue you more to doe Make me and the people to vnderstand but speake not to my affections Let me and them bee together meddle not with my affections begin not to rebuke me and to controule my affections I wil not beare with it But let men speak as they please this is the truth Neither art thou a faithfull teacher if thou wert but a priuate man if thou rebuke not a priuate man much more a Preacher cannot discharge his dutie in his Ministerie if he admonish and rebuke not the person whom he sees and knowes to offend And therefore away with these Iniunctions and rather close thy mouth then receiue such an Iniunction otherwise thou canst not doe thy dutie What profits me all the light in the world if mine affections be out of rule My knowledge shall doe me no good and hee Affections vnruly who speakes not to thy affections hee shall doe thee no good he must first instruct thy minde and then speake to thine affections I will not insist But I
before the faces of men Now the Lord heare vs for his sonnes sake Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and holie Ghost be ascribed as most due is all power and praise for euer and euer Amen THE XXXVII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 6. 6 Let your speech be gracious alwaies and poudred with salt that ye may know how to answere euery man THis is another generall sentence or exhortation brethren pertaining as the former to all sorts and degrees of men women in the world none being so great or so high that they are to be exempted frō it nor any being so meane or small as that they can be freed frō it for as God is the cōmon God of al but specially of thē that beleeue so doe the doctrines that he deliuereth commonly concerne all but chiefly his Saints and seruants in this world So that men may as well reiect and cast off God himselfe as refuse the doctrines that are deliuered in this and such like places His purpose and drift is to teach mē to take heed to their tongues And this is not vnfitly ioyned to the former sentence or verse wherein he admonished them to walke warily generally towards all but specially towards them that are without as well because they knew not how to beare with incircumspectiō in others as not hauing learned that dutie of charitie as also because more regard is to be had of gaining them then of those that be ranged into the Church And in as much as by the speech or tongue men bewray their retchlesnes and indiscretion as well as by acts or deeds he therefore prouoketh them euen in that respect to haue a speciall eye to their words as well as to their works So that it may seeme in some sort to to be an illustration of the generall by some particulars Whatsoeuer it be this is certaine he would haue vs to be warie that we giue no offence to others nor bewray inconsideratiō in our selues by our words but rather that we should manifest much goodnes in our selues and set it out vnto others for their good and Gods glorie Now two things are to be considered in this verse the one is a precept or commaund in these words Let your speech be gracious alwaies and poudred with salt by which he giueth vs to vnderstand that it is no arbitrarie matter such as we may doe or leaue vndone as we list but that it is profitable yea necessarie The second is the end that hee aimeth at in their obedience in these words that ye may know how to answere euery man which is the good of others as well as their owne comfort in the graces they had receiued because whatsoeuer wee haue receiued wee haue receiued it for other mens benefit as well as for our owne and therefore should referre it to the fame ends In the speech that hee commendeth vnto vs he requireth two properties first that it should be gracious or with a grace as we say Secondly that it should be poudred or seasoned with salt That speech is or may be iustly called gracious which as in respect of the speaker proceedeth from some grace that God hath vouchsafed vnto him for howsoeuer to speake be a naturall thing as reason hath yeelded vs conceits to speake of so nature hath affoorded vs instruments to speake by as the tongue the teeth the lips and such like yet to speake the speech that the Apostle commendeth and commaundeth vnto vs in this place cannot be but by grace from God And as in regard of the hearer bringeth with it some grace to them to whom it is directed which thing the Apostle plainly expresseth Ephes 4. vers 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the vse of edifying that it may minister grace to the bearers By which wee learne that it is no easie thing to speak well nor easie matter to heare good things and to profit by them Our nature is backward both to the one and the other for as it is a burthen to heare a foole speake meaning by foole a wicked man because he speaketh nothing but that which is euill so a naturall man that is to say a wicked man can deliuer nothing but speake like to himselfe because out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And therefore me thinketh that the speaker in this case should pray as the Prophet Dauid doth that God would set a doore before his lips and guide the tongue of his mouth And this hee ought to doe if hee be but a common Christian and speake to his euen Christian because there is matter of corruption in him that may cause him to ouershoote himselfe or ere he beware both as in regard of the naughtines of his mind and mouth generally and as in respect of the blindnes of his heart particularly yea and that many times when we deliuer good things because in the multitude of words or speech there is transgression as Salomon saith And the hearer also should intreate God to boare his eares and to open his vnderstanding yea and to incline his heart that nothing might steale away his affection from that which so directly concerneth other mens good Gods glorie and his owne spirituall comfort which dutie of inuocation and praier whilest men as in other respect so in this behalfe regard not it falleth out that both God is robbed of his glorie men of their spirituall good and themselues of Christian comfort Nay I will say more whilest they doe not onely neglect this good dutie but imagine as the wicked did in Dauids time that their tongues are their owne they will speake who is Lord ouer them or who shall controule them they doe not onely lose their labour as water spilt vpon the ground which is pitifull but increase their disobedience to God and manifest their want of charitie towards men which is vngodly And if this be the state of them that speak not of good things with an honest hart to godly edification what must their condition be that deliuer lewd and wicked things bewraying not onely the vncleannes of their owne mindes but at the least intising if not corrupting others to runneriot with them to the selfesame excesse of sinne And of this sort are those ribaulds and filthie persons who can neuer be merrie or thinke themselues well occupied till they blaspheme God with their mouthes and strike or curse mē with their tongues I meane the bitter and lewd words they doe deliuer But these are to be sharply reproued and must needes haue the dung of their filthines and corruption cast into their faces And this must we doe brethren if either we reuerence God or loue his glorie or hate euill or desire their saluation and they themselues must bee contented to heare it with patience and to beare it with profit or else the meanes vsed vnto
them do but increase their sinne and their condemnation by meanes therof But the other sort as not sinning in so high degree must be otherwise melt withall namely admonished in the spirit of loue to leaue that sinne though it might be as deare and precious to them as their right hand or their right eye and to striue by godly communication words both to strengthen them that do stand and to help the weak hearted and to gain others with whom they haue to deale And if this belongs to euery Christian as his common dutie then how much more doth it concerne the publike Minister not onely as in regard that he is Gods substitute on earth who propoundeth nothing saue that which is good to edifie all but also in respect that he speaketh or should speake Gods word onely according as S. Peter saith Let him that speaketh speake as the words of God And yet the more is the pitie nothing more trifling nothing more vnsound then that which some take vpon them either as Gods ministers or in steed of them to deliuer in the chaire or pulpit But wee will leaue them and proceede in the text The second thing that hee requireth in our speech is that it should be poudred with salt These are metaphors or borrowed kinds of speeches and therefore had need of a good interpretation both for the cleering and doctrine of them That the speech should be gracious which the Apostle had required before it must of necessity be seasoned with salt because in a hearers heart there cannot bee effected any grace but by such speech as is poudred or seasoned And wherewith must it be seasoned The Apostle answereth it must bee with salt The salt wherewith our words must be seasoned is true sanctitie or holines Of necessitie there must be holines in the heart before there can bee any salt or sauour in the mouth or words Nay I will say more that sanctitie must possesse all the affections of the heart or else there wil not there cannot flow from it seasoned speech Yea this holines must spread and stretch it selfe vnto all the outward parts and members and to all the outward actions and operations of the parts and peeces of mens bodies or else there can bee no salt or seasoning of any thing that is said or done For if the heart be holy and all the affections thereof sanctified then the hand shall worke the foote shall walke the eye shall see and the tongue shall speake holily For if the heart be it that setteth the whole man and euery seuerall part of him on worke as that is so sure and certaine as no man that knoweth no more then the light of nature can affoord him will or can denie it then it must needes follow that according to the frame and disposition thereof all in the whole and euery part of it must be ordered and if euery part follow the disposition of the minde then doth the mouth also Which also our Sauiour himselfe signifieth when he saith that out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and S. Iames expresseth it likewise by a similitude when he telleth vs that no fountaine can send out at one and the selfe same place or hole sweete and bitter waters But yet for the cleering of this point we must a little looke into the nature of salt It hath two special or chiefe vses One to make meat that is sauourie more sweete to be eaten and better pleasing the palate or taste The other to preserue euery thing almost from stinking and corruption So that first sanctitie is it that maketh speech gracious delightfull and fit to edification and therefore meete also and fit to bee directed to the eares yea to the vnderstanding of the hearer Secondly it purgeth the very speeches themselues and preserueth them from all impuritie stinch rottennes corruption c. whereas otherwise without this sanctitie the speech it selfe will be in it selfe filthie and corrupt indeed and as it were with a certaine kinde of putrifaction corrupt the minds of the hearers which the Apostle expressely forbiddeth Ephes 4. