Thus much for the taking away of the ceremonies by our Sauiour CHRIST The application of this doctrine to the Colossians followeth Doctrine Doct. The office of a good Minister is not onely The Ministers duty to deliuer the doctrine generally for then the Colossians had gone away without comfort but hee must apply it particularly And as it teacheth Ministers to deliuer and apply perticularly So the people are to learne that they must be content to heare of perticulars as of the generall for will they say let the Minister teach of adultery but let him not speake of me but Nathan said to Dauid Thou art the man 2. Sam. 12. 7. Let no man iudge you i If any man take this boldnesse to condemne you for eating of those things doing those things let it not grieue you The meates which were forbidden by the Law were those which did not chew the cud or which chewing it had not clouen feete c. But now by 1. Tim. 4. 5. Tit. 1. 15. Rom. 14. 20. the Gospell those things are left to our liberty for if the word of God do teach vs wee may eate it then wee are to eate it so it bee with thanks-giuing For now to the cleane all things are cleane And though this liberty be left vs which was bought by our Sauiour CHRIST yet it doth not take away authority from Magistrates for Nauigation or by reason of want to abstaine from some meates at certaine times in the yeare For the Feasts and new Moone In the new Moone the Lord had commanded in regard of the benefit which God gaue by the lights they should haue Feasts Sabaoths There were three great feasts in the yere First at Easter when came their corne in wherein God commanded them to celebrate a feast of thankfulnesse and therein was the Passeouer celebrated Pentecost was at that time of the yeare that the fruite of the Vines were gathered The third feast was of Tabernacles when all fruits were gathered in This is not meant of the Lords Sabaoths for it is Note said Sabots not Sabaoth Againe the Lords day was neuer no ceremony for it was before all ceremonies euen in the beginning of the world before there was need of CHRIST And therefore the Sabaoth day heere is not meant but it is yet to be kept wholly and holily vnto the Lord. Againe our Sauiour CHRIST prophecying of the things that should come to passe 40. yeares after his death willeth them to pray that their flight should not come as in Winter so not on the Sabaoth Math. 24 20. day whereby the Lords exercises should be hindred which might increase their griefe Last reason because these were shadowes and therfore to cease now the Body was come For our Sauiour CHRIST is the Body therfore what a madnesse Note is it in men that being desirous to looke vpon one had rather to looke vpon his shadow then vpon the person himselfe The end of the 18. Sermon The 19. Sermon COLLOSS 2. V. 18. 19. 18 Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenesse of minde and worshipping of Angels aduancing himselfe in those things which he neuer saw rashly puft vp with his fleshly minde 19 And holdeth not the head whereof all the body furnished and knit together by ioints and hands increaseth with the increasing of God OF the false doctrine that the Colossians were bewitched withall and infected by false Teachers there were two kinds One which came of the inuentions of the braine and wits of men The other were those ceremonies which were once Gods ordinances enioyned by Moses as the ceremonies of the Law And first we haue heard how the Apostle hath confuted those errours which were concerning the maintaining the ceremonies of the Law Now he setteth himselfe to confute those errors which were of mens inuention As if he said Hauing spoken of the Elements of the world which are the ceremonies of the Law I come now to the vaine Philosophy I gaue you warning of Against the which obserue this rule First that you giue no man of what shew soeuer this power ouer you that for his owne lust in matters pertaining to God hee vsurpe authority howsoeuer the doctrine hee brings carry a shew of humility As for example those that teach the worship of Angels as meanes to come the more easily vnto CHRIST in which thing what do they else but thrust themselues into things which they neuer knew onely grounded vpon a proud conceite of their fleshly minde notwithstanding their great pretence of humility Which errour ought so much the more to bee abhorred as they that are infected with it doe not indeed whatsoeuer they do in word hold CHRIST fast which is the Head of his Church of whom the whole body as it were by ioints and bands being furnished Ephe. 4. and compact together is both nourished and increased with that increase which God both aloweth and is giuer off The summe is to condemne the doctrine of mens braines The parts are Against doctrines of mens braine namely the worshipping of Angels The reason against them The summe then is to set forth vnto vs how they ought to beware of the doctrine of men taught by mens owne heads as namely the doctrine of worshipping of Angels which is set for all others First of the errours which was among the Colossians which they were infected withall Secondly the reasons the Apostle vseth to ouerthrow knocke in peeces grind to powder this and all other such errours First for the worshipping of Angels wee are 1. to know that God onely is to bee worshipped that is with a religious kinde of honour and worship Indeed there is an honour and worship giuen to Magistrates and superiours but that is a ciuill honour And therefore Deut 6. