for nought It is impossible that he who serues Christ can want a reward thou who caust serue Christ with many crosses it is the very way to bring thee to a kingdome So blessed is that feruant that serues Christ Iesus if thou get not this benefit to be a seruant in his house though it were to be but a porter for the vilest seruant that serues Christ shall get a hire euen a kingdome woe shall be to thee Therefore seeing now is the time to serue him shew your selues faithfull seruants to Iesus for when all vantage failes thee the Lord Iesus will be thine aduantage and therefore serue the Lord and thou shalt not want a reward And thou must not thinke that this rewarde comes vnto thee through merit it comes of grace for when thou hast done all that is commaunded thee say I am an vnprofitable seruant Luk. 17. 10. And so fie on the Papists that thinke their seruice shall merit such an hire as is the inheritance of heauen This reward comes of grace onely and of his faithfulnes that hath promised otherwise hell would be thy reward Therfore thou who lookes for a reward of thy seruice thinke thou art seruing Christ thinke againe thou shalt get a reward but beware of presumption to thinke this turne shall merit heauen No but the thing I doe shall not be the cause of my saluation no I am but an vnprofitable seruant and in the meane time looke for a reward of mercie and grace because he is a faithful Lord that hath promised thee a reward and in the end thou shalt get a kingdome purchased by the bloud of the Lord Iesus Now I come to the second argument to moue seruants to The second argument doe their dutie contained in the last verses of this chapter These seruants in old time were in hard condition for they were slaues liuing to the appetites of men bought sold beaten and slame at their pleasure for looke what power men had ouer beasts the like had they ouer their seruants Therefore these seruants might haue said there is a faire reward abiding vs but yet our present estate is intolerable wee are intreated as beasts and we sustaine great iniurie he meetes with this and in a word promiseth a iust amends and reuenge of the wrong done to them Let no man abuse his power ouer poore ones what euer wrong is done to them it shall be repayed So the lesson pertaining to the inferiour and opprest by the mightie ones in this world Masters and Lords especially is this Art thou a seruant doest thou well seruest thou the Lord Iesus Christ in thy seruice is thine eye set to please him thou shalt receiue the reward of thy weldoing that of an inheritance in heauen In well doing sufferest thou gettest thou wrong art thou opprest roughly handled with crueltie and seueritie The Apostle answers thou shalt haue an assisement beside the reward What wouldest thou haue The Lord shall oppresse them that oppresse thee This generally appertaines to all estates Doest thou well Thy reward shall be an eternal heritage In well doing sufferest thou wrong The Lord promiseth thee an assisement and an acquittance of them that doe thee wrong Brethren it is marueilous to see the care and regard the Lord hath to his owne if they were neuer so poore wormes that the great folke will not vouchsafe themselues once to looke to it would seeme enough that a poore seruant should get such an heritage howbeit his iniuries hee suffered were neuer reuenged Who would thinke otherwise O but the Apostle answers not after this manner It may suffice that you shall get a faire reward for the seruice ye doe as for the rest what matters it No but hee saith in effect as for the wrong done to you it shal be auenged So the Lord is not content to giue them a reward but for the wrong they suffer the Lord will be auenged on them that wrongs them if they were the greatest Monarchs in the world Howbeit thou wouldest forgiue them as Steuen did Act. 7. and say Lord lay not this to their charge yet the Lords iustice will not suffer thee vnreuenged the Lord shal take them that oppresse thee and throw them into hell if they continue impenitent yea it comes to passe oft times that oppressors of the poore and Church before they goe out of the world that the Lord in the sight of the poore and oppressed takes them and rents and riues them in such sort as they are compelled to pitie them O then how terrible is the iudgement that abides oppressors and abusers of their seruants whatsoeuer Well then there are two things well doing and suffering of wrong well doing shall receiue an inheritance suffering shall receiue a reuenge vengeance shall come vpon the oppressour So let none be wearie in well doing in this world nor be impatient in suffering for it is all but for a moment we doe and suffer in respect of that eternitie The second thing to bee marked is this Who is this that shall reuenge the cause of the poore seruants Hee saies not your masters haue masters aboue them as no doubt they had for all superiours haue Magistrates aboue them to take order with them if they doe wrong alas if hee had answered so it had been little comfort to them as they found by experience for they accepted of the persons of men they accounted of the master not of the seruant they permitted thē by their lawes to abuse their seruants The Apostle knew how slacke the Iustices are to reuenge