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouth By which we may learne one singular poynt and that is this that as filthie and foolish speech bewraieth want of true sanctitie in him that vseth it or taketh delight in the speaking or hearing of it so it is one speciall meane I meane lack of true holines which neither good speeches of good things are so powerfull in him that speaketh them nor so profitable in them to whom they are directed as otherwise they might be if there were true sanctitie and holines in the hearers and speakers as there ought to be And that therfore no man should speak to himself or to others or heare others speake of good things but that they should striue first to purge themselues from all filthines of the flesh and the spirit and then to fit and fill themselues with all puritie and pietie that so there being an analogie and proportion betweene inward holines and outward holy things propounded the holy and good things of God might be more profitable then they haue been And so wee may see one speciall cause why good things spoken either in publike or in priuate profit so smally no man neither speaker nor hearer hath conscience or care to cleanse their hands or to purge their hearts but as though that they were cleane enough alreadie if not too cleane or as though their impuritie could stand with the holines of good things so do we goe on But beware brethren of this conceit for a net is spread by Satans malice and our own corruption to catch our feete fast and to hold vs in sin at their pleasure But we will passe from this and proceed in the text wherein yet one word contained in this sentence of framing and fashioning our speech is worthie of animaduersion and that is the aduerbe alwaies By which hee giueth vs plainly to vnderstand that it is not sufficient for vs now and then or sometimes as we say to haue our talke communication and speech holy and gracious for that will but make vs more and more without excuse as hauing a light raised vp in vs to testifie against vs that we haue seene and affected for a while the best things but haue in a daily course followed the worst But wee must continually looke to our selues in so much that when we are to speake wee must either speake holily and vnto the benefit and edification of others or else speake not at all For euen in this sinne there are these degrees To speake wickedly or filthily is to corrupt other men because as the Apostle saith out of the Poet Euillwords marre good manners and this is properly indeed to destroy men But if we be silent we sinne not against them that way though wee must answere this to God and men that wee aduaunce not in them the worke of grace
his calling then of the Gospell thou shalt neuer see that life Looke ye euer to the truth how euer it shall please Notes to knowe the true ministerie God either ordinarily or extraordinarily to send it to thee with whatsoeuer man thrust out for that effect The second argument of the commendation of the Gospell is the fructifying of the Gospell and the effectuall working of it in the hearts as if he would say skar not at the Gospell preached by Epaphras I shall giue you an argument that it is the Gospell that I haue preached looke if it brought out fruites in you as it hath done in the world of life and regeneration if it hath done this scar not at it There is another note to knowe the truth of the Gospel if the Gospell taught at this day brings out in some I will not say all for many are called but fewe are chosen whose hearts it pleaseth the Lord to open as he did the heart of Lydia this true regeneration renewing the soule how few soeuer the number of them be as it did in the dayes of the Apostles O this Gospel must be the true Gospell for this is sure false doctrine will neuer regenerate thee The inuentions of men will neuer renew thee Nay further good morall precepts will neuer alter thy hard heart Reade Plato Isocrates Cicero reade them if thou wilt tenne thousand yeares all thy reading and hearing of them will not worke in thee the obedience of the heart to God They may well make thee an Hypocrite What Reading of prophane authors their best morall can not conuers the heart Psal 19. 7. were all the Philosophers as many Hypocrites counterfeiting humilitie and the rest of the vertues This ground shall stand then that there is no renewing doctrine which can change the soule but onely the Gospell of Iesus Christ because it is accompanied with the spirit I shall send to you the comforter saith Christ and he shall giue you my word Iohn 14. Onely this Gospell then hath the priuiledge to make thee a new man Therefore let thy rest bee on this Gospell if thou wouldest be renewed and renewed must thou be or else no life for thee nor sight of Christ and of heauen and of the ioyes thereof Sticke fast I say to this blessed and glorious doctrine of the Gospell that must renewe thee by the spirit of the Lord Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy spirit be all honour praise and glory Amen THE SECOND LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians beginning at the end of the sixt verse COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 6 7 8 9 10. 6 From the day that ye heard and truly knew the grace of God 7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our deare fellow seruant which is for you a faithfull minister of Christ 8 Who hath also declared vnto vs your loue which ye haue by the spirit 9 For this cause wee also since the day wee heard of it cease not to pray for you and to desire that yee might bee fulfilled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding 10 That ye might walke worthie of the Lord and please him in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God THe last day Brethren we intreated of the preface of this epistle of Paul to the Colossians and to the end that his doctrines exhortations and admonitions should be the more effectuall in them he conciliateth to himselfe their fauour and good will and that by two arguments the first shewing that hee thanked God for them the next shewing that hee prayeth continually for them that they should continue perseuere and grow in that grace receiued We entred into the declaration of these two arguments of beneuolence to call them so And first we begun to declare the first argument of his thankesgiuing as it is first in order in the text The thing that moued him to thanke God for them was nothing in this world no no earthly grace or benefit but first their faith in Iesus Christ next their loue to the Saints He setteth downe the cause of their faith and loue They had a respect and to-looke to that euerlasting life glorious in heritance that was laid vp for them and all that beleeue in Iesus and kept to them with Christ in God as the Apostle speaketh teaching vs that except we haue respect to another life and glorie when this life is done it cannot be possible to cleaue to Christ and loue his Saints because there are so many impediments and temptations to drawe vs from him and from the loue of the Saints Then he goes forward and sheweth by what meanes they had this respect and to-looke to this life and glorious inheritance It bred not in their brest first but by hearing and if thou heare not thou shalt not vnderstand that there is another life And what a hearing whereof Of a word What word not of lyes and vanities of the inuentions of men nay heare till the day of doome these vanities thou shalt neuer get by it the hope of another life and of glorie hereafter What a hearing then is this the hearing of the word of veritie which he calleth the Gospell of the blessed God which for the excellencie thereof for it excelles all the words of the Philosophers yea the lawe of Moyses it selfe it is called the word of truth Then he recommendeth this Gospell which they heard by the ministerie of Epaphras least the person of the man should make them to despise the doctrine As for the Gospell which ye haue heard doubt not of it it is the true Gospell and I shall giue you a token confer it with the Gospell that hath past through the world if it be the same Gospell that hath past through the world let not the person of the minister scar you from receiuing it Then hee giues another argument of this commendation of the Gospell looke if it fructifye in you and bringeth forth such fruites as sanctification humilitie charitie and such fruits of the spirit as it doth in the rest of the world doubt not of it for it is the true Gospell of Iesus Christ And therefore let not the person of the minister scar you Then he commeth to the last argument whereat we left you the last day and he calleth them to the remembrance of the sudden effectualnes of the Gospell preached by Epaphras amongst them of the continuance which it had with them and saith from the day that ye heard and truely knew the grace of God Vers 6. remember you not that the first day ye heard of it it begun to fructifie in you and euer since it fructifies in you Therefore if you will looke to the suddennesse of the effect and the continuance of it amongst you it argueth plainely that it is the truth of God Vpon this last argument learne this beside the fruite
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
Gospell Thou wilt looke in a glasse to decke thy selfe and wipe off the spots of thy face but wilt thou looke to the Gospell thou shalt see a more beautifull face euen the face of Iesus and the more thou lookest How powerfully the power of Christ transforms vs if we looke vpon his face in the Gospel on it the more it casts out these beames of glory and transformes thee from glorie to glorie So as euer thou wouldest haue the sight of Iesus let thy pleasure be to looke into the mirror of the Gospell for he who takes not pleasure to looke in the mirror shall neuer see the Lord Issus face to face This is a decree and I pronounce it against all these contemners of the Gospell they shall finde it sure they shall neuer see Iesus Christ but to their damnatiō Thou who contemnes All contēners of the Gospell goe to hell this mirrour of the Gospell thou art the diuels slaue and shalt be condemned with him in that great day for euer O if wee should be carefull to keepe this preaching of Christ it stands vs vpon paine of life and death See then what enemies they Preaching be that would take this mirrour from vs by the which wee are Papists comforted and kept to life euerlasting To come to the next words The Colossians might haue said what a Gospell is this thou speakest of It is that which Epaphras taught to vs. Is it his in whose hope we should abide Countest thou so much of his Gospell It should seeme that the person of the man offended them He answers it is the same Gospell that Epaphras preached that I recommend to you Well you see this how readie wee are to be offended with the good Gospell of Christ and to cast off the word because of the persons of men because he is a sillie man This our nature is a stumbling nature we haue a stumbling heart stumbling like a horse Thou wilt heare a man and accept of him and his doctrine and thou wilt heare another and count little either of him or his doctrine euen as though thy faith should leane vpon a man and not vpon the Gospell What hast thou to doe with the man if he speake the true Gospell shouldest thou be holden back from the word because of the basenes of the man This cannot be gotten away this day in Edenborough Ye see againe he is very carnest to commend this Gospel of Epaphras and to remoue the slaunder that they tooke vp against him It teacheth all preachers that euery one of them recommend