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
God and praying to his maiestie euen when hee is most opprest Put these graces together in a man and that is the man that pleaseth God And O the liking of God that hee hath of thee when thou art thus occupied Thus far the preface Now followes the third part of the Epistle contayning doctrine both faire and sweete opening a glorious mysterie and that briefly You that would haue riches he opens vp the riches of Iesus Christ to you that was so long hid vp from the beginning to his comming The first thing he begins at in his doctrine it is this christian calling it is the first grace and Our calling The first grace we receiue in time blessing that in time we get in Christ I say in time because our election or predestination is before all time So the first grace we get in Iesus Christ in time is our christian calling In the epistle to the Ephesians he beginneth higher but in this epistle he doth not so he begins not for the height but at this blessing that is first in time to bee called to bee a member of Christ Note Now in speaking of this benefit of our calling to be a christian hee speakes not simply of it but in speaking of it he is thanking the Lord the father who hath made vs meete for a part of that glorie for you shall marke this of the Apostle he can neuer speake of the graces of God but he euer thankes God And in the first epistle of Peter 1. 3. to teach thee when thou speakest of the graces of God to remember to praise him and to giue him hartie thankes for his blessings Now to come on first in this doctrine of this christian calling we haue the author of it Whom thankes he Thanking saith he the father Author of our calling so he giues the glorie of our calling to the father of our Lord Iesus the father of glorie he gets the first praise of our calling The sonne himselfe speaking of his owne calling he giues all glorie to his father So all the godly giue the glorie of their calling first to the father because he is the beginner of all grace Then he cōmeth to the benefit it selfe he saith not thanking the father who hath called vs but in steed of the word calling he putteth the definition of calling the effect of the calling who hath made vs meet or sufficient in effect then marke the words they import first this That then when the father hath put his hand to worke to cal thee thou wast vnmeete if he made thee meete thou wast first vnmeete 2. Cor. 3. 5. thou wast vnmeete euen if it were to thinke a good thought when he began to worke thou hadst no power once to thinke of this calling Then What our calling is wherein stands our calling not in a bare name as you would calaman but it standeth in a change When he calleth thee he changeth thee wonderfully makes thee that that thou wast not Thou wast an old crased creature a faggot for hell thou wast nothing because of thy sinne and except the Lord make thee a new thing better it were for thee to be turned to nothing for thou shalt bee turned downe to hell Rom. 4. 1. he calleth the thing that is not as though it were This is the calling of the Lord when he calleth a man he changeth the heart of him The free-will of the Papists that poysoned doctrine of theirs that a man hath some grace by nature howbeit vnable to receiue grace of God will neuer stand in the day of the Free-will Lord and if thou wilt defend it thou shalt neuer finde this effectuall calling of the Lord. If thou renounce not thy owne sufficiencie thou shalt neuer get grace He thankes God that made vs sufficient of vnsufficient meete of vnmeete of dead men quicke men wouldest thou thanke God from thy heart for thanking of God must rise from the heart there is the first ground of it the feeling of thy owne want of thy owne miserie and that great lacke of grace in it and that must be the deepest sense in thy heart and lye at the roote of thy heart and thy prayer must rise from that steppe and from that Thanksgiuing steppe to come to another steppe to the sense of that mercie that God hath shewed thee that is the next The first is a sense of thy miserie the second is a sense of the mercy of God of these two breakes out the thanksgiuing So that if thanksgiuing beginne not at the sense of thy wants I tell thee it is but a thanksgiuing from the teeth forward Take it for a sure rule if thou haue not a true sense feeling of thy owne wants and miseries and then of the mercie of God thou canst neuer thanke God aright nay thou canst neuer in any measure seeke to God truely So to returne I say as thou wouldest haue grace begin at this that thou art nothing in thy selfe that God may haue the glory there is your calling and the effect of your calling But whereto are we called A man that is called he is called to some thing The Lord calles not but to some end He hath made vs meete for a part whereof A part of a lot that is of an inheritance that falleth by lot Then wouldest thou vnderstand whereto thou art called and made meete to wit for heauen to make thee able to brooke that heauenly inheritance so thou art not called to nothing but to an inheritance So if thou finde that thou art called and a change is made in thy heart of an vnmeete man thou art made meete and if thou finde a change looke certainely for an heritage faile not to looke for it for the heritage shall not faile thee Thy sufficiencie had not been wrought if thou haddest not been propped vp for that heritage yet the word would be noted He calles it not an heritage but a lot by the which he will let thee see that thy heauenly heritage falleth out to be by lot Ye would thinke that a man called should merit to himselfe an heritage that hee might worke for it here No saith the Apostle thine heritage falleth to bee a lot when thou art called So a benefit is not a merit of another benefit our sanctification is not a merit of our iustification but all is of grace and our inheritance is but a lot that is a grace or gift of God without deseruing Yet further whose is this inheritance he saith that it is the lot of the Saints of God God hath giuing it them and none other hath gotten it or shall enioy one foote broad of it but the Saints Thou maist inherit here a kingdome an earldome a Lordship though thou were as a diuell but in heauen thou shalt haue none if thou be not first a Saint and a holy one here on earth Marke this lesson ere euer thou get a share
father and the father in me nay no sonne in the earth how verely so euer he represent his father may say so as Christ saith so the likeliest the quickest and the best representing of the image of God is the sonne of God There is no comparison and therefore in Iohn 14. 9. to Philip he saith In that thou hast seene me thou hast seene the father also Why because I am the brightnes of his glorie so that if thou seest me thou seest the father and without the sight of the father there is no life And thou must begin that sight of him here or else thou shalt neuer see him And if the sonne were not so liuely an image of God it were impossible to be content with the sight of the sonne but because he represents the whole maiestie of his father therefore the sight of the person of the sonne contents vs and we reioyce in him O if we had that sight of him as we should haue it then should we reioyce vnspeakably so to end the words imports this when he saith that he is the image of the inuisible God that he is visible Then I aske the question how is the sonne of God visible marke briefly in his manhood that is in our flesh he is visible because Iesus Christ in the flesh is as well seene with the bodily eye as a man and when we shall see him in heauen we shall see him in the very body so there is no question of his humane nature But how is that Godhead seene in the sonne that is a greater question I will assure thee it must be seene or else no life for thee But how is it seene first I answere with the eye of the mind A man hath a bodilie eye in his head and againe he hath another eye in his soule which when once it is illuminated by the spirit of Christ then that eye shall see better than a thousand bodily eyes it will pearce vp through the very heauens and neuer rest till it come to the sight and presence of God Indeede if it be not illuminated it will see nothing but being illuminated it will pearce through the very heauens and enter into the light of God see him So the sonne of God is seene in his Godhead by the eye of the minde and held fast by the heart and felt of the heart What meanes this sweete apprehension that a man will haue of the mercie of God of the wisedome and iustice of God what meanes it Nothing but a sense of the Lord Iesus Christ all is in the feeling of Iesus Christ who dwels in the heart by faith as the Apostle to the Ephesians 3. 