earth how can his short sufferings counteruaile eternal death Answere Answere he was not man onely but also God and therefore was able at once to satisfie for al the punishment due for euermore to his childrē seruants for his infinite God-head did sustaine his Man-hood in suffering especially on the crosse the night before Therefore it is said by the eternal Spirit he offered vp the sacrifice for vs suffering that and bearing that Heb. 5. which men and women should haue suffered for euer in themselues But our Aduersaries of the Church of Rome obiect Obiect of the Aduersaries we are not saued by CHRIST from all our sins and therefore they abused that place to the 3 of the Rom. expounding the former sinnes to be originall and the rest to be satisfied and wrought out by vs. Againe they say the punishment we are to worke out he hauing taken away the sinne originall But we haue proues for this against them for saith Solution 1. Ioh. 2. Iohn 3. the Apostle he is the propitiation for sinnes viz. euen all And in Iohn he is the lambe of God that taketh away our sinnes not that did but that doth take away as those that were so also those that are Againe for that they say CHRIST taketh away the sinnes only and not the punishment they doe greatly abuse God himselfe for in Esay 53. CHRIST Esay 53. hath suffered the punishment and therfore this were to accuse God himselfe of false-hood and cruelty that would promise the taking away of our sinnes and forgiuenesse of our dets by CHRIST and yet would exact the vtmost farthing at our handes what an vniust thing were this Obiection They proue this by Dauid that for his sinnes he was punished by persecution at the handes of his Sonne and driuen from his kingdome and after it is told him his sinnes were forgiuen Answer But it were iniury to punish sinne twise Now seeing the punishment is borne in CHRIST the children of God are not punished for that were infinit and could not be suffered but onely chastened For Reu. 3. saith God those I loue I chasten so that if it come from Heb. 12. loue it is no punishment Againe from the effect it appeares it is no punishment because it is for their good on whom it is laid and therfore no punishment For punishments are to destruction And the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes compareth Heb. 12. all the afflictiōs that God laieth on his seruants to the corrections which a father layeth on his child For a father correcteth his child for two causes first that he might be better for though he doe him neuer so much iniury euen to burne his house yet if he loue his sonne he will onely correct him seeking to bring him to good order Another cause is that by his example and correction the rest of his children may be kept the better in awe Euen so the Lord dealeth with his children as a louing Father chastising them for their good The end of the seuenth Sermon The eighth Sermon COLOSS. 1. V. 15. to the 21. 15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery 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 hee is before all things and in him all things consist 18 And hee is the head of the body of the Church he is the beginning and the first borne of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 20 And by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe and to set at peace through the blood of his crosse both the things in earth and the things in heauen THE holy Apostle hauing entred into the declaration of the redemption brought vnto vs sets forth the Causes First what God the father hath done for vs Secondly what God the Sonne hath done for vs. And now he commeth to a notable description of God the Sonne to shew vnto vs that in him we haue a full and plentifull redemption As if the Apostle should say This CHRIST that you may know what a A Metaph. 15. plentifull rich redemption you haue in him to the end you may rest in him alone is thus set forth vnto you as foloweth As touching his person standing of both natures he is the most liuely and expresse image and caracter of God not onely of his qualities if yet there were any qualitie in the God-head but of his very nature and essence In whom we may behold God which is inuisible and touch him that is insensible which is the principall heir of all the creatures in the world in whom we that beleue haue right vnto them For by him are all things created in heauen and earth things visible and inuisible euen the Angels themselues to the worshiping of whom you are seduced And amongst them all of what degree or place so euer they be whether they sit in Thrones or whether they haue Lordship principally or power ouer other Angels and all things elsse were both made by him and for him Wherefore he is before all things and all things haue their continuance and are vpholden by him And as touching his office which he executeth in respect of both natures he is the Head of the Church which is his body and he is the first fruites and first begotten of the dead not onely in respect that himselfe is risen but also in that he is the Autor of our