the doctrine taught by others so it be the same doctrine let the person be what hee will this man hath deliuered sound doctrine A good lesson for preachers Yea if he haue greater graces he should recommend him which hath the simplest as Paul recommends Epaphras So it sets not one minister to detract another but if hee deliuer sound doctrine he should recommend him and speake to his praise for looke what dispraise or reproch thou puttest to the man it turnes ouer vpon the Gospell that the man preacheth as experience this day plainly proues For see ye not men who because of some infirmities of the preacher either will contemne the doctrine of the Gospell which hee preacheth so that they will not abase themselues to come and heare him or else if they come they are so preoccupied in minde that they begin Preiudice against the person of the preacher keepes many from profiting by him to scoffe at it Away with this kinde of dealing and beware what you doe when ye either speake euill of the preacher or suffer others to speake euill of him for if thou doe so thou shalt not faile to loath the Gospell and so consequently ouerthrow thy selfe Now the arguments of the recommendation followes Ibid you stand saith hee in hope of the same Gospell because it is the same Gospell that hath been preached to euery creature vnder the heauen through the whole world As if hee would say Epaphras hath not taught a doctrine diuers from mine and I another diuers from his but all is one and the same doctrine and Gospell that hee and I both haue taught Then take vp the note which Paul here giues thee of the true doctrine seeing our life A note of the true Gospell of Christ stands in the trueth of the Gospell wee should be carefull to know the true Gospell Looke if it be that Gospell that hath been preached to euery creature to al the world Christ saith Preach to euery creature Mark 16. 15. but this is not enough The Papists doctrine hath been preached throughout all Europe and further yet it is not the true Gospell of Iesus Christ There must be yet more then this vniuersalitie look if it be in the beginning preached by the Apostles and in their daies if it be so thou art sure thou hast the veritie of the Gospell But thou wilt say how shall I know this Looke their writings go no further The surest warrant is their writings Looke Pauls writing Peters writing and the rest of the Apostles and Euangelists The written word our warrant writings their bookes shall testifie of their writings for they haue written no other thing but y t they spake There is not a sentence left out that euer the Apostles taught that is not written in this booke of the new Testament as concerning the substance of it So if thou haue their writings be assured thou hast their Gospell preached by them and consequently Christs owne words and his Gospell And if an Angell would preach to thee another Gospell then this written Gospell in the old and new Testament then say thou Anathema to it Gal. 1. 6. cursed be thou and thy Gospell both cursed be thou Papist and thy gospell which is nothing els but the vaine traditions of men And as you would be free of the curses of God flie frō a Papist and his gospell both he is vaine and his gospell is the peltrie of men Then the next argument of recommendation is from his own testimonie in particular as if he would say It is euen that which I haue preached I giue my assent that it is the same with my owne gospell O the testimonie of an Apostle is a great thing yea greater then the testimonie of many thousands because they were inspired by Gods spirit that they could not erre Others might erre and haue erred and there is none now but they may erre and may teach heresie and haue taught heresie when they past a iot from the written veritie as especially may be seene in that beast of Rome and shauelings and Clergie O that damnation that abides him for many thousands that haue perished through his false erronious doctrine Yet I say more if a holy man shall giue his consent it auaileth if it bee agreeable to the doctrine taught by the Apostles otherwise it is worth nothing if it
3. 5. 6. he saith Paul is nothing and Apollo is nothing but God who giues the increase When he hath giuen God that glorie then in the fourth chapter vers 2. he saith let men so esteeme of vs as the disposers of the mysteries of God so let men euer giue God all glorie and praise and let them be assured the 1. Sam. 2. 33. God whom they honour in their calling shall honour them againe Now to this God be all honour and praise Amen THE THIRTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 1. 2. 3 1 For I would ye knew what great fighting I haue for your sakes and for them of Laodicea and for as many as haue not seene my person in the flesh 2 That their hearts might be comforted and they knit together in loue and in all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding to know the mysterie of God euen the father and of Christ 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and of knowledge YE haue heard brethren from the foure and twentith verse of the first chapter of this epistle how Paul hath insisted vpon his owne person purchasing authority to his doctrine y t he hath propounded and to the exhortation begun As yet he continues in speaking of himselfe from the beginning of this second chapter vnto the sixt verse thereof Then after he returnes to his exhortation exhorting the Colossians to perseuerance in that faith which they had receiued The sum of the former Lecture and exhorting them from vaine traditions obtruded or layd on them by the false teachers letting them vnderstand that there was nothing except Christ and his Gospell to be acknowledged or receiued by them and that all other things without him are but vanitie Then to come briefly to our purpose and this text now read in the last verse of the chapter preceding yee heard the Apostle vttered what paines he tooke and what strife he suffered and all for this end to present euery man without exception perfect before God especially in that great day Now the Colossians to whom he writes whom he neuer saw bodily nor they him might haue obiected against this his paine labor and strife which he sustained Well Paul thou pinest thy selfe but for whom what is that to vs It is not for vs thou neuer sawest vs nor we thee so all thy labour fighting and trauell Obiection is nothing profitable for vs. The Apostle in the first verse meets Answere with and answers it I would you knew saith he what great fighting I haue for your sakes and not for you onely but for your neighbours them of Laodicea this is a towne in Phrygia and not for them only but for as many of the Gentiles as haue not seene my person in the flesh There is his answere it is plaine onely hereout I shall gather some short notes for our instruction Then first I marke in the person of the Colossians that moues the question They thought he could haue no care of them except he had seene them so commonly men thinke that they who are absent from them and neuer see them neither know them by their face as we say whom they haue not seene face to face can haue no care of them nor loue to them This is the iudgement commonly of the world and it is so indeede for naturall men that haue no more than naturall loue will speake thus of them with whom they haue not been acquainted I knew him not what haue I to doe with them whom I neuer saw nor knew What good can such men doe to me or I to them This is the fashion of the worldly men But this is all wrong as you The difference betweene the regenerate and vnregenerate The loue of the Saints exceedes the loue of the world shall see and therefore marke in the answere of Paul what great difference is betwixt naturall men and renewed men the common sort of men and the seruants of God In his answere we learne that they that are of God which haue gotten that new birth aboue nature and contrarie to nature the seruants of Christ especially such as Paul was they loue them whom they neuer sawe haue a care ouer them whom they neuer knew yea they will striue and fight to the death for them For why brethren you must vnderstand concerning them that are conioyned in the bodie of Christ one hand will not know another better then they will know one another although they haue not seene one another bodily being far distant in person and place the one from the other because it is the spirit of Iesus who ioynes them together and giues euery one a sure knowledge of the other conioyned with Christ as a member of that body Hence commeth this liuely knowledge which one christian will haue of another whom otherwise he neuer sawe in properperson For they haue not onely this fleshly sight of naturall men and bodily eye to see a mans body and face before them but they haue a spirituall eye whereby they can see to the farthest nooke and corner of the world and will send as it were the very spirit and soule out of the body to the vtmost part of the world where they know there is any of Christs members Therefore Paul saith 1. Cor. 5. 4. When ye are gathered together and my spirit c. Thou that hast no care of the Saints of God where euer they be scattered thou hadst neuer this spirituall and heauenly eye of Paul Suspect thy selfe thou art but a naturall man and if thou haue not a loue to them to embrace and fixe them as it were in thy heart alas it is a token that thou art not in that body of Christ as yet Thirdly in this answere I see it is requisit that we loue them that are Saints howbeit we neuer saw them nor they vs in this world for when the conscience is touched with a feeling of that loue there ariseth The feeling of loue in our hearts a consolation to the soule When thou feelest in thy soule that the Saints loue thee thou maist be assured that God also loues thee and therefore it hath pleased the Lord to leaue in register the acts of the Apostles containing that loue and care they had for the Saints not onely for their owne time but also for all who should liue to the end of the world For Paul he had not onely a care of the Colossians but also of the whole gentils his loue and care extended so far that it reached out to the end of the world If thou be a member of Christ the care of Paul reacheth to thee as one of that body Then lastly I note it is so requisit that we vnderstand of this loue of the We must endeuour to make our loue knowne to the Saints Saints to vs whether we haue seene them or they vs or not that the man
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