7. saith so there is the first way how he is seene But yet would not the eye of the bodie see him Certainly I would see him with this same bodily eye And there is no faithfull man but their yearning is to see him with their bodily eye Now how shall I get a sight of him with a bodily eye I shall tell thee how thou shalt get a sight of him with the bodily eye Indeede thou wilt not get it immediatly but thou must looke in through the vaile There must be a vaile hung downe ouer betwixt thee and that glorious maiestie now through that vaile that glorie of God shines in that flesh of Iesus so the beames strikes so farre that they pearce within thee because thou wilt see the glorie of God through this vaile and thou wilt not onely see the person of the sonne in the vaile but through him thou wilt see the glorious father So in a word when thou commest to heauen thou wilt now goe here and there on the earth to see glorie and wilt gaze on heauen I say vnto thee all the glorie of heauen will be closed in Iesus Christ if thou turne thy eye from him no sight of glorie so all thy pleasure then will be to hold thy eye vpon that glorious son of God and that wil be our heauen and our ioy through the sonne to see the father and to see the glorie of the Lord Iesus clad with our nature sitting at the right hand of his father To whom with the holie spirit be all praise honour and thankes for euen Amen THE FIFT LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 15 16 17. 15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euerie creature 16 For by him were all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him 17 And he is before all things and in him all things consist WE shewed you the last day welbeloued in the Lord Iesus the Apostle when he ended his preface he entred into the doctrine and in it he beganne at the first grace and blessing that wee get in Iesus Christ in time which is our effectuall calling and deliuerance from vnder the power of darknes wherein we are conceiued and borne Euery man and woman is borne naturally a slaue to the diuel hell and darknes The best of vs all a slaue to hell the diuell and darknes so by this benefit of our calling wee are taken out from vnder this slauerie and translated to another kingdome not of slauerie but of libertie and light to the kingdom of his deere sonne the Lord Iesus Christ that is the first grace and benefit which the Apostle handleth Then from this hee comes to another benefit and he calleth it redemption or otherwise remission of sinnes Being now by your effectuall calling translated to the kingdome of Christ Iesus and being ingrafted into him the next benefit and grace we get is absolution we get a free remillion of all our sinnes and consequently we are freed from death and damnation that followes vpon sin This absolution and setting of vs at libertie from sinne and death is not without a price The iustice of God the wrath of God against sinne cannot suffer a sinner to be absolued without a ransome and price so our remission and absolution must be by a price and paying of a ransome But let vs see who paies it Indeede if wee our selues were bound to pay the ransome neuer any of vs could be safe no all the bloud of men and Angels and it were all shed to be a price for sinne would not redeeme a sinner Then who paies the ransome It is said we haue redemption not through our bloud but through his bloud It is then the bloud of Christ that is the ransome for our sinnes the Lord Iesus hath bought vs deere There was neuer from the beginning of the world nor shall not be vnto the end of the world such a deere price giuen as is the price of our ransome which the Lord Iesus hath giuen for vs. So that which he hath deerely bought to vs is nothing but a free
his fellowes neuer man gat or will get such graces as the man the Lord Iesus hath gotten neuer a one hath gotten such wisedome such knowledge and such holines nay all the Angels haue not gotten such graces as he hath But it is not onely these graces wherein this fulnes stands but he is filled with the fountaine of all grace The fulnes of the Godhead it selfe is in him that is his fulnes such as neuer creature got or shall get in heauen or earth It is a vanitie to speake of the graces of Angels in comparison of him all the graces of men or Angels they are as it were but riuers and streames that flow from that glorious head that is full of God So there is no comparison of his fulnes Wee haue receiued saith Ioh. 1. 6. all of his fulnes So all our fulnes stands in his fulnes that is deriued into vs. As this is the reason prouing his dominion so it is a part of his glorie Looke to the glorie of that personage thy Redeemer he is not only a man but a man full of God and so must not this bloud y t comes from him be precious Therefore it is called the blood of God Acts 20. 28. Yet only beleeue and I assure thee in his name of thy redemption if thy sinnes were neuer so great Fasten thy heart once on him and thou shalt finde mercie Take his bloud in thy hand and sprinkle thy heart with it and thou shalt finde grace Heb. 9. 14 and mercie to flow to thee through the same otherwise it had bin better for thee that this bloud had neuer been shed As for the rest I leaue it till the next day concerning the Mediatour onely thus farre As the glorie of the image of the inuisible God and the rest ye haue heard me speake of is infinitly excellent so this that he is a man full of God this is the glorious personage of thy Redeemer It tels thee that that bloud that came out of that bodie was more precious then al the things in the world That bloud y t was powred out of his foot out of his hand and side al tels thee that it is excellently precious and beside that of great necessitie And further it tels thee that sinne against God is great and greater then thou canst consider Fie on thee vile creature if thou wist what it were to sinne against God thou wouldest shake and tremble nay neuer a ioynt of thee would bide fast for feare of that fierce wrath to come on thee And againe if thou knew the vertue of this bloud that takes away thy sinne thou wouldest cleaue fast to it and make much of it but thou considerest not this and therefore thou knowest not the preciousnes of this bloud for if thou knowest not thy sinne thou shalt not know the preciousnes of that bloud of Christ that takes away sinne And againe it tels vs of that passing iustice and of that infinitnes of the wrath of God O that infinitnes of the wrath of God! O wretch thou wottest not The wrath of God for sinne what it is but if it lighted on thee it would rush thee to hell So the precious bloud that was shed for sinne without the effusion of the which thou couldest not be redeemed It tels thee I say that the wrath of God for sinne is infinite and if it were but an euill thought It strikes vpward and strikes the Lord in the nose and kindles his wrath against thee therfore feare and studie to mortification And more I tell thee that notwithstanding thou art once redeemed and by this bloud of Christ freed from sinne and death by such a ransome yet if thou take delight in sinne the murtherer in his murther the oppressor in his oppression being once redeemed thy sinne if it were but an euill thought