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and not other idoll gods And on that our Sauiour CHRIST gathereth this conclusion Thou shalt serue the Lord alone A manifest example of this Math. 4. 10. Reuel 22. 8. 9. wee see Saint Iohn being a worthy seruant of God who when the Angell which God sent vnto him had shewed him such glorious and excellent things being raâ—ished there-with fell downe and worshipped the Angel But the Angell being moued saith beware take heed hee cuts short his speech as those that are moued with any thing And hee giueth him a reason why he should not for saith hee I am thy fellow-seruant for though my message bee glorious yet I am appointed of God to doe it and am his seruant Hebrews 1. 14. The Angels are ministring Spirits to serue as the Sunne Moone and Starres for as the Angels are Ministers to serue CHRIST so they are to his seruants beeing one with him and therefore wee are not to serue them Obiection Obiect Whereas wee see oft-times of Angels that appeared as in the booke of the Iudges the Angell that appeared to Sampsons mother and Father when Iudges 13. 15.
baptisme Not that baptisme doth it but baptisme is the seale of our burying with CHRIST For the properties of the thing signified is often giuen to the seale As in the Lords supper the name of the signe bread and wine is giuen to the thing signified which is the body and blood of CHRIST And baptisme is called the washing away of sinnes for as water washeth the filthinesse of the body so doth the blood of CHRIST signified by the water wash away our sinnes So here to be buried is giuen to baptisme which is onely the worke of the spirit of God by faith in CHRIST which doth bury sinne in vs. Baptisme doth represent our buriall vnto sinne because though it be not vtterly killed so long as we liue yet it is weakened In the Rom. 6. it is said that we are dead buried and raised vp in baptisme viz. baptisme sealeth all these vnto vs. But it is to be obserued That he maketh choise of the buriall onely rather then the death to signifie the truth and assurance of our mortification Note that our mortification is certaine true and without all dissimulation it is indeed a hatred of sinne For as men may seeme to be dead which are not so indeed but if they be dead and couered then we are assured they are dead indeed so true mortification is here signified to be a true hatred of sinne And that was in times past notably set forth by the custome in the primitiue Church their descending into the water which signifieth death to sinne and remayning in the water their burying to sinne and rising out of the water rising to righteousnes So that here is shewed what ought to be true mortification A simile For there may be some in a swone or trance which seeme to be dead yet reuiue againe so there are many that thinke thēselues dead to sinne if they can abstaine frō some sinne they haue vsed before doe some good things they did not before yet it doth not follow that they are therefore mortified for they may doe it for some sinister cause for hope of gaine c. and after fall to it againe and therefore it is necessary that there be a burying viz. that for conscience to God for the feare of God and loue of him that he hath bene mercifull vnto vs we mortifie sinne and walke in holinesse of life to continue in it which mortification importeth For he that continueth in mortifying sinne he Note onely is truely mortified Therefore acts 14. 21. strengthened the disciples and exhorted them to continue Doctrine Here also we learne that baptisme is the same to vs that circumcision was to the people of God vnder Verse 1. the law where we haue to confute the wretched opinion of the Anabaptists which will not haue any Anabaptists Erre baptised before they come to yeares of discretion but if they vnder the Law circumcised vnder age then now we may baptise vnder the Gospell them that are Infants Againe in the Parents if one be faithfull their children are holy and much more 1. Cor. 7. 