resurrection which is here begun and shall be perfected in the last day when he shall change these vile bodies and make them like his glorious body For in him it is the good pleasure of God that the grace of the spirit should without measure fully dwel That by him he might reconcile vnto himselfe all things making peace by the death of his crosse betweene God and all men whether it be they which hauing beleued in him before his comming are now in heauen or others which being on earth do beleeue in him Here there is a description of Christ God and man touching his Person whereby hee gouerneth all things Office whereby hee gouerneth his Church Summe a description of the excellency of our Sauiour CHRIST which consisteth of two parts One touching the gouernment of our Sauiour CHRIST which hee hath ouer all things in heauen earth and hell the other touching the particular rule ouer his Church First he is called the image of the inuisible God that cannot bee seene by the eye of man And not onely is ment here but none can so much as come to the vnderstanding of God by the eye of the minde But by our Sauiour CHRIST we see the God-head those that were aliue when hee was on earth did
he proueth by a deuision whether in heauen or earth meaning vnderneath or aboue also and if any make a dout of that he taketh it away and saith whether visible oâ— inuisible whatsoeuer things were made were made by him Visible and inuisible He vseth this vpon occasion of an errour in the Colossians that they worshiped Angels departing from the truth and therefore the Apostle standeth vpon this point handling Angels of what order or degree soeuer Doctrine Whether Thrones viz. such as sit in Thrones or Lordship viz. which haue Lordship or whatsoeuer they were were made by him and therefore not to be worshiped but of that afterward when we come to the errour Vse but here we learne how fitting that good order is how acceptable it is vnto God in that the Angels which are with out sinne and haue no such need as we are not without order and seing they do vse order how much more are we to seeke for order which are so corrupt and confused And if inferior Angels in regard of order obey those ouer them much more should we be obedient to those ouer vs. And if wicked spirits to the accomplishing of their wicked purposes haue their orders some to command some to obey Therefore much more ought we And yet here ariseth comfort for vs that Note if the wicked Angels obserue order for to hurt vs yet the good Angels much more for ouer defense And the deuils though they are very strong and exceeding subtil yet it is not to be doubted but by their fall they haue lost much of that strenght which they had by their Creation The end of the eighth Sermon The ninth Sermon COLOSS. 1. V. 16. to the 21. 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 hee is before all things and in him all things consist 18 And hee is the head of the body of the Church he is the beginning and the first borne of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 20 And by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe and to set at peace through the blood of his crosse both the things in earth and the things in heauen HERE is set forth as we haue heard in these and them that went before the description of our Sauiour CHRIST of his excellent and glorious estate consisting in the description of his Person Office The Person of CHRIST standeth of both natures both of the God-head and man-hood for those things here spoken can neither belong to the God-head a part not to the man-hood a part The last point spoken of out of the beginning of this part we are to consider further of viz. touching the Angels called here powers dominions principalities c. Where we obserued that seing there is such an order among the Angels such excellent creatures haue some superiours others inferiours And for so much as Angels are subiect to higher Angels much more ought men to be subiect to their Gouernours and Princes hauing far more need This was for instruction An other point for consolation was deliuered vpon this question whether the blessed Angels haue more strenght then the deuils Answer Notwithstanding the deuils haue great Note power and strenght and do great things yet they haue not such wisedome such power nor strenght to do mischiefe as the good Angels haue to defend the children of God The reason is that as men falling from their estate lost much of their wisedome wit strenght c. Euen so the wicked Angels are by their fall dishabled of that power and wisedome and strenght in comparison of the blessed spirits for further proofe of this reade Apocalips 20. 