be vaine all the fables of the Poets be not so vaine or will not make thee so vaine as the vaine traditions of the Papists called their vnwritten verities O vaine Papist I giue thee the soueraigntie of the vainest creature that euer stepped vpon the ground In the words following he declares it yet more particularly according to the rudiments of the world This is one sort of mens traditions In this chapter ye shall see two sorts of mens traditions one that neuer was knowne such as the holy Ghost Two kinds of traditions here specified neuer gaue nor was ordained to be preached as the inuocation vpon Angels or Saints Satisfactions Purgatorie such as God neuer knew Another sort called the Rudiments of the world or the elements of the world that is the elements and shadowes of the law ceremoniall that God gaue to his people which hee willed should be abolished when the truth it selfe which they shadowed should come I meane the Messias whē he came into the world all these ceremonies ceased Learne heere that euen those ceremonies that were giuen by God to be obserued before Christ came into the world now when Christ is come are to be counted the doctrine and traditions of men And now if God will not know these ceremonies which he himselfe gaue O vaine Papist will he acknowledge thee and thy dreames and the rest of that peltrie No in that great day thou shalt finde the Lord shall say I know neither thee nor thy doctrine In the last of these words opposing to mens traditions and specially to the ceremonies of y e Iewes he saith not after Christ that is that Christ and his Gospell hath not to doe with them Then wouldest thou haue two opposite things that will not stand together where wilt thou seeke them Thou thinkest water and fire a wolfe and a lambe be most contrarie No I must tell thee what is more contrarie yea that it will neuer be glewed together the sincere word of the Gospell the written word of the Scriptures and their vnwritten verities Let the Papists endeuour as they will to glew and to soder them together they shall neuer agree together Heauen and hell shall bee as soone put together as thou shalt put them together And looke how soone thou puttest to a part of mens traditions to the Gospell so soone thou puttest to a peece of sower leauen to sweete and so all is made sower to thee So thou hast no sweete bread in the Gospell Put me in a tradition to Iesus Christ paint him out in as good intention as thou canst I say in mans tradition Iesus Christ is nothing but a maine Idol and thou art an Idolater and thy death shall be with Idolaters When he hath giuen them the admonition that they should beware of false teachers their doctrine whereby they were led away captiue as a pray to perdition he subioynes a good reason in the next verse wherefore they should not feede vpon vanitie For in Christ saith he dwels all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily As if hee would say would ye be filled And certainly The heart desires to be filled with something the harts of mē naturally craue to be filled either with one knowledge of God or other yea and ere it will want a filling it wilinuent a God to it selfe Nature tels this So would ye be filled saith he Leaue not the full plenitude that is in Iesus Christ and runne to puddles that will turne to poyson in the end Then before I come to the words in particular marke this There is such a fulnes in Christ that thou needest not to be emptie or to seeke to be filled without him with any thing in this world Thou art bound to seeke out of this plenitude to be filled and not elsewhere That fulnes in him is offered to thee and if thou seeke without him to be filled his fulnes shall make thy damnation double Remember I tell thee the fuller he is of grace and glorie if thou get not a share of it the greater shall be thy damnation in that day either shalt thou get grace or else his fulnes shall aggrauate thy iudgement In whom saith he dwels the fulnes of the Godhead bodily Then what is in him First not onely grace as we say by participation as it is in vs but in Iesus is the God of grace himselfe The deitie the Godhead Gods owne essence and nature is in Iesus Christ He saith not simply the Godhead is in him but hee saith the fulnes of it not a part of it so that one part is here and another there one part in him and another part without him but hee saith the fulnes of the Godhead is in Ioh. 14. him He is full of God the perfect God is in him yea the Godhead of the Father is within him The full Godhead is in him in substance nature and essence Hee saith not simply looke euery word that the fulnes of the Godhead is in him but hee All the fulnes of the Godhead is in Christ saith all the fulnes is in him as if hee would say The fulnes of the Godhead in euery sort and manner of way is in him The fulnes not in wisedome onely in power onely in iustice only in mercie only but the fulnes in all these together and euery propertie of the Godhead is in him In a word the whole glorie and maiestie of God is in him And not this onely but hee saith it dwels in him God is not in Iesus simply to speake it so in him today and tomorrow out of him but he abides in him euerlastingly He shall neuer leaue him Then he saith he dwels in him How not after a common manner but bodily that is to say essentially So that the very substance of the Godhead in Iesus Christ is become corporall in the person of the sonne The word was made flesh Ioh. 1. 14. The very essence of God is become incarnate as it were a marueilous coniunction there is of two natures in Christ For that the nature of man in Iesus Christ is conioyned with the nature of the Godhead and the two natures are become one person to wit the person of God is become one ioyned with the nature of man No creature hath this prerogatiue only Iesus hath it and so in this respect it is said the Godhead dwels bodily in him This is the meaning of the words This is the third time that he hath spoken of his fulnes Note In the first chapter vers 19. he saith In him dwels all fulnes and then in this second chapter vers 3. In him are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Where ye see in his second speaking hee speakes more fully then he did in the first Now lastly in the third roome hee saith In him dwels dwels all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily there is a more full speaking then before So by his example wee
but slaues and vessels of earth and not of gold let them cloathe themselues with gold as they will So behold the seueritie and mercie of God seueritie for the reprobate and mercie for the elect Ye will aske makes not God the chosen sometime a spectacle of his wrath was not Dauid in a miserable case and a fearefull spectacle of Gods wrath when as the sword went neuer out of his house all his daies and are there not many daily that are made fearefull spectacles and yet no doubt there are many of them that are of the chosen of God I answere indeede it is true the Lord will chastise his very sore here but all is in this world hang him head him burne him all is nought and that that is is euer conioyned with the mercie of God and his paine hath an end But the Apostle speaketh here of an eternall wrath The elect incurre not this wrath it is proper to the sonnes of infidelitie And therfore I say the elect are neuer made spectacles of Gods Gods punishments in this world on his are but chastisements wrath whatsoeuer the chastisement be that fals vpon them Ye will aske againe where was there euer such a spectacle seene In hell Saw you euer one tormented in hell with this wrath saw you euer one tormented in this world with this wrath God forbid I will not iudge so hardly of any that suffereth or are visited by the hand of God How is it then that the reprobate are made the spectacles of Gods wrath I say albeit thou neither see it nor thou heare it yet there are infinite numbers tormented in hell But there are some so pitifull hearted bodies who cannot heare tell that one goeth to hell O foolish pitifull hearted bodie I tell thee infinite numbers go to hell and shall goe and thou if thou beleeue not this shalt go with Hell the rest to hell For if this word will not serue to confirme thee in this truth that the reprobates shall be made spectacles of Gods wrath the wrath of God shall serue one day when it shall light on thee and them both as infidels to your vtter destruction Now to goe forward ye haue heard two arguments seruing to mortification The first was taken from heauen the second from hell as ye heard The last followeth and it is taken from these same sinnes in the which the Colossians sometimes walked as if he would say ye were such men sometime these sins all raigned in you before ye came to Christ ye were fornicators idolators couetous c. all these raigned in you as they did in any infidell Therefore let the remembrance of these sins be matter of mortification to you This is the argument briefly Of the which yee may gather that men should not looke How to remember our old sins idly on their sinnes wherein sometime they walked for when thou remembrest thou wast an harlot murtherer an oppressor and an auaricious man let that remembrance serue to an earnest slaying of sinne to come and mourning for thy sinnes past continually Fie on thee for euermore if this be not the effect of the remembrance of thy sinnes and so slay that foule affectiō that made thee an harlot and crie for that bloud of Iesus that washeth it away And certaine it is as all things that befall the elect are for their good euen so are their sinnes Rom. 8. for their good when they begin to repent them of their sinne and to slay it Dauid was better after his adulterie then he was before and he neuer remembred his sinnes as he euer remembred them without mortification For this is the nature of a sanctified remembrance it euer worketh sorrow in the heart and a mortification of the sinne O fie on thee when thou remembrest thy harlotrie and wilt not haue sorrow in thy heart for it nor mortifie it Well Paul saith Godly sorrow bringeth foorth repentance which is nothing else but a mortification of thy sinne sorrowing that thou hast done it and brethren sanctified remembrance maketh a fresh wound in the heart If thou stand in the grace of Iesus Christ thou wilt not so soone remember thy sins but as soone thou shalt be wounded with sorrow and griefe for them and thou shalt not so soone bee wounded but so soone that oyle of gladnes shall be powred into thy heart to comfort thee in Iesus and his grace and shall bring to thee a ioy vnspeakable Therefore this is my minde and it is true the ioyfullest bodie that euer was or is is a penitent The ioy of a penitent sinner sinner who with sighes vnspeakable groanes for sinne O then there is ioy vnspeakable and glorious in that heart 1. Pet. chap. 1. it refresheth the hart so sweetly that the mourning sinner is swallowed vp with ioy and blesseth the time that euer he mourned for sinne Come to the words of the text there are three things he noteth Three points in them First he saith they walked in them that is in these sinnes Secondly he setteth downe their manner of walking And thirdly the time when they walked in them As to the first ye walked that is in fornication and vncleannes and the rest ye walked in them as men are wont to goe from morning to euening The word teacheth vs this that a sinner cannot sit idle if sinne raigne in thee thou canst not sit idle but he must be euer going on yea and running on to sinne It is said in the epistle to the Ephesians that they gaue themselues to wantonnes with greedines striuing who should be formost There Eph. 4. 19. 20. was neuer two in a course of running striuing who should be formost and formost as a sinner in whom sinne raigneth will striue to be formost in sinne before all others There is none that went to hell nor none goe or shall goe but their owne Sinners walke to hell they neede no horse foote carieth them thither they neede not a horse to ride on and gallop thither There was neuer none so readie to goe to heauen as the reprobates are to goe to hell Would to God we could make as good speede in the way to heauen as they doe in the way to hell And so there is none that dieth that euerlasting death but it is according to his owne will Thy perdition is of thy selfe O Israel but thy saluation is of me saith the Lord. Thou wilt runne of thine owne will to hell except the Lord meete thee and hinder thy course The second thing he marketh in them is the manner of their walking Ye also that is euen ye walked after the same manner as the children of infidelitie did Looke as they walked so yee walked as they ranne ye ranne no difference betwixt you So the lesson is before the effectuall calling of God by his spirit and faith there is no difference betwixt the elect and the reprobate the soule of the elect