it is a thousand times the greater by reason of thy redemption For why it brings with it the contempt of the bloud of Christ And thou sinner who takes pleasure in weltring in the foule puddle of sinne what doest thou thou goest on with thy foote and treads the pretious bloud of the Lord Iesus vnder thy foule feete And therefore thou shalt be chalenged in that day not onely because thou wast a murtherer an oppressor and a harlot no no there shal be thy chalenge villaine thou treadest vnder thy foote the bloud of the couenant the precious bloud of thy Sauiour that should haue redeemed thee from thy murther and sinne and therefore wel were it for thee if thou hadst been a Gentile that neuer had heard of this couenant and therefore if thou mindest not to leaue off thy sinne in paine of thy life thou come not to heare a word of Christ For why the more thou hearest the greater shall be thy damnation And there is not one word spoken this day but if it be not effectuall to chaunge thy euill life so that thou begin to leaue off thy sinne but it shall increase thy damnation in that day Therefore take my counsell either amend your liues or els come not to heare one word of this Gospell For this word as the Apostle saith shall be either a sauour of life vnto life or els a sauour of death vnto death and it shall slay thee with a greater dead stroke then if a thousand rapiers were thrust through thee I beseech the Lord Iesus to touch thee with his word that it may be effectuall in the hearts of the hearers so that they may amend their liues to their owne weale and his glorie To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise Amen THE SEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 20. 20 And through peace made by the bloud of that his crosse to reconcile to himselfe through him through him I say all things both which are in earth and which are in heauen YE remember beloued brethren the Apostle when he had set downe that great benefite of the redemption of mankinde by the bloud of Iesus Christ hee fals out into a high descriptiō of the sonne of God tending to this end to let vs see the preciousnes of that bloud He set him to be first the image of the inuisible God a high stile Secondly he stiles him to be the first borne of all creatures Thirdly hee stiles him to be the Creator himselfe by whom all things in heauen and earth were created Fourthly he calles him to be the end of the said creation of all creatures for whose honour and glorie all creatures were made Fiftly he stiles him to be the preseruer and keeper of all the creatures made by him Sixtly he comes forward and considereth him not onely as he is the sonne of God God from all eternitie but as he is man also and he makes him to be the head of the Church as he is God and man Then he cals him the first borne of the dead as hee is
the Mediatour came and ioyned them with man So you may see the care of God towards mankinde to haue been very great and very louing The Apostle to the Hebrues 11. vers 39. 40. comparing the old Church with the new saith That the Saints that suffered before they got not the thing promised because God had a respect to vs Euen so he did with the Angels hee would not giue them their full blessing without vs vile stinking sinners What regard is this that thy God should haue of thee Lastly I will speake this to thee that esteemes so little of the communion with the bodie of the Church O miserable creature vaine lowne thou shalt neuer bee blessed till thou bee ioyned with the Saints of God in the Church Vaine soule if thou be not ioyned with the bodie of Christ which is his Church thou shalt perish for euer thou shalt goe to hell I giue thee this doome Now followes the fift circumstance of this reconciliation The fift circumstance To whom is it made It is said to himselfe not to another It hath pleased him to reconcile all things to himselfe Then all blessednes is in that coniunction with God ioyne thy selfe with Blessednes wherein it consisteth him and thou shalt be blessed if thou be not ioyned with God thou shalt neuer be blessed seeke blessednes here and there yet no blessednes but with God The Angels haue no blessing but in that they are conioyned with God through the Lord Iesus Christ yea I tell thee the earth and the heauen haue no blessing but in that amitie and friendship with the creator O what vanitie is it to thinke thou hast any blessing without the coniunction with the creator But to speake of man thy reconciliation must be with the father with whom thou art at enmitie to whom thou wast an enemie whom thou offendedst therefore thy reconciliation must be with God Marke it a sinner sinne against whom he will slay and it were all the world in so doing he sinnes not so much against man as against God No no it is against God himself as Dauid saith Against thee O Lord haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight Psal 51. For sinne is the transgression of the law 1. Ioh. 3. 4. O foule butcher O oppressor and sacrilegious theefe Thou that dost any euill against a man thou dost it not so much against the In euery sin a man fighteth against God person of the man as against God himselfe that is in heauen and so man that sinnes must be reconciled with him because it is against God that the sinne is committed The creatures also that stood and fell not are at enmitie with thee for when thou wast enemie to God thou wast enemie also to the very creatures and God and the creatures were enemies to thee O well had it been for thee who art a Reprobate that thou hadst been made a stone when thou becamest an enemie to God through thy sinne for thou madest not onely God to be thy enemie but thou madest all the good creatures of God to be thy enemie the Sunne the Moone the Starres and firmament the Angels in heauen yea these very senceles things of the earth and the beast and the foule of the ayre the earth grones vnder thee and it would be quit of thee as of an enemie it will not binde vp friendship with thee if thou be an enemie to God So if thou be an enemie to God thou art an enemie to all the good creatures of God and they are enemies to thee but if thou be in band and coniunction with God the heauen and all the creatures will be friends to thee The enmitie and friendship that stands with any creature it depends vpon the feude and friendship with God so that if thou All the creatures in enmitie with all vnbeleeuers be at feude with God all the creatures will be at feude with thee and if thou be at friendship with him all the creatures will be thy friends Marke this well marueile not that the Sea should drowne thee and thy house smother thee that art at strife with God through thy villanous life wonder not it is a wonderfull thing that they that are at feude with God dares enter into a house or go out of it or venter on the sea But the consciences of men are so locked vp that they will not vnderstand nor feare this but the vaine sleeping lowne saies peace peace Oh but the iudgement comes with such a rattle about the eares of the lowne that hee cannot get once space to say God is mercifull Haue you not marked this in these bloudie murtherers and the rest Nay thou that criest peace to thy soule when thou art doing all the mischiefe and villanie thou canst and if thou goe on so the fierce wrath of God and terrible iudgement shall oppresse thee ere euer thou be aware of thy selfe Now followes the sixt poynt or circumstance to be considered in reconciliation By whom is it made There must be a mediator or else it cannot be made Indeed the first friendship was made without a mediator because man and woman they were created at the beginning holy without spot of sinne but at the making of the next friendship because of the offence there must needs be a mediator to passe betwixt thee and that fire that was readie to deuoure thee for thou thy selfe darest not appeare and sue for it immediatly for thou art not able to stand in the presence of that terrible God before whose face