2. One Angel not said to be an Archangell or principall Angell but a meaner Angell is said to take the dragon the principall deuill by the necke as it were and bind him For when as the deuill at the increase of the Church about 30. yeares after the ascention of our Sauiour CHRIST began to rage mightely against the Church of God and would haue cleane deuoured it had not the Lord laid him on his backe It is said that an Angell tooke him and bound him vp for a 1000. yeares He proceedeth to set forth the excellency of our Sauiour CHRIST in that he saith by him were made Verse 16. all things where is noted the excellency of his personage that he must needes be indeed a meete and sufficient one for the great worke of the redemption because he was the Creator of all and if that was such an excellent worke then the Spirituall recreation regeneration is a farre more excellent thing and can be performed by none but by such a one which was God And therefore condemnes the Papist which is so wretched to take vpon him power to redeeme himselfe and to helpe himselfe to heauen Nay to helpe others by his good workes as they call them of super-errogation or rather to be called of superarrogation But is there any man that by his good workes can create himselfe or helpe in any part to the creation of himselfe Much lesse then is a man able to do any thing in the matter of his redemption As being not able to do any good thing thus the Lord hath called and regenerated him And as all the worke of our Creation dependeth on God as here it is proued so euery part and lot of our redemption is in God and by God alone For howsoeuer before wee bee called we haue life of body and motion yet toward the Kingdome of our Sauiour CHRIST we cannot moue a foore till the Lord bring vs He hath the praeheminence and all things are made Verse 17. for him Doctrine Where wee see that our Sauiour CHRIST is the Alpha 1 the beginning that made all and the Omega the end of all for whom all things are ordained And therefore how dare any challenge him or reason and dispute against him Shall the pot speake against the Potter For did not hee make all and did not hee Rom. 9. 20. Pro. 16. 4. make them to his glory as it pleased him whether to glorifie himselfe in their saluation or destruction and therefore what is it that wretches dare reason with God why he made man to destruction But faith the Prophet let the sheard reason with Isa 45. 9. the sheard not with the Potter and yet the Potter giues onely the forme not the matter but God maketh Note both the matter and forme All things are for him viz. our selues our soules Verse 16. Doctrine our bodies our honour credit children goods wit strength c are not to serue for our selues for our owne pleasure and delight to vse as wee list much lesse for others but onely
in the words before in this chapter made a way to come to the principall point he purposed And first he testified his care ouer them and moueth them to haue care ouer themselues and that they should take heed of being caried away by any probability and likenesse of speech Here he particulerly layeth it downe what he would haue them take heed of as if he should say Looke about you by a sound knowledge of the truth least any of what opinion of learning or holinesse whatsoeuer by either shew of reason comming from the braine of men which hath receiued strength in that it hath bene receiued from hand to hand and yet is nothing els but a vaine deceit and sleight or els by the ceremonies of the law wherewith as by certaine rudiments or A. B. C. the people of God as children were trayned to this perfection of doctrine which now hath shined out vnto you do vanquish you and driue you before them as prisoners fast bound in the chaines and manacles of errour Yea take heed of any doctrine whatsoeuer that either taketh any thing from CHRIST or doth place any the least iot of saluation other where then in hâ—m For seing that in the humane nature of CHRIST the fulnesse of the God-head doeth personally so rest and abide that both the natures of the God-head and the man-hood make but one CHRIST what is there needfull for your saluation which you may not haue abundantly in him Considering especially that this fulnesse of all graces which is in him he hath not for himselfe but for you which of his abundance is ready to fit you with all whatsoeuer you haue need of to saluation And the same CHRIST howsoeuer sometime a litte inferiour to Angels as towching the humiliation of his man-hood yet now euen according to his man-hood is head not onely of his Church as is aforesaid but of all powers and principalities which are in heauen whereby may appeare your errour which worship Angels The sum is an exhortation which the Apostle giueth to the Colossians to take heed they should not be deceiued by any false doctrine and the reasons and grounds The parts are Exhortation not to be deceiued by Philosophy and the beginnings The reason because if they be led away they are made a prey Againe they should haue nothing in CHRIST in whom is all fulnesse and though he was man and inferiour to the Angels yet now and as he is God he is aboue them all and head of them all See or take heed Here the Apostle first teacheth that a man must haue a sound knowledge and vnderstanding in the truth of God for he speaketh not of the bodily sight Doctrine Doctrine It belongeth to all men and all women euen to all Gods children of what sort and condition soeuer they be in spite of the enemies of Gods truth the Papists it is required at their hands and commanded that they should know and beare away the word of God And they must grow in knowledge for they are not to stand at a stay for as they must grow in zeale so also must they doe in knowledge for better haue no zeale then zeale without knowledge which is most dangerous as a wild horse And therefore it is that Dauid though a wise man yet standeth much on this point Psal 119. And if we must proceed in godlinesse all our life so also in knowledge It is necessary that we haue 3. Part. knowledge to the end we may be able to be defended Gal. 1. 