this vice of filthie speaking would ye know it There is no house but it is full of this villanie The villaine cannot speake two words but the one is filthie speaking and so it is no wonder that this ayre is defiled Thou bringest on Gods iudgements on thee and thy corne both thou art a foule speaker Paul in the Ephesians calleth it rotten speech stinking speech and that because it is of foule things For where the thing is filthie the talke must be filthie also And as the filthie thing defileth and corrupteth the flesh and vitiateth all that it toucheth euen so out of question the filthie speech will rot thee Put a fresh apple amongst the rotten the very rotten apples will rot the fresh euen so thou Simile shalt rot thy selfe by thy foule speech Ye will say to me Is there such a force in a word what doe I reckon of it it is but winde But Paul 1. Cor. chap. 15. vers 23. saith be not beguiled thou thinkest words be nothing what addeth he wicked speeches corrupt good manners wicked speeches therfore will rot thee be not beguiled with them By this learne thou then how subiect the heart of man is to vanitie and how readie hee will be to sucke it in Hee will sucke it in faster then euer a drie mouth will drinke in drinke and he will speake of his vanitie and filthines no there is not an obiect cast vp but it will defile the soule of the filthie speaker To what end should I speak of these things the foule heart will commit filthines with the shadow of it and ere euer thou be a harlot in thy bodie thou wilt be a harlot in thy heart and tongue first and then it will not rest vntill thou pollute that bodie of thine Looke to it and proue thy experience if thy heart hath not committed adulterie or euer thy bodie committeth it The bodie was neuer so subiect to draw a pestilence as the hart is to attract the vice of adulterie and all other filthie vices and thy senses in thy head are as many doores to the soule that letteth in either good or euill things when they are open especially take heed The senses windowes to thy eyes and eares for they are principall but the eares chiefest For as the greatest grace is let in by the care for from whence commeth faith but by the hearing From whence cōmeth edificatiō but by the care and so it is a special sense in a man and therfore take heed to it As it receiueth the greatest grace so it will take in the foulest greatest vice that is Take heed thē to it let it not be giuen to euery bodies talk keep her chast lend her not to filthie speaking when thou hearest any speake filthie talke turne thy eare from him I giue this exhortation to yong ones that are brought vp in filthie houses with gentlemen with swaggerers I say this therefore for them that they may receiue knowledge for it will take a deepe impression And therefore it should be enformed in good things for there is none of you but the filthie things ye gate in your youth hindreth you in good operation Therefore thou that art young keepe a chast eare abhorre filthie companie And you know if the pestilence were in a house you would not abide there O if thou knewest the pestilence of filthie talke thou wouldest not abide in the house with him that speaketh filthie talke For as filthie thoughts are put from the heart so filthie speaking is from the mouth and as there is mortification required in the heart so there is mortification required in the mouth and tongue That spirit crieth to all runne vp thorough the bodie and all the members of it and mortifie them beginning at the heart Therefore thou that wouldest speake speake cleane things minister grace in thy talke purge the heart for yee know out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Therefore I say to you if thou heare a Lord speake foule talke say my Lord your heart is foule stinking like a priuie I will say this to thee Lord clense thy heart and tongue or els both will be burnt in hell Againe brethren as the contagion ariseth out of the heart to the tongue euen so the filthy word goeth not so soone from the mouth or tongue but it sendeth a stinke back againe to the heart and it maketh it fouler then before and so thou defilest not thy tongue only by thy filthie speech but thou defilest thy heart and laiest on it a double filthines Is it not as good then to be silent and euer purging your hearts Thou that thinkest both filthie things and speakest filthy things O vile villaine thou sinnest doubly But alas who can hinder this filthines in man or woman alas so long as we liue we shall finde it in them yet I giue thee my counsell lend not thy tongue to it but aske grace of God in Iesus Christ to keepe thy heart and tongue from this vncleannes and be slaine in thy heart and surely thou shalt get grace in thy heart to slay it by the spirit of the Lord Iesus to whom be all honour and praise for euer THE XXVII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 9. 10. 9 Lie not one to another seeing that ye haue put off the old man with his workes 10 And haue put on the new which is renued in knowledge after the image of him that created him WE insist yet brethren in this exhortation which the Apostle hath to the Colossians to this end that they should mortifie their earthly members that is their lusts and foule affections He vseth sundrie arguments to this purpose as we heard and at last hee concludeth that purpose in other words Before he said mortifie and now put away seeing it is to day it is a shame that they should bee seene now in Coherence the day light of righteousnes to walke in vncleannes and filthie lust Then he rehearseth vp a number of vices besides them that were before namely wrath anger which is firie malice cursed speaking filthie speaking And here we left the last day Now we shall goe forward with the last vice which is lying we be to speake of it first here and so to passe forward to the argument taken from that regeneration begun and therefore it should perseuere in vs to the end But to come to the vice of lying There be here three vices Three vices of the tongue reckoned that follow the tongue for if it bee euill it is the worst member in the bodie The first is cursed speaking when we hurt the fame of our brother The second is filthy speaking rotten speaking as hee saith in another place when wee defile the eare and consequently the heart of our brother with the breath of our mouth for we defile all and our owne heart also whereunto our foule speech returneth as ye
the which ye are called in one bodie and be ye thankefull THe Apostle brethren after he had exhorted the Colossians to put off the cloathing of the olde man which was made vp of foule affections as peeces of his garment he begins to exhort to put on the cloathing of the new man which is made vp of sundrie graces of Christ vertues and holy affections The last day we reckoned vp certaine pieces of this cloathing Parts of the garment of the new man namely sixe to wit the bowels of pitie and compassion kindnes humblenes of minde meekenes long suffering and lastly the forgiuing of offences Now to come to the text wee haue in hand yet hee continues in this raiment and cloathing and reckons vp other parts of it The seuenth part of this garment he calles it Loue charitie that one beares to another neighbour to neighbour Among all the rest of the peeces he desires them to put on loue And whereon should they put this peece of the garment And aboue all these saith he put on loue as the vppermost garment they being vnder it it being aboue thē all as a cloake aboue all the rest of the cloathing Now brethren Loue must be the vppermost garment you know commonly the vppermost cloath is the fairest and the honestest the preciousest cloath because it is in the eyes of the world therefore seeing hee craues that they should put on charitie as vppermost it must follow that it is the fairest comliest and preciousest peece of cloathing that is I say more when thou hast put on all the rest as mercie Obserue kindnes humblenes meekenes long suffering forgiuenes if thou put not on loue aboue all all is nought worth It is but a garment of hypocrisie and there is no sinceritie in thy mercie thou shewest no sinceritie in thy humblenes nor in none other of thy vertues Looke what the Apostle speakes of thy vertues that can be giuen to a man 1. Cor. 13. without charitie the gift of tongues is nothing the gift of prophesie of wisedome of faith of doing miracles of almes deedes all is nothing and lastly of long suffering it is nothing without this charitie It may well be thou profit others but as for thy selfe without charitie thou shalt get no profit Therfore the Apostle saith speaking of these gifts and many more they be not profitable if I want charitie and what auailes it if it be not profitable to me So without charitie all is nothing of no value and if these vertues want charitie I say to thee they are but dead images of vertues Thy mercie is but a dead image of vertue if thou want loue and so foorth in the rest for the life of all vertues is loue if the heart be not with the hand that is the heart with the action it shall neuer doe thee good Then marke in euery good action there are two things to be considered The first is the good action it selfe The second is the manner of the doing of the action O there is no small respect to be had of the manner of doing which is the very habite and cloathing of it Now the action comes from the hand O but the forme the manner the habit which is the ornament of it comes from the heart now the heart of him doth the good deede if it be euill affected the action if it were neuer so good it hath an euill habit on it it is euill fauoured to the Lord how pleasant so euer it seeme in the eyes of man yet it is not acceptable to the Lord all is lost yea all good workes if they want this loue stinke in the sight of the Lord and thou shalt neuer get good of them But if the heart be disposed with loue that comes of faith in Iesus Christ then thy action appeares before the Lord in a faire beautie and hee makes that deede thou doest to returne backe to thee to thy A good worke returnes back with much comfort to him which doth it good as it is good to him to whom thou doest it Therefore let euery one seeke to be clad with al vertues and good offices but looke to this that euery one of them appeare before the Lord with loue and charitie that thy heart and hand may goe together Put not out thy hand alone put out heart and hand together otherwise thy action shall neuer be good to thee for thou art commaunded aboue all things to put on charitie Now to goe forward to the words following he desines this loue and by it he lets vs see that it is no small grace And first he calles it a Band. Loue is a band that binds things together All the rest of the graces are likewise bands mercie kindnes humblenes and the rest binde vp the members of Iesus Christ but without charitie all be but superficiall bands outward bands binding the bodies of men and not their hearts together But loue is an inward band and it comes from the heart and meetes with another heart and bindes vp heart with Loue is a band heart and so the knot of loue is knit all the rest giue outward things but loue giues inward things euen the heart of him which loueth I say he that loues thee giues thee his heart The word in the originall language imports not onely a band but a mutuall band as my loue to thee and thine to me so that thy loue meetes my loue for if loue be not met with loue againe it will not auaile for friendship cannot stand on one side Therefore looke that charitie be mutuall otherwise be not content with thy selfe This for the first word The next is the band of perfection This is the effect of this band It perfecteth the man in whom it is for it bindeth thee vp with the bodie it perfects thee so that thou shalt want nothing but al shall be supplied till thou beest perfected Now there is no member of the bodie that hath all perfection The Lord hath not disposed so neither was it meete it should so be but that euery member ioyned with another should bee supplied The eye cannot goe therefore the foote comes in and carries the eye the foote cannot see but in comes the eye and lets the foote see and directs it So in the bodie of man there is not a member euen the vilest and the foulest but all the rest be readie to couer that member and to supplie the want of it It is euen so with the spirituall bodie of Iesus howbeit man cannot see it yet it is as true for euery member hath not all grace no not the King nor the Apostles nor no man in any estate hath all graces yet being vnited in that bodie of Christ O thou lackest nothing for all is communicated to thee So that Paul had not a grace but it is mine All is yours saith the Apostle and you are Christs 1. Cor. 3. 21. 23. You may challenge