there goes a fearefull fire that would consume thee at an instance So there must be a Mediator It is true that the Father made this reconciliation of his free mercie and of a passing grace hee bare to mankinde Would to God wee had a sense of it but I tell thee this grace and mercie was deere bought it is not an easie thing to a sinner that hath violated so holy a maiestie to get accesse againe This mercie from whence this reconciliation comes it springs out of the Lord Iesus as a faire greene tree in a garden it springs out of the very bloud of the Mediatour the Lord Iesus For why the mercie could neuer haue been nor had place if the wrath and iustice of the Father had not bin satisfied with that bloud there could neuer haue been such a thing as mercie to the world if that bloud had neuer been shed and so say I this mercie and grace springs vp sweetly and gratiously out of the bloud of Christ So wouldest thou haue mercie lay hold on the bloud of Christ and as thou wouldest haue part in heauen rest neuer while thou finde that bloud sprinkled in thy conscience thy heart washed with it Now from whence comes this Mediatour how is he giuen to thee The father saith the Scripture loued the world Iohn 3. 16. So the Mediatour vpon whom this new band of mercie and grace riseth is giuē of
the whole glorie of Iesus Christ vpon the vniuersall Church so now he turnes it ouer vpon this particular Church of Colosse For the glorie of Iesus Christ the sonne of God as it is the glorie of the whole Church so it is the glorie of euery particular Church and in so doing no question hee applies it to euery particular person in the Church so that the glorie of the sonne of God is mine and thine Beleeuest thou in him All this glorie is thine There is no point of it in him but thou shalt haue the vse of it so that no man or woman that is in the Church needs to enuie this glory in Iesus Christ It is naturall to men and women to enuie the glorie that others haue aboue them yea subiects will enuie the honour and glorie of Princes aboue them But thou who art a subiect in Christs Church thou needes not to enuie Christs glorie All his glorie is thine yea thou oughtest to haue no pleasure but when thou lookest vpon his glorie and exaltation But to come to the words We see then in these words there is a particular application of this benefit of reconciliation to the Church of the Colossians The text first offers vs to be considered who is the reconciler Now saith the Apostle he hath The Reconciler reconciled Who is this that hath reconciled the Colossians to God Before speaking of the reconciliation in generall with the whole Church he said It hath pleased the Father to reconcile all things to himselfe in him but now plainly in the text the Reconciler is changed It was the father before now the sonne of God the second person of that glorious Trinitie hee is the Reconciler Wherein the Apostle lets vs see that in this worke of reconciliation this sonne of God is not onely a patient not onely a Mediatour to suffer for our sinnes but he is an agent a doer a reconciler As he is the Mediatour of the reconciliation he is not onely a sacrifice in the which the reconciliation is made but he is a sacrificer offering himselfe in a sacrifice to God for our sinnes For looke how willingly the father offered him a sacrifice for vs as willingly gladly and ioyfully offered hee himselfe for vs for if hee had not died willingly and gladly in the nature of man but against his will as men will dye his death would neuer haue done men good nor ransomed their sinnes So this is a point of our beleefe that as wee beleeue hee died so wee beleeue hee died willingly and that Christ died willingly they who crucified him were not so willing to crucifie him as he was willing to offer himselfe to be crucified If thou hast not this faith thou hast no good of the death of Christ So the person reconciler is Christ Then to amplifie this benefit of reconciliation he cals them to remembrance of their miserable estate before they were reconciled What were they before Who were in times past saith he strangers and enemies meaning to God and where was this enmitie In the inward mind And why Because their mindes were set onely vpon euill workes Hee will not speake to them of this benefit of reconciliation before hee aduertiseth them of that estate they stood in before they were reconciled Marke it there is no sight of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ no presence of mercy and grace except The miserie of man without Christ in the mirrour to say it so of the past miserie wee were in so that except thou looke to that thou shalt neuer see as thou shouldest see the benefit of mercie and grace in Iesus Christ There is no sinfull creature that is able to ponder and weigh aright in the heart the greatnes of the blessing of God in Iesus Christ except hee take the blessing and mercie and put in a ballance with the miserie and see which of them weigheth downe otherwise thou shalt neuer know the weight of mercie and glorie if thou take it not from the miserie of that stinking nature and filthines of thine neither shalt thou euer be touched with that sound ioy except the sense of miserie goe before He that hath neuer found himselfe in hell hath neuer found himselfe in heauen for all the sense of heauen breakes out of hell Now to weigh the words The first word wherein hee sets down their miserable estate is this Sometime saith he ye were strangers farre off From whom From him who should haue bin their greatest friend whose domesticks they should haue bin from God and so from the Common-wealth of Israel from his Church If thou be a straunger from God and then from his Church there is no life in thee thou art but a dead rotten member in sinnes and offences Ephes 2. 1. Liue as thou wilt breathe as thou wilt haue thy senses as quicke as thou wilt fling here and there and leape as lightly as thou pleasest thou art but dead and more then dead and dye shalt thou euerlastingly Yet marke the words hee cals not them simplie strangers and aliants but he saith they were made strangers to let vs see that all this strangenes from God is not by our creation we were created friendly with him and his domesticks but by our owne defection we haue made our selues of domestickes and household children strangers And therefore it is said in Esai 59. 2. Your sinnes haue diuided betweene me and you So it is thy sinne it is not that naturall substance of thy soule and bodie but it is the corruption of the substance that makes thee a stranger from God Yet marke the words hee saith not that God was estranged from them but that they were estranged from him No no the Lord is not the beginner of this strangenes hee turnes neuer first vpon thee but thou turnest thy backe first vpon him he neuer drawes from thee that sweete countenance of his first but thou drawest thy countenance from him For brethren to speake the trueth when thou hast turned thy backe vpon him and estranged thy selfe from him yet if thou be one of his elect his loue toward thee shall neuer leaue thee nor turne from thee O that loue of God! he loues a sinner that is as it were spitting vpon Gods loue him for the loue of God is inalterable And when thou hast played thee with thy owne counsell serued thy lusts in thy owne time the Lord vtters that loue towards thee and calles thee home againe So there is the first degree of their miserie Yet it is not all said he comes on with another degree and higher then the first Sometime ye were strangers yet more enemies One man may be a straunger to another and yet not his enemie but saith he ye were not onely strangers but you were enemies also The words import not onely a secret hatred but a plaine and open hostilitie they fought against him there was neuer so hot a battell betwixt man and man