the cause of seruants and therefore he promiseth no amends at their hands but at the hands of the Lord. So now speaking of reuenge he promiseth it not to come of the Magistrate but from the Lord for hee knew the Lord would not beguile him Ye may then see he hath trusted much to God and depending on him he promiseth much in his name What wouldest thou haue a reward a reuenge the Apostle promiseth both to thee but at the Lords hand The lesson then is the man that knowes God well and is well acquainted with his mercie with his iustice with his power and his wisedom it is wonderful what he will promise in his name flesh and bloud scarsely will beleeue it Note Againe a poore bodie and one opprest one that knowes not this when he heares of this it is wonderfull how he will swallow vp these promises nay thou neuer didst eate meate with such pleasure as this poore one will swallow them vp And I say a Pastor should not promise ought of God except he knew him thou that art an hearer if thou know him in his power iustice and the rest in despite of all the world thy heart will rest on him Therefore know him in Iesus Christ and pray night and day O Lord I lie in darknes let me see thee in Iesus Christ and the glorie that is in thee
in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise now and for euer Amen THE XXXIIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 22. 23. 24. 25. and Chap. 4. vers 1. 22 Seruants be obndient vnto them that are your masters according to the flesh in all things not with eye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of heart fearing God 23 And what soeuer ye doe doe it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for ye serue the Lord Christ 25 But he that doth wrong shall receiue for the wrong that hee hath done and there is no respect of persons 1 Ye masters doe vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that ye also haue a master in heauen THese last daies welbeloued brethren we entred into the particular precepts exhortations concerning particular estates of men and women And first we spake of the dutie of wiues to their husbands and againe of the dutie of husbands to their wiues Next we spake of the dutie of children to their parents and againe of the dutie of parents to their children Now the last estate in a familie is the estate of masters and seruants Therefore wee haue to speake of the dutie of the seruant to the master and againe of the master to the seruant because there is a mutual dutie required and they are so bound the one to the other that they cannot be separate To come then to the words There is one precept giuen to seruants Seruants saith he obey your masters Then after hee insists vpon this obedience and describes it largely First hee sets downe the matter of it in what things they should obey Secondly he comes to the forme of obedience and describeth it Thirdly he goes to the fountaine and ground of all dutie which is the heart Then lastly to moue seruants to this obedience hee brings in two arguments The first is for that rich is the reward in heauen And the second is for that recompence that God shall giue to masters who doe not their dutie to their seruants To the words Seruants saith hee In these daies when the Apostle directed this precept properly here by seruants is vnderstood such as were in a hard estate slaues bought and sold like beasts ouer whom the masters had power Seruants in the Apostles time permitted by lawes to slay and saue them as ouer beasts so their estate was hard and heauie Secondly you must vnderstand they were seruants conuerted to Christ and their estate in that case was blessed Thirdly they were for the most part such as had to their masters Infidels not yet conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ and so were the more rigorous For oh the crueltie of the Infidell ouer the Christian Now in respect of their estate hearing of the libertie of the Gospell they mistooke it and began to think that Christ and his Gospell came to destroy policie and lawes that binds vp Common-weales And therefore many of them began to turne grace into wantonnes and began to leaue their masters thinking that the Gospel made an equalitie of persons as the Anabaptists teach at this day Therefore the Apostle perceiuing this hee directs this precept to them recommending obedience notwithstanding of the Gospell Thou art a brother and a sister and yet a seruant therefore obey Now howbeit properly and in the first roome this precept bee directed to seruants that were slaues bought and sold yet it is extended also to all kinde of seruants It pertaines to you as well as to them Come to the next what is commaunded them The dutie is obedience Obey saith he Hee that is a seruant should not rule but obey The whole dutie of the inferiour to the superiour is called in one word Honour so the Lord termes it And it hath two speciall parts First reuerence in words The inferiour is bound to reuerence the superiour in his talke The second Honour hath two parts part is obedience in deede he is bound not onely to reuerence him in words but also to obey that hee commaunds Both these must begin at the heart otherwise thy reuerence and obedience auailes not Now the Apostle especially insists vpon obedience