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
affirme there was neuer more neede to speake to the affections of men to admonish and rebuke then in these times Now hee insists in the second thing in raising vp the heart of the hearer that is ouer farre cast downe and heauie so that it cannot speake to God To cheere it vp I say the meanes are Psalmes that is the first The second is Hymnes The third is Songs Canticles All stands in singing melodie of the voyce The sad heart that is ouer farre cast downe that it cannot rise to glorifie God requires to be raised vp with the melody of the voyce I will not insist Psalmes are songs in generall of what 1. Psalmes argument or purpose soeuer they bee Hymnes are songs of 2. Hymnes praises a speciall kinde of Psalme Canticles or Odes are a 3. Canticles certaine kinde of Hymnes composed and made after a more artificiall manner as the song of Salomon The Lord recommends these as meanes to raise vp the heart of man to God that is ouer sad Then the lesson is this Among all the rest of the meanes whereby the heart is wakened and raised vp to God singing is one This melodie this sweete harmonie whether it be naturall or artificiall Musicke serues to raise vp the heart to glorifie God And therefore the melodie of the voyce it should be applied to the edifying of others Looke how ye vse your voyce ye that haue it the Lord giues it to thee for the edifying of thy brother If any haue a Canticle vse it to the edifying of thy brother the greatest part vse it to the destroying of the hearer and feeding of their foule affections to vanitie Well take heede you who haue voyces to sing for thou shalt giue an account if it be not to the edifying of the hearer In the words following hee insists in a large description of these three First for the matter as concerning it it should be spirituall and heauenly All the matter of Psalmes Hymnes and Canticles should be spirituall For why they come from the riches of the word in the heart If thou haue this substance within thee all thy songs will be of Scripture of heauenly things and all to glorifie thy God and to edifie thy brother Well this that Paul speaks condemnes all these songs of vaine and filthie purposes Fie vpon thee who doest abuse thy voyce in foule bawdrie matters to corrupt and infect the affection of the hearer It had bin better thou hadst not gotten a voyce Then he comes to the forme of singing which is it should be gracious that is it should haue such gratiousnes and grauitie as might conuey grace to the heart of the hearer This condemnes all these light and wanton tunes that mistune the affection of the hearer Besides this it condemnes this chirming and chaunting in the Papistical Church This word grace condemnes all because by their broken notes of Musicke they breake the words of the Scripture and so they darken the sentence that the words cannot be vnderstood and feede not the heart with the words and sentences of the Scripture but feed the eare with a vaine tune and so it condemnes all their singing for al is gracelesse because this singing which the Apostle requires should be such as should not breake the words of the Scripture but should make them more plaine and distinct In the third place he comes on to the chiefe Organ that is the instrument wherewith they should sing It is not with the Organs of the Papists no not with thy tongue but it is with the heart and with the affection of a well ruled heart Therefore as a fidler or any that playes on an Instrument tempers his Simile Instrument that a sweete harmonie may be heard of it Euen so before thou sing temper thou thy heart and let thy song rise not from thy throte but from the depth of thine heart that is from thine affections set vpon God Lastly he sets downe to whom we be to make this musicke and whose eare we be to please in singing He saith it is to the Lord then it is the Lord Iesus Christ to whom thou shouldst direct thy song and whose eare thou shouldest please So that he or she that sings either Psalmes Hymnes and Canticles should set themselues to please the eare of Iesus Christ You see these vaine singers set themselues to please the eares of men but thou that wouldest sing with grace to edification set thy selfe to please Christ Iesus that hath pleased thee O woe to thee that will not endeuour thy selfe to pleasure Whom not flesh but him who hath pleasured thee Fie on thee that shouldest please thy selfe with the displeasure of thy Lord For what hast thou won whē thou hast pleased al the world with displeasing of God When thou singest to the pleasure of God thou giuest grace to the heart of thy neighbour and edifiest the hearer Thus much brethren of the meane whereby these graces are gotten As for the verse that followes taking occasion of the former he sets downe a generall rule of all thine actions to wit that in al Iesus Christ should euer be before thy eye Al should be done to his honour First he saith Whatsoeuer you doe doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus That is by calling vpon his holy name begin with him and looke that thine eye be first on him and say Lord mine eye is vpon thee and all is for thy glorie And in the end of the verse he will not giue thee leaue to thanke the Father without the Sonne for he saith Giuing thankes to God the Father euen by him The lesson is then In all actions and speeches euer respect Iesus Christ his honour and glorie he is a maiestie of maiesties When thou art honoring God the Father misse not Christ by the way otherwise thou shalt haue no accesse to that tribunall of grace and say O my God I thanke thee through my Mediatour Iesus Christ Lord haue mercie on me for my Mediatour the Lord Iesus sake for there is no mercie without Christ The ground of this doing is let be that he is God he hath also a Lordship ouer thee Read Rom. 14. 8. 9. For this end hath hee died and risen againe that hee might be Lord both of the dead and of the quicke So honour him as thy Lord. As Paul 2. Cor. 5. 15. Christ hath died and risen to that end that he who liues liue no more to himselfe but to him who died for him and rose againe Looke that that life of thine bee to him Let all thy life thy words and thy actions be to his glorie Whereto should I insist to recommend this matter to you experience teacheth it What ioy hath a man in any action be it neuer so faire what sweetnes hath any man except in the meane time his eye be vpon the Mediatour the Lord Iesus except his conscience tels him hee speakes to the honour of the
cause thou shalt haue great aduantage The first aduantage is thou shalt not obey thy husband but in things lawfull honest agreeable to the will of the Lord though he should commaund thee neuer Note well two aduantages by obeying in the Lord first they shall obey but in that the Lord commands secondly the seruice Christ accepts as done to himselfe so much And if thou obey him in things vnlawfull thou shalt deerely buy it And indeede a faire aduantage to do nothing but that that is lawfull honest and agreeable to the Lords will The second aduantage is Obeying in the Lord all the seruice thou shalt doe to thy husband thou shalt doe it to Iesus Christ Ephes 6. 5. Where there is another doing in the Lord set downe what euer thou shalt do do it in singlenes of heart and not in doublenes As there be many false wiues who in obeying their husbands haue a double heart obeying them outwardly not for any good will or liking they haue to them but for some other cause and respect while as in the meane time she wil haue in her mind one euill or other against him Yea while she is shewing her selfe obedient to her husband outwardly her minde will be occupied on her harlotrie with another this is no single obedience and the cause is for as much as thine eye is not vpon the Lord and it is impossible that thou canst be sincere in thy doing except thine eye be vpon the Lord. Lastly doing all for his sake and in sinceritie Who shall reward thee what benefit shalt thou get shall it be a temporall thing that he can bestow vpon thee No no the Lord Iesus whom thou preferrest in the obeying of thy Great reward for seruing Christ husband and seruice doing to him he shall meete thee and reward thee with a crown of glorie Woe were it for me thee if in his seruice done in his name and for his sake wee looked for no more but for these earthly rewards though it were to be made a King or a Queene for wee and they both shall vanish away for nothing is permanent here vnder the Sunne Well doe nothing but for the Lord Iesus sake and that that is agreeable to his will say All that I do to my husband O Lord all is for thy sake otherwise all thy seruice stinkes thou shalt lose thy labour for thou shalt receiue no reward of him This for the manner of subiection and obedience vnto your husbands Now followes the fourth thing to be considered the argument to moue them to this dutie In a word It is comely It is reasonable it is iust Would you see this It leanes vpon good grounds neuer action had better First it is grounded vpon the ordinance of God first made before the fall and after the The argument of subiection fall renewed againe Secondly it is grounded vpon the law of nature the Lord hath written it in thy heart at the first creation Thou shalt be subiect to thy husband Besides this ye that are wiues you haue this conscience of your owne infirmitie you are the weaker vessels and therefore ye craue a head ye craue to be vnder a Superiour Thou who art disobedient who is it that thou hast to doe with Is it a man Looke what breach of law is here First thou breakest Gods law Secondly thou breakest the law of nature And thirdly thou doest against thy owne conscience Doubt yee that all these bands lies on you I tell you Eue fell