thou makest the spirit sad and if thou continue on thou wilt make the spirit to dislodge himselfe out 1. Thess 5. 22. 23 Psal 37. 11 of thee for the spirit of Iesus dwelleth in a pacified heart And to be short it is true a man to be angrie and not to sinne in it it is a hard matter for wrath of all affections it is the hottest sodainest and misruliest It is a short furie depriuing thee of thy wit Therfore the counsell of the Apostle to the Ephesians chap. 4. vers 26. is to be followed Be angrie but sinne not where he sheweth that it is a hard thing to be angrie and not to sin Now then as all the affections would haue the direction of his spirit so chiefly anger would haue the direction of the spirit of God otherwise it is sinne Aske then the direction of that spirit and say O Lord guide my wrath yea supposing it were a iust cause seeke the spirit otherwise thou wilt passe the bounds and spill a good cause therefore in anger the speciall thing to be craued is the spirit of Iesus The second degree of wrong he calleth it anger the word is too milde to expresse the first language The word importeth Anger a firie wrath and commonly to speak it so when the bloud swelleth and gorgeth about the heart and runneth and fireth the tongue and the eye so that when this firie wrath is enkindled there is no mercie at thy hand it cannot be restained from euill and thy tongue wil fall out in cursed and euill speeches against thy brother and neighbour and so this sinne is Anger resteth in the bosome of sooles worse then the first I say thou that hast this vice except thou seeke mortification in time if thou let it raigne within thee I will assure thee an euill turne will be in thy hand a furious man will either stab or be stabbed Therefore temper thy anger in time and be not content that it burst within thee but euer striue to quench the fire in the heart Ye know if a house bee set on fire if it bee not quenched in time it will burne thorough and spoyle both the house where it is begun and others Simile besides euen so if thy heart be set on fire with wrath if it be not quenched with the watrie spirit of God it will burne thee vp and hurt thy neighbour also quench it then with the spirit of Iesus Now come to the third degree hee termeth it malice worse then the two first there is no worse bodie then a malitious Malice body Malice is a continuing wrath it will lodge with thee night and day and thou and it will sleepe on together The other two commeth on with a sudden push and they will flie away at an instant but a malitious man taketh a purpose to doe ill when he seeth his time Paul saith Let not the Sunne goe downe on thy wrath it will keepe thee waking the diuell will come to thee and thou and the diuell will take counsell together to slay thy neighbour And therefore if common wrath and that firie wrath are to be mortified how much more shouldst thou mortifie thy malice As for a furious bodie he wil soone be pacified but a malicious man hee will come laughing and slay the man Now come to the fourth that he speaketh of here he calleth it blasphemie that is a cursed speaking that hurteth the name 4 Blasphemie of thy brother It is the effect of the former all runne to the tongue and from the tongue the action passeth to the hand So that when thou hast strooken him with thy tongue thou wilt strike him with thy hand Therefore slay the first slay the cursed speaking that it may haue the hand holden off Now brethren there is yet a higher degree where is slaughter murther there is not a word here of it The highest here is cursed speaking I marke this in Paul while he is condemning vices ye shall finde that he speaketh either little or nothing of murther which is an argument to me that this cursed vice of murther had not at this time been so rife amongst them to whom hee writeth as it is at this day O villaine how darest thou take away the life of a creature Thou wilt say I will discharge a pistoll on him O God shall powre downe his iudgements vpon thee vile murtherer that so lightly esteemest of the creature of God created to his owne image The like was not found among the Ethnickes that at this day raigneth in Scotland For so I perceiue this hainous vice of murther hath Note this of murther not so rife among the Gentiles as among Christians not raigned so amongst them as it doth this day And I am sure if Paul were to write an Epistle to Scotland hee will condemne this vice most for of such scalding burning and murthering as there is in this land was neuer heard of in any part of the whole world and yet hee will be called a Christian while he is more cruell and tyrannous then the worst Gentile that euer was And so Paul hee leaueth this vice vnspoken of because it raigned not so among the Gentiles yea he abhorreth it so that hee would not haue it once named among the Christians Ye see then here this garment of iniurie against our neighbour there is wrath firie anger malice and blasphemie put together and all to let you see that that wofull garment it is a thicke cloath and that our neighbours may many waies be wronged Againe I note that thou shouldest not bee content to put one pleate two or three away but goe to the singlest of all put it off of thy heart for if thou foster it it will grow thicke vpon thee and it will not rest till it come to the vtmost action for mortification is not of one sinne onely but it is of all sinnes yea of the lightest corruption in the heart Therefore begin not to extenuate and say I will leaue this and keepe this no away with the least sinne if it were but the smallest canker that is in thee keepe not a bit of it no slay all or else thou shalt be holden at heauens gate When hee had ended these foure vices contained vnder the generall iniurie hauing spoken of the iniurie of the tongue he leaueth it not so but insisteth vpon the euils that followeth the tongue To lend the tongue to euill speaking against thy neighbour either before his face or behind his backe as it is the custome of many now adaies it is a dangerous thing Looke how the third chapter of Iames describeth the tongue It is a world of wickednes and therefore it is chiefly to be taken Sinnes of the tongue heed of Slay that member and y e affection or els thou wilt perish It is no small matter to let thy tongue fall a chiding it shall fire thee Well to come to
and vncleannes and mortalitie out of thy former parents Adam and Eue euen so beleeuing in Iesus thou shalt draw out of him the sappe of life and sanctification But the words following make the words plaine What is meant by this new man There are three things in the words following Three things in the new man There is first the making him new againe Secondly there is the nature what it is wherein he standeth And thirdly there is the paterne according to the which hee is made the Lord had made him according to a paterne First it is said He is renued That is he is created a new againe Then it must follow that he was once made before and that in the creation and if he be made againe hee was once lost and so it was Now after this losing the Lord renueth him againe and therefore ye see a wonderfull mercie of God and it is the will of the spirit that thou shouldest conceiue this in thy heart and say O that exceeding mercie of God! that the Lord of mercie hath shewed on thee this mercie Looke to Paul Ephes chap. 2. vers 4. But God who is rich in mercie according to his great loue wherewith he hath loued vs euen when we were dead in sinnes hath quickened vs together in Christ. There he looketh in through the grate of renouation and therein hee seeth a wonderfull mercie in God Ye shall finde the life of this in the Epistle to Titus Alas wee want this eye there is such a dulnes in vs that we cannot passe vp to see this mercy of God Thou shouldest not so soone heare of mercie but thou shouldest euer looke vnto God and his mercie and thanke him for it What Angell could euer haue thought that God would haue created that new man againe They all wondred when they saw it Alas it is long ere wee can wonder Now what is his nature Which is renued to knowledge What is he I answere he is knowledge the light of the