2. Tim. 3. 8. against the subtilties of the false teachers and deceiuers of the world who are compared to inchanters Iannes and Iambres which withstood Moses before Pharaoh it is necessary that we haue knowledge to the end we be not blinded by them He biddeth them take heed of Phylosophy which is a glorious name signifying the loue of wisedome But the Apostle doth not take away the vse of Philosophy For if it be well vsed it is a good hand-maid for to help the Ministers if so be it be not vsed to make a glose and a shew to the world But here that Phylosophy is condemned which repugneth the Note word and Gospel of God for so far forth as Phylosophy will as a hand-maid wait and attend on the word of God to further the Ministers so long it is commendable and a good help to further the Ministers in the word of God But when as Phylosophy doth rise vp to go hand in hand or as Hagar to her Mistris to goe before the word of God then it is to be condemned and cast out And the reason that Phylosophy is to be taken heed of is by reason that there is deceit in it as we see in naturall Phylosophy that Ex nihile-nihil fit of nothing nothing is made This is contrary to the word of God Againe in morall Philosophy They say that if there be not free will why should there be punishment but this is to be taken heed of This condemneth them which to excuse their mingling of the word with Philosophy they say they doe but as the children of Israel did which rob Egipt of her Iewels or be as Moses who was skilfull in all the learning of Egipt as the schoolmen Papists others doe But they doe nothing but rob them of their botches and biles The reason that Philosophie doth deceiue is because it commeth from the braines and inuention of men An other thing the Apostle willeth them to take heed of is of the elements of the world which were the traditions of God For might they say if you will not haue vs to deale with the inuentions of men will ye deny that we should vse the decrees of God as the traditions of the law Here we see whom the Apostle had to doe with all viz. such as ioyned with the Gospell the inuentions of men and Phylosophy and the ceremonies of the law The same doe we deale withall viz. the Papists for though they confesse CHRIST c. yet because they ioyne the traditions of men ceremonies which the Gospell will not admit therfore we are not to ioine with them but to oppose against them as the Apostle did The reason why the Apostle sheweth they should not be bound vnto the traditions of the law Because the ceremonies of the law are the elements as it were the A. B. C. wherein children are to be taught Now it is no point of a good scholler to be alwayes in the A. B. C. so we must not alwaies be babes in Christianity for those were the shadowes of that truth which now is and therefore these are the dayes of restauration and perfection Now then if we must not haue these ceremonies which God had appointed but that CHRIST must be preached simply and barely without ceremonies much lesse are we to vse the traditions and ceremonies of men which the Papists religion doth wholly consist of Indeed there is a doctrine
truely religious hee will bring forth good workes True religion hath the true fruites of it to Iam. 1. 26. 3. 17. 27. keepe himselfe from the lusts of the world and to visite the sicke the fatherlesse and widdowes So that if hee bee a Saint he is holy if holy he is religious if hee loue not holinesse hee is not religious make what profession hee can though it be neuer so good From the Titles we come to the benefits desired He wisheth 1 Grace 2 Peace Grace the fountaine of all goodnesse is God and the graces of his children are as springes and fruites that proceed from the meere grace loue and fauour of God which fauour and grace of God the Apostle wisheth to them Doct. 1 So that here we learne that all good things whatsoeuer come from Gods grace and mercy alone For if by works then not by grace for then grace were Rom. 5. not grace Secondly he wisheth Peace viz. all things necessary for this life prosperity health c. as is the manner of the Hebrews in wishing peace to vnderstand all outward prosperity Doct. 2 Hee setteth grace before peace to teach vs first to seeke for the fauour of God and then to looke for the fruits of the fauour of God But we vsually doe cleane contrary for we seeke first the fruits of Gods grace for peace wealth prosperity c. and not care for the grace and loue of God But our looking for those things without hauing the loue of God is nothing He that hath all things hath nothing vnlesse he haue Gods fauour but hatred of God our gold no gold our peace no peace our loue of parents and of men hatred of God And better were it that wee had none of all these then to haue them without the loue of God â— CHRIST The Prophet when as two Kings came against Ahaz telling him hee should bee defended Isa 7. 