not so soone but all these bands were laid on her In the third chapter of Genesis verse 16. Thy appetite shall be toward him c. And therefore marke it This rebellion and wantonnesse in many wiues it is not so small a sinne as you thinke It is a sinne against God and his law Secondly it is against nature Thirdly it is against thy conscience This is not well knowne by many therefore learne to know it in time Ye haue now heard the wiues part Now I come to the men Husbands loue your wiues that is the thing he charges them to doe then he saies Be not bitter vnto them that he forbids The thing then he bids them doe is Loue. So subiection in the wife should be met with loue and care in things spirituall and temporall this is generall subiection in the inferiour should be met with loue and care of the superiour in things earthly and temporall and in things spirituall Superiours bound to duties as well as inferiours For it is not the Lords will that the inferiour should be bound to a dutie and the superiour should goe free but he is as fast fastened to doe a dutie to his inferiour and more the greater preferment the greater burthen all the honours men get are the greater burthens to them Vnder the tearme of loue is vnderstood all kind of dutie belonging to the wife prouiding it begin at the heart and not at the mouth nor hand And therefore the word loue comprehends the most intire affection wey it well it is not a slender loue Loue. For first it imports a great affection in the heart and not a superficiall affection Secondly it imports such an affection as onely rests vpon the wife not a wandring lust for many esteeme any woman alike to them in filthy lust Thirdly this word imports an affection of loue that is holy and chast not a harlots loue If thou haue a harlots heart thou defilest thy selfe and thy wife both These are the three properties of this loue first it is a deepe loue in the heart Secondly it must rest only on thy wife And thirdly it must be chast Ephes 5. 25. Paul saith Husbands loue your wiues How shall ye loue them He saith As Christ loued his Church Albeit he cannot attaine to the greatnesse and quantitie of this loue yet keepe the qualitie of it How loues Christ the Church Vnspeakably O the chastnes of the loue of Christ that he keepes to his Church He loues his owne Church and he loues not an harlot Idolater She is set vp before him as a chast virgin Then take thy example of thy spouse Christ Looke how he loues thee after the same manner loue thou thy wife Whom should they loue Their owne proper wiues no strange woman cast not your fansie vpon them Ye know we are set to loue that that properly pertaines to vs but I say to you who are Husbands ye haue not such a property to any thing as to your wiues yea your heritage though you had a kingdome is not so properly yours as they are And therefore seeing it is naturall to euery man to loue his owne though it were so abiect why shouldest thou not loue that that is most proper to thee I see a kind of meeting here before he made men proper to their wiues now he makes the wiues proper to the husbands so that the man may say thou art my proper portion
labour to put the feare of God in their hearts Nay it is no marueile though ye haue theeues and whores in your houses and families when as ye put not in this ground of sincere seruice in their hearts the feare of God Now followes the fountaine of all seruice What euer you do doe it heartily As if hee would say begin not at the hand or foote to doe thy seruice but begin thou at thy heart let it be The fountaine of good seruice the ground of all thy seruice All good actions should begin at the heart Therefore if thou wert but casting out the ashes looke thou doe that turne with thy heart so that thy heart be as well occupied as thy hand otherwise it is but a counterfeit action and I will not put a difference betwixt thy action and the action of an oxe drawing in the plough Indeede thy master may be profited by thine action yet if thy heart be not with it thou hast lost thy trauell The Lord that sits vpon thy conscience shall turne thy action to thy damnation In the next place the Apostle sets downe how they shall come to this way of seruice It is no small matter to get thy heart to serue thy master for thou that gettest a freedome to serue thou hast gotten thine hire in thy hand It is a rare grace then to get thy heart to concurre with thy action The way is How to serue heartily Doe it heartily as to the Lord. As if hee would say when ye are doing and labouring think not with your selues I am seruing man or woman a creature though he were a King in my seruice but say I am seruing my Lord Iesus Christ Then ye seruants whatsoeuer thing ye doe though it were but sweeping the house say all this that I am doing how vile soeuer it be I am doing it to my Lord Iesus Christ Haue thy eye lifted vp when thy hand is downe I shall tell thee how thou shalt get it If thou haue a respect to his will howbeit immediatly it be not done to him yet if thou haue the knowledge that it is his will that thou shouldest doe so the Lord takes that seruice rather done to himselfe then to thy master Therefore the Apostle saies Seruing Christ and not men Well is that seruant that can say I doe this to obey thy blessed will and then the Lord will say I giue thee thy reward Then the lesson is who is he that doth heartie seruice None but the seruant of Iesus Christ If thou be not his seruant thou shalt neuer be a heartie seruant to man nor a true subiect to the King Looke then if your seruants can serue Christ and if they cannot it is an euill token they cannot serue thee for there is not a faithfull seruant but he that is the seruant of Christ and in his seruice hath euer his eye to the will of Christ And if thou haue such a seruant then thou shalt haue a blessing of that seruant though it were but a kitchin lasse O blessed is that house that hath a seruant that feares the Lord and loues the Lord Yea a greater blessing followes that seruant then followes the master oftentimes Now followe the arguments to moue them to this holie Argumēts to moue seruants seruice The first is from the reward that the faithfull seruant shall receiue Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance The argument is taken not from an hire they get presently but from a promise of an hire Now certainly thou art a wicked seruant that wilt not doe a turne till thou get thy hire in thy hand thou art a wicked seruant that wilt doe nothing till thou get heauen in thy hand I tell thee thou shalt neuer get heauen if thou cannot depend vpon a promise of heauen There is here then a promise of an hire and a reward From whom The Apostle saies not your earthly masters will pay you no but he saies your Lord of heauen shall reward you Why speakes he so because hee durst not promise of earthly men for all men are lyars they will oft times hold backe the hire of the seruant but he promiseth in the name of the Lord for he is faithfull And therefore seruants you should reioyce in this for howbeit thou want thy earthly hire yet be faithfull in thy seruice and thou shalt not want thy hire What a reward is this what should hee haue his hire in his hand and so fare yee well Indeede this is the fashion of the world but this reward the Apostle speakes of is a reward of an inheritance O thou that wilt haue an eye to the Lord of heauen hee will not reward thee like a seruant thou shalt be a sonne and therefore an inheritour Rom. 8. 17. And Go ye saies Christ inherit that kingdom prepared for you frō the foundation of the world Matth. 25. 34. Yea shall the kitchin lasse be made a Queene and a sillie simple boy a King Yes the Lord will doe that and will giue them a kingdome in heauen So first reioyce for the certaintie of your reward next for the greatnes of it It is not an hire and a bountie that is smal in value Alas it may be thou thinkest little of it because thou hast it not in thy hand but blessed art thou if thou caust waite vpon the promise and beleeue it Now to proue that they shall get this reward first he takes an argument from their owne knowledge Knowing Know ye not I appeale to your owne conscience if there be not a reward laid vp for thee if thou serue faithfully tels not thy conscience thee this I will serue for I looke for a kingdome It is not this small hire No that Lord whom I haue serued from morning to night hee will giue me a kingdome Brethren it is a thing impossible that faith can beguile a man hope then I promise thee thy hope shall not beguile thee yea hope for things thou hast not seene and thou shalt get them It is impossible Note well that thy faith and hope can be disappointed And lay this ground thou hast to doe with a faithfull Lord that can not beguile thee So close thy eyes vpon all other things and rest in hope on Christ and thou shalt see a ioyfull end Blessed is that soule that resteth in hope for it shall receiue glorie The second argument is from the seruice done to Christ Ye serue the Lord. Fie on thee that wilt begin to serue another master and neglect thy dutie to him So the argument is because thou seruest the Lord Iesus Christ therefore thou must haue a reward of him hee will giue thee an heritage because his hand is the hand of an infinit God What are the heritages on the earth he thinkes it ouer little to giue them to thee therefore hee will giue thee the kingdome of heauen Then marke neuer man serued Christ
in the faith and may be iustly called sonnes and this is that which the Apostle saith in the Corinthians that though they had many teachers yet they had but one father which was himselfe who also had begotten them vnto God through the Gospell 1. Cor. 4. 14. But when that worke hath increased in them and that they are become strong men in Christ then hee doth euery where and so may wee acknowledge all sound beleeuers to be our brethren as who are indeede the sonnes of one and the selfesame father to wit God in and by Christ the first begotten brother of vs all and in whom the whole familie is named both in heauen and earth Secondly he commendeth Onesimus vnto them by these termes that he was one of them that is as wee would say their countriman and had the fellowship of the same countrey or nation with them and that not onely generally as Grecians neither yet more particularly as people of Phrygia wherein Colosse stood but it may be of the selfesame towne and citie Whatsoeuer it be we may learne here many good lessons and doctrines And first that no mans sinne which hee hath truly repented of before God and the Church should be any disparagement to him in subsequent times no more then Onesimus fraud and flying from his master was to him nor wee thinke neuer a whit the worse of him nor haue him in lesse esteeme then Paul had Onesimus for seeing God hath forgiuen it as repentance is a true pledge thereof and the Church hath receiued him as it ought vpon vnfained amendment what reason that priuate and particular persons should refuse them or thinke euill of them vnlesse they will be more wise and iust then God or more seuere then the Church and I think neither the one nor the other is fit for priuate men And yet we see amongst vs men so peeuishly pettish and wayward towards I will not say offending parties howsoeuer they offended but repenting persons that after a sinne is once discouered they will neuer be satisfied but alwaies suspicious hauing for a ground of their surmises a maxime of the Ciuil law He that is once