minde thou hast a new minde would ye know what is knowledge Paul Ephes chap. 2. telleth you that the eyes of your minde are opened O if the eye of thy minde bee closed thou art yet in nature Whereto That ye may know that hope Yet he goeth higher and that riches of his grace And yet he groweth higher and that excellent greatnes In a word it is the sight of faith full of that glorie that shall be reuealed I remember the Apostle to the Eph. chap. 4. vers 24. addeth to these two things righteousnes and holines so that in all his members he is light to see God Iesus Christ and all the glorie of heauen there There is the renuing that is spoken of here he is then sincere in heart in his body and in hand he is righteous in dealing with his neighbour If thou haue this new man he will cloathe thee within and without if thou were cloathed with gold and thou haue not this cloathing on thee thou art but a lumpe of stinking dirt The last thing is the paterne hee is created to one paterne Now what looketh God to in making of him looketh he to an Angell and saith I will make this new man like an Angell or looketh hee to the Sunne and Moone to the beasts and elements or to any creature in heauen or earth No no but hee looketh to his owne glorie and maketh thee according to that forme he looketh to that light that is in himselfe and maketh thy light like to his owne light and thy holines like to himselfe Looke the first of Genesis when hee had created all things the heauen the earth and the rest ye shall not finde such a word that he created any to his owne image But when he commeth to man with a consultation saith elohim Let vs make man like to our selues Gen. chap. 1. vers 26. So then O man there is thy first glorie the Lord honored thee in thy creatiō but thou hast lost it And the renuing of this image it is passing excellent it is double more glorious then it was at the beginning O that mercie that renued it Thou deseruedst to be turned into a stone or into the vilest brute beast or vermin that is Therefore it must be a passing great mercie that in renuing thee hee renueth thee in an higher measure then hee created thee in No in the renuing of thee in Christ he doubleth his image in thee And if hee made thee like himselfe at the first now he doubleth it a thousand times more The glorie of Adam was great but now that is farre greater which wee haue in Christ If Adam had kept his glorie yet it would haue bin nothing but an earthly paradize y t he would haue bin in but al the earth is not capable of one glorified bodie in Christ So then striue to beleeue in him and certainly the fall of Adam shall be so farre from thy heart that thou shalt blesse the time that he fell if thou gettest this renued creature in thee through the Lord Iesus otherwise thou shalt curse the time that he fell So beleeue in Iesus Christ and all things shall worke to thy good felicitie and blessednes in Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be honour and praise for euer and euer Amen THE XXVIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 11. 11 Where is neither Grecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond free but Christ is all and in all things THis whole place is an exhortation to the mortifying of these earthly members these sinfull lusts and affections and to the putting off of them for we haue been ouer long cloathed with them so that they be not put on again Ye haue heard these daies past sundrie sorts of them and likewise sundrie arguments to moue vs to this mortification To come briefly to the purpose The last argument was from our regeneration begun in this life standing in two Coherence parts that is first in putting off the old man that is corruption of nature that we haue drawne not onely out of our mothers wombe but haue suckt out of the loynes of old Adam so that looke how hee is it is as old It sitteth on and pearceth through the skinne to the heart and there is none that is free from it The second part was the putting on of the new man For certainly as I shewed you no man is able to stand naked before God cloathed must thou be or els there is no appearance for thee being naked before that tribunall seate all must be cloathed with that righteousnes and sprinkled with the bloud of Christ and then next with this new man that is with that inherent holines that floweth out of the bloud of Christ For he that is iustified by his bloud must be sanctified by his spirit Ye heard a description of this new man he is new made againe In the
elected from all eternitie them in time he elects and chuseth out from the rest of mankinde by effectuall calling Then I make of this first ground a lesson This Christian calling it requires a faire rayment You know the cloathing of euery man and woman should be according to their calling when thou goest aboue thy calling thou sinnest so the earthly raiment and cloathing whatsoeuer it be should be according to thy vocation This calling of God is an high calling as Paul to the Philippians chap. 3. vers 14. speakes And as the calling of a King requires a faire apparell to set it foorth with so this calling to the kingdome of God craueth a higher apparell Therfore remember thou art called to put on that faire apparell The next argument is Ye are holie This holines is the effect of the other For wast thou blacke before yet being called from darknes to light the beames of the face of God shining vpon thee now thou art whiter then snow Ye see a man that walkes long in the Sunne will be altered so of necessitie this sonne of righteousnes must make a chaunge to wit to make thee holie And this is that which the Apostle 2. Cor. 3. 18. saith Looking into the glorie of God as it were in a mirrour we are transformed from glorie to glorie and therefore take pleasure to look into it night and day and thou shalt be changed from the dregges of the world and made to shine Marke then as I said of him that is called so I say of him that is a Saint A faire garment fits thee well for the Saints stand night and day before God in his household Who will come before the eye of an earthly Prince ragged and bare how much lesse before that great maiestie of God If thou be not clad with holines the very eye of God will strike thorough thee to thy consumption Now the third argument is the loue of God shewed to thē This is that loue of God that he bare to vs when we were enemies to him when thou wast wandring in thy vanitie he gaue himselfe for thee and hee loued thee ere thou wist and afterward he powres it into thee that thou feelest it Nay thou neuer tastedst of sweetnes if thou neuer tastedst of the loue of God and this is the loue of God that makes thee to loue him again The beloued one of God craues a faire apparell Who is he or she among you that will not trauell to be pleasant in the eye of your louer So the Lord loues thee and neuer one loued thee so well Therefore wilt thou not studie to come pleasantly clad before him Then ye see they in whom the Lord delights come before him gloriously in faire apparell that makes them to be pleasant in his eye Thus much for the arguments that he sets down which should haue moued the Colossians to put on the new man Now followes the vertues The first vertue he termes The bowels of mercies that is the word in the first language that is pitie mercie and compassion briefly it is a vertue and grace not growing of nature but wrought in the heart by the spirit of Iesus Now it hath this force and effect to pitie the miserie of men and women but there is little of it in these daies When thou seest the members of Christ sick or sore be sorie for them thou wilt be sorie for thy hand when it is sore euen so thou shouldest be sorie for the members of Christ Againe he calles it no mercie but mercies in the plural number to signifie that he that is mercifull must haue many of them for many miseries require many mercies He cals it not mercies but the bowels of mercies to signifie this intire loue it must be within thee and in