14. both being holy sanctifie their children therefore to be baptised Obiection Obiection But it is said that the Apostles baptised it is said they baptised households but no mention is made of children they are not named Answer Could they baptise whole households Solution and not baptise children Againe in that baptisme is the same to vs that circumcision was to the Iewes why shold not our children be baptised as theirs were circumcised This doctrine serues also against the Papists that Verse 2. thinke that children vnbaptised are damned But The Papists errour conuicted that can not be because there was no such thing to be feared of those that died before circumcision being the 8. day For we see the Lord commanded that circumcision should not be before the 8. day to the end that the children should be strong to abide the great smart of the wounds now if as many children as died should be condemned the Lord should haue prouided ill for his people that for a small temporary comodity would depriue them of euerlasting life 2. Sam. 12. Dauid before his sonne died he had 2. Sam. 12. 16. 17. 20. 23. fasted and laene on the ground after he heard that he was dead he rose vp and washed his face and shewed himselfe comfortable and did make profession that he should goe to him Whereby it is euident he was perswaded he was in peace whereas we see that he mourned for his sonne Absolom Whom he loued as dearly because he feared his condemnation for that he had liued and died wickedly Againe if the children be vnbaptised it is not Note theirs but their parents sinne and should it be condemned for the parents cause Againe not the want but the despising and contemning Gen. 17. of the Sacrament is dangerous And therfore they onely that were despisers of the circumcision Deut. 16. were to be cut off Now the children cannot despise it and if any despise it it is the Parents Besides the Sacraments are notes of our saluation and that saluation doth not depend vpon them but vpon Gods fauour and free election before all worlds We haue heard of the benefits we haue in CHRIST through baptisme to be the dying vnto sinne and in sanctification The last benefit we haue in baptisme is the quickening of vs in CHRIST which is the forgiuenesse of sinne and iustification And therefore seing we haue both this iustification and all sanctification and dying vnto sinne sealed to vs in baptisme it appeares therefore that all the parts of our reconciliation are sealed to vs by baptisme The end of the 17. Sermon The 18. Sermon COLOSS. 2. 14. 15. 16. 17. 14 And putting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against vs which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the Crosse 15 And bath spoiled the Principalities and Powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the same Crosse 16 Let no man therefore condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of any holy day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath dayes 17 Which are but a shadow of things to come but the body is in CHRIST WE haue heard how the Apostle doth propound to himselfe to refute two errours one of vaine Phylosophy which appeared to men to be wisedome but not true wisedome The other was that the Colossians had crept in among them such which held the necessity of ceremonies We haue heard how the Apostle amongst other ceremonies which he confuteth beginneth at the ceremony of circumcision which confutation he hauing entred vpon proceedeth in confuting the vse of the other ceremonies Metaphrase as eating of meats drincks c. As by his death he hath gotten vs forgiuenesse of our sinnes so by the same he hath blotted out the hand writing
in the sight of God which is a meanes to helpe vs in our particular calling And as it is a true thing that if I loue all men and performe duty to all men as much as I can then much more will I do it to my wife children those that depend vpon me according to this Rule of the Apostle And as that is true so also the diligent and true performance of the duties of our particular calling is a great meanes to helpe and to confirme vs in the generall duties 1. Rom. The Apostle taking an oath and calling God to witnesse confirmeth the faithfulnesse of his oath by his faithfulnesse in his particular office of his Ministery And to Timothy hee saith 1. Tim. 3. 5. that he that is not able to gouerne his wife and family priuately is not fit to gouerne publickely in the Church or Common-wealth For the particular duties first of Wiues In the Epistle to Titus though the Apostle requireth Loue of Tit. 2. 4. the yonger wiues to their husbands and children yet they are not so ready to bee behinde hand in Loue as in this duty of Subiection for when she is admitted to the friendly and amiable vse of her Husband that she hath Power ouer his body as he of hers therefore 1. Cor. 7. 4. she thinkes she is shut out from subiection to his authority and therefore it is that the Apostle so stands especially vpon that duty of subiection for concerning loue it is vsually more exceeding in women then in men And therefore Dauid in his verses on Ionathan saith 2. Sam. 1. 