found to be euill is alwaies supposed to be euill but forgetting the rule of the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. that charitie is not suspicious and that they proceede by another rule towards offending yea repenting persons then Iwis they would haue practised towards them if they were in the like case But let vs cast away from vs this and all other corruptions that so wee may walke more religiously towards God and more charitably towards his seruants Secondly obserue that Paul not thinking it enough to haue commended Onesimus for his brotherly loue and coniunction that he had with him in Christ but adding also that hee was of the same nation countrey yea it may be citie with them in which respect also he speaketh afterwards of Epaphras vers 12. of this chapter and of this very Onesimus in his Epistle to Philemon vers 16. he declareth that hee should be so much the more deare to Philemon because he had been his seruant Obserue I say and gather from hence that these naturall and ciuill familiarities and friendships in which men partake one of them with another as for example consanguinitie affinitie nation countrey citie c. should be vnto them which through faith are ingrafted into Christ more strict causes and occasions of mutuall loue one of them towards another in the Lord. We denie not but that that spirituall fellowship and communion which we haue in Christ is indeed very necessarie because by it wee are all in him made brethren one with another yea that without it there can be no true or sound loue although men otherwise may be very strictly ioyned together The reason is that whatsoeuer is in men without him is but naturall and humane And indeede to say truth there cannot be any synceritie of the heart without Christ and yet notwithstanding if vnto that spirituall coniunction there be added some naturall or politicall coniunction there will also be a greater degree and further step of loue in so much that the faithful people may more tenderly loue and regard them which both in faith and flesh are linked to them then those that are knit to them onely in the fellowship of the same religion Which as the Apostle himselfe meaneth 1. Timoth. 5. 8. saying If any man prouide not for his owne and specially for them that are of his household he hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidell so it is not obscurely signified in that rule Galat. 6. Do good vnto all specially to those that are of the household of faith And if nature must giue place to religion then religion and it being ioyned together men are and must be more strictly tyed And yet we see that vnder the colour of kinred religion is destitute and some vnder pretext of relieuing the religious destitute their owne flesh The truth is that both must be performed if God himselfe giue abilitie and when we lack power to doe to all alike then to preferre them that concerne vs in flesh and faith And let this suffice for the persons as they are distinctly commended to the Colossians Now a little of them coniunctly He saith that he sent Tychicus to them and with him Onesimus There are two causes as it should seeme for which hee sent them For though vers 8. hee seemeth to speake of Tychicus onely yet he expressely mentioneth Onesimus vers 9 and laieth almost the same burthen vpon him specially as in regard of priuate affaires that he doth vpon Tychicus I say therefore as I said there are two causes of this mission or legation One that hee might by them vnderstand in what termes the affaires of the Colossians stood specially for their Church causes for otherwise though hee wished them well in the world yet he medled not much with their worldly busines The other that knowing how weake and faint good mens hearts be he might by the comming and presence of these two comfort and incourage the Colossians Which though most properly it were the worke of Tychicus as of the minister of the word yet no doubt Onesimus as a particular member of the Church might in his measure performe it yea and did in his measure To these two causes he addeth a third and the same of no lesse moment then the former namely to cause the Colossians to vnderstand in what state he and his matters were Because as the good condition of the Colossians would make the Apostles heart glad so the Apostle being well who had been their gracious and good teacher they could not but reioyce From all which wee may obserue that though Paul were in his enemies hands and were fast bound in chaines as we say yet he thought it not enough by writing this present Epistle to the Colossians to confirme and strengthen them in the faith but also sendeth
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
Church of Laodicea acquainted therewithall The reason why he would haue this Epistle communicated with the whole Church both of Colosse and Laodicea was the great profit which it containeth in it by meanes wherof it might profit all the faithfull euen vnto eternall life From whence wee may gather that it is not enough that Pastors Teachers Elders and others know the holie Scriptures wherof this worthie Epistle of Pauls is an excellent part but that they must of necessitie acquaint common Christians and all faithfull people therewith And therefore are the Church-Rulers bound to reade them both publikely and priuately and must propound and interpret them in the assemblies of the congregation yea must turne them into vulgar tongues that so the common people may reade them and vnderstand them and in a word they must carefully prouide that that booke may not be to the common people as if it were a book closed and shut vp into which no man must looke but they alone But how farre are the Doctors of the Popish Church from this holie minde They forbid lay men as they call thē from reading the holie Scriptures yea they strictly enioyne that translations of the vulgar tongues should not bee vsed Wherein what greater furtherance can they giue to the kingdome of Satan who knowing how needfull the Scriptures are to saluation doth wholy by himselfe and his supporters striue vnto this and laboureth nothing more then to hinder the scriptures from comming into mens hands or once appearing in their sight Another thing worthie obseruation is this that though Pauls Epistles as almost all the rest of the bookes of the holie Scripture were written to some certaine Church or to some certaine person that yet notwithstanding they doe indifferently appertaine to all Christians because they containe in them a perpetuall doctrine and such as is common for all Christians and were no lesse committed to writing for our instruction and comfort then for theirs to whom they were namely written For looke what the Apostle said touching the bookes and writings of the Prophets Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoeuer things were written before hand were written for our learning that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might haue hope that same may wee affirme of all the holie Canonicall bookes of the Bible and the rather because the holie Ghost saith Euery Scripture giuen by diuine inspiration is profitable to teach to rebuke to correct and to instruct in righteousnes c. 2. Timoth 3. 16. And why should we doubt of it sith they come all from one God were penned and indited by one spirit and tend all to one end the glorie of God either in pledging vp saluation to them that are appointed to euerlasting life or damnation to them that are put apart against the day of wrath But it followeth in the text And that ye likewise reade c. This is the second speciall point wherein he commandeth the Colossians to reade that epistle which was written frō Laodicea What this epistle was it is very hard to determine we may with some probabilitie and without any impietie say that though it were not such a one as Paul himselfe wrote yet that it is likely yea more then that certaine that he approoued of it or else he would neuer haue had it read from whomsoeuer it came or was written to himselfe whether it were from the whole Church of Laodicea or from the pastor of the said Church yet he tooke the reading of it to be necessarie for the Colossians because the state of the neighbour Churches was not vnlike theirs From whence also wee may obserue that though the holy Scripture be abundantly sufficient for the establishing of the points of Christian religion and for framing and fashioning vs to holie life and that nothing be wanting therein that is necessarie to sound doctrine and to true sanctitie that yet it is profitable and that euen to edification to reade good mens holy writings though they be of farre different authoritie from the word of God For if we may be edified and builded vp by gracious and good speeches which do proceede from the faithfull members of Christ and also may be aduanced in goodnes by their holie life both which cases are plaine in the holie Scriptures and euen in the Apostles owne epistles why should not also their holie writings agreeing with the word of God tend also in some sort to our godly edification And therfore as men are and ought to be sharply reproued for that they neglect to reade the holy Scriptures or word of God so are they also much too blame for neglecting to reade good and holie books Wherein I marueile what men can alleage for themselues that can allow themselues so much time and leisure to pursue profits and pleasures yea to follow sinne and haue no spare houre to be occupied in reading of Gods holy word and other good workes Surely all that they can say for themselues is but figge leaues and neither will giue peace to our owne hearts nor stand vs in stead before God and good men He addeth in the 17. verse And say vnto Archippus c. This is the third speciall point that he chargeth the Church withal and it concerneth the admonishing of Archippus or putting of him in minde touching his dutie It should seeme that hee Archippus what he was was a minister or a preacher of the Gospell in the Church of Colosse and was a collegue as we may say with Epaphras who was then at Rome with Paul Whereupon also in Pauls epistle to Philemon vers 2. he is called Pauls fellow souldier that is to say his fellow labourer and helper in preaching of the Gospell of Christ But whatsoeuer he was it is very probable that he was somewhat slacke and negligent in doing his dutie and therefore he willeth yea he commaundeth the Church to admonish and put him in minde thereof From whence wee may obserue that it is a part of the Churches dutie when it seeth any of the ministers or officers thereof either not sufficiently The Churches dutie towards the negligent diligent or any whit slacke in accomplishing of their calling and charge to admonish them and call vpon them for greater care and more conscience in the faithfull performance thereof And good reason for if priuate men as members may yea ought to admonish one another and prouoke to good workes whilest it is called to day then the bodie of the Saints may as well doe it to the priuate members yea and publike ministers and officers thereof if you will vnlesse you will say either that they cannot faile in doing their dutie or auerre that mens places exempt and free them from other mens charitable ouer sight and carefull admonitions Yet in this there must be great respect had namely that it be done with such reuerence and modestie as becommeth the flock towards their pastor whom Cautions to be obserued in the Churches admonishing of