thy bowels Then this mercie it hath two properties first thou must abound of it Next it must be in thy bowels and thy bowels must bee loosed with pitie Then brethren ye see this faire garment hee exhorts them to put on Where begins it It begins at thy bowels the depth of thy heart there is the first cloathing and the cloathing is pitie and mercie and wherefore mercie and so many mercies because in this world there are many miseries Where shall the godly man turne to but he shall see miserie Wilt thou looke vp to the King and his Court a spectacle of miserie Wilt thou looke to the beggar a spectacle of miserie And if euer there was any pitie to be had this land hath neede of it The next vertues Kindnes Bountifulnes The first was the vertue that pities thy neighbour this is the vertue that doth him a good deede Mercie is in the bowels Bountie is in the hand And if thou pitiest any bodie and hast it to giue put out thy hand and giue him otherwise it auailes not Then yee see this vertue of the elect of God is Bountie And wherefore is this bountie requisite because there is so much neede in all estates and a great scant of all things both earthly and heauenly and therefore it is requisite to haue bountifulnes that thou maist bestow vpon one bodie a benefit spirituall and vpon another a temporall Now to come to the next vertue which is the third in number Low lines of minde modestie It is a vertue when men and women counts nothing of themselues and are not puffed vp in pride So it hath these two properties it counts nothing of themselues but much of others Then this vertue is lowlines in the eye and in the heart If thou wouldest appeare in the sight of thy God put on modestie come not haughtie come not with raised vp neckes the Lord is aboue thee and he will giue thee such a stroke that hee will slay thee For there was neuer a proud man that raised vp his head against God but he made him stoope So the third peece of this garment is humilitie Wilt thou looke to thy selfe what hast thou to glorie in where thou hast one thing thou wantest tenne Wilt thou looke to others the grace thou seest in thy brother thou shouldest account of it Now the fourth peece of this garment is Meekenes that is excellently well matched with humilitie euer the humble man is meeke the proud euer churlish without meeknes and mildnes and so farre as in him lies renting the bodie of Iesus For where pride is there is no societie for a man that hath pride hee cannot associate himselfe with another Now this vertue is in thy mouth and makes thee to giue to thy neighbour sweete language Now this fourth part is so necessarie that there can bee no standing of the Church without it for such is the nature of man if it bee handled roughly it is lost and if thou handle a sinner thus thou doest ouerthrow him And therefore Paul euer recommends gentlenes if thy rebukes smell of bitternes and not of meeknes thou wilt destroy him Forthere is no sinner as
the Apostle 2. Tim. chap. 2. vers 25. c. speakes but he must be allured by peece and peece out of the bands of the diuell Now followeth the fift part of this garment which is Long suffering The word following in the next verse expounds it when one beares iniuries done of another that is long suffering This long suffering is so requisite that the world cannot stand without it What part is there in this land wherin wrong exceedeth not and wrong would not be met with wrong nor iniurie with iniurie but wrong with long suffering and I say if men were not disposed to suffer the world long since had eaten vp one another It is the patient bodie that beares the iniuries otherwise euery one had deuoured another So this is a faire garment of the beloued and holy ones of God but the vertue that followes is greater Forgiuing one another Long suffering may be without forgiuing as a poore may y t sustaines wrong he must lie vnder the wrong because he is not able to reuenge it Others againe albeit they haue abilitie will not reuenge but will hold it in their heart till they get oportunitie Then remission is a greater vertue it will not onely suffer the wrong but it will put it away it will forgiue thee that hast done the wrong or else if it will not altogether forgiue the man it will call him before the Iudge Remission therefore when it thinkes not expedient to forgiue it will not put to the hand as our men will doe but it will call thee before a Iudge The King should reuenge all these wrongs The Lord should not slay the Esquire should not slay the Gentleman should not slay but in the meane time while he is pleading his cause before the Iudge his anger should be abolished and so God shall be glorified But if the iniurie be done to thee by any man and in the meane time thou haue anger in thy heart albeit he be before the Iudge yet thou art the slayer of him So then there is the sixt part of this garment free forgiuenes This vertue is so needfull that if men forgaue not wrongs the world had perished long agoe And let men thinke as they please that runnes in reuenging it is not they that hold vp the world but the blessed ones of God Now to moue them to this vertue he vseth an argument taken from the example of Christ As Christ hath forgiuen you so forgiue you one another There was not a reason put to the rest what meanes this He lets vs see it is a hard thing to flesh and bloud to forgiue if thou take counsell at flesh and bloud thou wilt neuer forgiue admit thou wert dying But flesh and bloud will euer crye a vengeance and so it is a hard thing to forgiue And it is so necessarie that except thou forgiue and striue against thy nature thou shalt neuer haue part with God in heauen and it shall debarre thee from that societie of Iesus Christ For he that inclines not in no measure to forgiue a wrong but is alwaies set to recompence the like for the like he is not a member of Christ and if thou bee not a member thou hast no life And Christ himselfe in Matth. 6. 14. 15. saith If thou forgiue not thy brother in earth thy heauenly father shall not forgiue thee Then brethren ye shall not finde any one more resembling Christ in any vertue then in mercie and compassion and by the contrarie there is none that more resembles the diuell then the merciles bodie and iudge ye how many in this land bee like the diuell and so few like Christ Hee cannot bee satisfied who hath put hand in man not once or twice but he wil triple and quadriple it and so this vice abounds in this land Now to adde this to that that is spoken I dare say a merciles heart neuer wist what the pitie of God was if thou finde crueltie in thy heart it is an argument thou art not his Thou that hast felt the mercy of God his pitie and compassion powred out vpon thee thou wilt powre it out vpon others I see next in this example of Christ Iesus Christ is to be imitated follow him in thy life Would you haue leaders in the way follow Iesus and put thy footsteps where his was but it is to be taken heede to in what things thou followest him Iesus wrought wonders in the world follow him not in these for if thou followest him so thou puttest thy selfe in Gods roume Iesus Christ wrought the worke of redemption follow him not in that because it is the worke proper to the Creator Will you reade the Scripture you shall not finde the example of Christ propounded to follow him in wonders or to follow him in forgiuing of sinnes But when euer we follow him we should follow him in meeknes in lenitie in gentlenes To what end should I speake of the vaine dreames of the Papists they will say imitate Christ Christ fasted fortie daies therefore you must fast al the Lent but I leaue them to their vanitie and they that are vncleane let them be vncleane still and the Lord keepe vs with his truth Now ye see in expresse termes Iesus Christ hath forgiuen vs our sinnes Ephes 4. 