26. his loue exceeded the loue of women But he insisteth vpon her obedience And hee bringeth this reason because it is comely It had beene a notable reason to haue perswaded her to subiection because the Lord commands her will to bee subiect vnto her husband And howsoeuer before the fall she Gen. 3. 16. 1. Cor. 14. 34. was subiected vnto him yet after the fall her yoke was heauier therfore the Lord saith Thy wil shall be subiect to thy husband he shall rule ouer thee Againe as 1. Cor. 11. 9. Hee might haue said the woman was made for the man not the man for the woman And Gen. 2. 18. the woman was taken out of the man not the man out of the woman And a more notable reason is in 1. Tim. 3. 14. The woman was deceiued not the man for hee was led away by affection to her and was not deceiued And to Titus the Apostle rendreth another reason of this Tit. 2. 5. subiection least the Gospell be euill spoken of therefore the wiues should be subiect to their husbands But here the Apostle rendreth this reason that it Note is comely because women delight in neatenesse and comlinesse And howsoeuer they thinke it a disgrace to be subiect yet the Apostle saith this is more comely to be subiect And S. Peter standeth much vpon it 1. Pet. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. teaching that the comlinesse of a woman which is most comely in the sight of God is that she be quiet humble and obedient And therefore if women will haue their rings Iewels and bracelets as an ornament and comelinesse to them let them bee decked with this to bee humble in obedience to their husbands And yet this subiection is restrained that it be in the Verse 18. Ephe. 5. 24. Lord if hee bee too seuere and command things not fit yet she is not to reiect the yoke of obedience but go vnder it but if hee giue commandement contrary to God shee is not to obey therein following the Apostles rule It is better to obey God then Man Acts 4. 19. Then hee setteth downe the duty of husbands Verse 19. And howsoeuer there are many duties inioyned thē yet the principall duty the Apostle requireth is loue because men are vsually short and cold in that affection Indeed in the affection and loue for fornication they will be oftentimes exceeding hot but in this true loue are farre short and too strait-laced The Apostle setteth forth this affection of a man in Ephe 5. saying that he should loue his wife as his Ephe. 5. 28. 1. Pet. 3. 7. owne body And the reason is because shee is weaker and full of infirmities and weakenesses and therefore he is to couer them by loue For if he haue maymes or Prou. 10. 12. blemishes in his body hee will bee ready to vse all meanes to hide them so must the man do to his wife being his owne body And the Apostle Saint Peter sheweth a generall 1. Pet. 4. 8. duty of loue to couer many infirmities Aboue all things saith he haue feruent loue for lour shall couer the multitude of sinnes And the Apostle saith further Note hee is not to bee bitter For loue hath no gall in it and therefore the husband is to exercise his loue toward his wife by auoiding all manner of bitternesse toward her The twenty and 21. are handled in the next Sermon The end of the 27. Sermon The 28. Sermon COLLOSS 3. V. 22. 23. 24. 25. 22 Seruants be obedient vnto them that are your Maisters according to the flesh in all things not with eye-seruice as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God 23 And whatsoeuer yee do do it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men 24 Knowing that of the Lord yee shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for yee serue the Lord CHRIST 25 But he that doth wrong he shall receiue for the wrong that he hath done and there is no respect of persons THE Apostle commeth from the generall duty belonging to all Christian men to the perticular duties of men in the houshold And hauing spoken of the duties of husbands and wiues and of parents and children hee commeth now to the last couple in the houshold of Maisters and Seruants As if hee should say You seruants from a minde subdued obey your Verse 22. The Metaphrase Maisters whose commandement ouer you is but for a time whiles you are in this fraile estate and that in all things which may stand with the keeping of a good cōscience Now your seruice must not be alone when your Maister stands by and looke on as seeking onely to please your Maisters but in singlenesse of heart as fearing God whose eye is alwaies vpon you when your Maisters eye is off Your seruice ought also to bee voluntary and cheerefull as that which is due to the Lord who loueth a cheerefull giuer and not as vnto man that cannot discerne whether it be done frankely Knowing that you shal receiue in reward from the Lord life as an inheritance which hee will freely as vpon his children bestow vpon you for it ought to vphold you in your dutifull seruice that you serue not so much your Maisters which are but men and therefore sometimes vnthankefull and vnable to recompence but the Lord