2. from those Kings howsoeuer Ahaz was a wicked King would not beleeue it yet he tels him a signe 2. King 16. 2. 3. Isa 7. 14. and token of it that a Virgin should conceiue and beare a sonne c. Noting therby that all benefits whatsoeuer are from God in CHRIST alone And therefore if we seeke for any thing out of CHRIST wee seeke amisse and if wee desire any thing before the Note loue of God we do as harlots which loue the gifts better then the persons that giue them In that hee saith Grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord IESVS CHRIST Hee there shutteth not out the Holy Ghost as though it came not as well Note from him as from the Father and from the Sonne For in the word grace the Holy Ghost is included seeing that grace is the gift of the Holy Ghost alone Doct. 3 We praise God viz. He Timothy Here consider that they giue thankes to God alone because all grace mercy both of eternall life and the comforts of this life come from him and therefore our petitions are to be made to him for them and praise to be rendred vnto him for enioying them Question Quest How can this be did he not preach eate and drinke and apply his occupation Answere Ans Here the Apostle meaneth that he kept a constant course of prayer for them And to the Thess he saith Pray without ceasing where as a man is bound to 1. Thess 5. 16. do his businesse in his calling also but the meaning is to keepe a constant course dayly of this duty Therefore the sacrifice in the Law which was done morning and euening is called a continuall sacrifice because of the continuall course of it so here he meaneth that daily so often as they pray they make mention of them in their prayers Doctrine The duty of all Christians to keepe daily a continuall course priuately in prayer More particularly the minister is to pray for his people not only in the Church but priuately at home as the Apostle here did And therfore we must not thinke our selues discharged of priuate prayer for publicke Which sheweth it is a dutie of all Christians as to pray in the Church so also to pray priuately in their families and also by themselues and therfore to set a time apart for that purpose Reasons of it are great Reasons of priuat praier first there is no man or woman of what state soeuer but they haue particular sins which euery one hath not For when they pray in the house they desire pardon of sinnes which are common to the house but I may haue committed a sinne the which they haue not and I may haue receaued particular blessings which others haue not and I haue need of some particular blessing in my place that others haue not need of And therefore it is necessarie that we should make a choise of some particular time wherein by our selues we may haue recourse to God Wee giue thankes whensoeuer he prayed he gaue thanks and for that he prayed he gaue thanks For howsoeuer there were great faultes in the Church Note yet he is thankfull for some good thing left them But such is the corruption of our dayes that howsoeuer we are most especially bound to this duty of thanks-giuing as being the duty of the Angels and that which after this life we shall only performe in heauen yet though both priuately publikly we wil peraduenture pray and aske still of God we are negligent in rendering thanks God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby God is discerned from all other Gods In the Law he was deserned by the God of Abraham Isaac and Note Iacob but this is a more excellent difference which here the Apostle giues that our God is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ not the God of the Turkes and Infidels c. Then is set forth the cause of his thanks Viz. for their loue and faith Quest Quest Why doth the Apostle giue thanks and prayeth for them which were called already Why doth he not rather pray for heathen and wicked men that ly groueling in their sinnes Answer we are bound indeed to pray for all But we 1. Tim. 2. 1. are more specially bound to loue and pray for those Gal. 6. 10. that are called already for as God shewes more tokens of his loue to a man so must I shew more and more tokens of it For howsoeuer Gods loue cannot increase yet the tokens of it increase but ours must increase as we see the tokens of Gods loue to increase towards any The degrees then of our loue and of our prayers towards others are that we are bound to pray for all but especially for those that are of â—he houshould of faith and amongst them for Ioseph viz. for those that are afflicted and amongst them that are in affliction we are especially to pray for those that suffer for the Gospell sake The end of the second