6. it is said that God in Christ hath forgiuen vs eur sins In the one place it is said God hath forgiuen vs in the other place that Iesus Christ hath forgiuen vs. Then Iesus Christ is God the redeemer of the world So it followes of this place Iesus Christ is God blessed for euer Amen For why it is proper to God to forgiue sinnes it is onely proper to the Creator the creature hath no power to forgiue Now in the other place Iesus Christ is the price of our redemption through the which remission of sinnes is purchased he is both the forgiuer of the sinne and the price if Iesus had not been the price there had been no redemption in the world Now followeth the third This benefit of our redemption was deerely bought by our Redeemer It was not a word to say forgiue but it behooued him to die and this benefit which he giues he bought it by his owne bloud Then marke a great difference betweene him and man Iesus he dies but where thou forgiuest thou giuest but a word Looke what a doe the Lord hath with the world and what trauell hee takes to get the offence done by thee taken away he dies for it And therefore the thing we haue to presse to is to feele his loue all ioy and welfare is in the sense of this loue And therefore to this Lord be all honour and glorie now and for euer Amen THE XXX LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 14. 15. 14 And aboue all these things put on loue which is the bond of perfection 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to
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
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
this and therefore cannot say much Euen here he hath two names the one Hebrue that is Iesus the other Latin that is Iustus Both his names imply and signifie good things by which also it should seeme he was a good man But because we haue no more certaintie of his life and qualities this shall be sufficient that hath been generally spoken Now it followeth to see what the Apostle saith of all these together These onely are my workefellowes vnto the kingdome of God which haue been vnto my consolation This is a general commendation of them and in it concerning them he affirmeth two things The first that they were fellow-labourers or workmen with him in aduauncing the kingdome of God they all ioyning hearts and hands together in setting forward that excellent A good thing when faithfull men ioyne together in well doing worke The second and it doth in part proceed from the former namely that they were no small comfort vnto him meaning thereby not onely as in regard of aduauncing the worke of the ministerie but also yeelding him sound consolation in his imprisonment and bands and that made me to say before in part proceeding from the former By the kingdome of God in this place omitting the diuers acceptions of the word in the Scriptures specially of the New Testament is meant the glorious Gospell of Christ by which as it were by What is meant by the kingdome of God a standerd lifted vp God gathereth a Church vnto himselfe and thereby manifesteth to men a meanes whereby they may haue entrance into the said Church yea by which he guideth and gouerneth both the Church it selfe and all those that are gathered thereinto the Gospell seruing not onely to begin and beget faith and a good conscience but to hold men on in the same and to cause them to grow therein And yet this double commendation of them is amplified by these words in the text that these were they alone of the Circumcision who holpe him in promoting Christs kingdome at Rome and did much comfort him as before hath bin shewed And that word onely would be marked because that from it we may probably conclude either that Peter was neuer at Rome at all or else that if he were there he was not so good and faithfull a head to Peter not at Rome the Church nor so comfortable a companion to his fellow Apostle as the Romane Catholikes do make him For if he were at any time at Rome I would faine know what time we should rather thinke him to haue been at Rome then a little before that time which they themselues assigne to his passion or suffering there which in their owne opinion is the very selfesame time in which this Epistle was written they affirming that both Peter and Paul suffered and were crucified at Rome in one and the selfesame yeere But it appeareth by this which is said here that Peter was not then at Rome when from thence he wrote this Epistle And besides how can it be credible that if hee had been then at Rome hee should not haue furthered Paul in aduauncing Christs kingdome or should not haue yeelded him comfort in his bands To say or thinke the first is at the least to make him a dissembler of his religion or a denier of Christ as once he had done before but they hold that after he had receiued the holie Ghost he was freed from all error specially in faith though they forget his fall mentioned in the Galathians remember not that if that intituled him into not erring the rest of the Apostles had as great a priuiledge that way as he because they al equally receiued the spirit And to affirme the other is to make him vncharitable and to note him to be a forsaker of the brethren and not a fellow sufferer with them in their bands and afflictions So that whilest they goe about to bring him to Rome they haue spunne a fayre threed in that they pull vpon him and by consequent vpon themselues these inconueniences at the least But the truth is hee was not there And for the further strongthening of vs therein we are to be perswaded that if he had been there the Apostle who is so carefull yea so curious as it were both in this and other Epistles of his written from Rome mentioning so many men of meane note in the Church and the names of so many faithfull teachers also as then were present with him there and yet maketh no mention at all of Peter whom yet notwithstanding in another place he calleth the Pillar of the Church Galath 2. vers 9. But to leaue this and to proceed to another point In that the Apostle is so carefull to giue charge and order touching Marke and the receiuing of him we may see first that Marke was a good man and so learne by that who should be deare and precious vnto vs euen the Saints that are vpon the Whom Gods people should most affect earth as the Prophet saith Psal 16. and find in our selues thereby the true note that wee are sound members of the Church militant and therfore shall be gathered to the Church triumphant in that a vile person is despised in our eyes but wee make much of them that feare the Lord Psal 15. But the world is quite and cleane contrarie for it loueth her owne and hateth the godly So that wee may say as the Prophet saith He that frameth himselfe vnto righteousnesse maketh himselfe a pray And surely if it bee a great sinne to condemne the generation of the iust then it cannot but be a transgression also not to commend and esteeme the godly for besides that God accounteth the fauours done to them as done to himselfe and on the other side reckoneth the indignities offered them as accomplished against his own Maiesty the very graces y t he hath shed abroad into their hearts should make vs to esteeme thē So that if we would not behold their persons yet we shuld acknowledge his mercies graces in thē and accordingly reuerence and regard thē Secondly in this act of Paul what great care diligence the Primitiue Church had in giuing testimonies vnto men No doubt the cause mouing them thereto was many seducers and false brethren went abroad and they To whom the Church should veeld testimonie would not willingly haue had the godly and faithfull deceiued by them which sinne no doubt they might the more easily haue fallen into if the Church had not kept this good course in yeelding faithfull testimonie to the holie professors yea preachers it may bee of Christs Gospell It there were at this day the like diligence and care amongst such Christians as dwell in diuers regions and parts of the world or amongst them that liue in one and the selfesame kingdome countrey and Church these vagrant men that so much runne vp and downe from place to place and from countrey to countrey and trauaile so sore