The dutie recommended to children is obedience and the like is recommended here because of the two duties obedience is the hardest It is an easie thing to doe curtesie to thy master to put off thy cap and becke but here is al the grauitie and weight of the matter to obey This the Apostle considering he stickes most on it howbeit vnder it all poynts of dutie be comprehended This for the dutie Now followes the persons to whom it appertaines Obey Whom not euery one but your Lords and masters Those that God hath set ouer you It pleases him to make thē superiours you inferiours therefore obey them Yea the name it selfe containes an argument to moue thee to do thy dutie he is thy Lord and master and thou shouldest thinke with thy selfe he is my master therefore I should obey I am bound to doe it Let euery soule saith Paul be subiect to the superiour powers There is the commandement The words that follow be to the consolation of Rom. 13. 1 the seruant your master saith he but how according to the flesh That is according to things bodily not according to the spirit and soule This is thy comfort that art a seruant there is no master that is set ouer thy soule no not a King is set ouer thy soule to sit on thy conscience for that were an absolute power that commaunds as well the soule as the bodie Now brethren there is not a Lord that may commaund so but onely the Lord of heauen and earth that is none that hath an absolute power but onely the Lord Iesus Christ It is shame to Christ the only Lord of the conscience the Monarch to take this name to him It is a blasphemie and a derogation to the name of Iesus no there is none hath power ouer my conscience or thine but onely he So if ye marke narrowly ye may see that as there is one thing commaunded so there is another thing forbidden them Obey them in thy bodie though it were to suffer iniurie but as for thy soule and conscience it is forbidden thee to subiect it to their appetite if thou doe it thou bereaues Christ of his right Therefore Galath 5. it is said be not made the seruants of men if thou doe it thou makes thy selfe a slaue to the foule appetite of flesh and bloud To be short there be two vices in seruice and obediēce that is done to the superiour whatsoeuer which should be eschued Two vices in seruice to be eschued and they are both in extremities and betwixt them there is a gracious vertue The one is when the subiect refuseth obedience in
LECTVRES VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE COLOSSIANS PREACHED BY THAT FAITHFVLL seruant of God Maister ROBERT ROLLOK sometime Rector of the Vniuersitie of Edenburgh COLOS. 3. 16 17. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or deede doe all in the Name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God euen the Father by him AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston dwelling in Pater-noster row ouer against the signe of the Checker 1603. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND MY VERY CHRISTIAN FRIEND Maister William Scot of Ely all goodnesse in this life and in the life to come euerlasting happinesse SIr in many things God hath been pleased to linke vs together as in nature in nation and in honest familiaritie or Christian acquaintance and sundrie such like yet in none of these hath this great grace of his more plainely and plentifully appeared then in the band of the holy Religion which we professe As the thing it selfe hath been is and I trust shall for euer be the greatest glorie and best comfort that God hath affoorded vs in this world so we cannot but make much of the meanes and thinke well of the men by which this and many other graces haue been offered vnto vs 〈◊〉 â—ffected in vs. 〈◊〉 meanes are the Word Sacraments and Prayers of the Church together with many other good helpes and aides both publike and priuate which are good not onely because they proceede from God From whom alone floweth euery good and perfect gift and is all onely goodnes himselfe but also because they tend to our spirituall benefit in generall and in speciall are the strictest band to tye vs together one with another and to hold vs fast in the blessed fellowship of the saints The men are Gâ—â—â— faithfull seruants labouring in the ministerie of Gods holy word and doctrine amongst vs. Who howsoeuer they bee of themselues infirme and weake and haue Gods blessed treasures but in earthen vessels and therefore many times euen in both these respects not onely despised but ill intreated in this euill world yet are they made vnto â—s and the rest that beleeue the sauor of life vnto life 〈◊〉 Christ. Amongst others whom God in this last age hath vouchsafed vnto vs who may we or who mould we more continually remember or more reuerently regard then that worthie Country man of ours Maister ROBERT ROLLOK who what hee was in himselfe I meane for his life and conuersation I suppose verilie you of any man liuing best know and can and will most truely relate as time and occasion shall be offered because you were not onely the longest but most inwardly acquainted with all his cariages And what he was and hath been to the Church his worthy workes left â—â—â—ind him besides his daily labours in the Pulpit and Schooles can more then sufficientlie testifie What to men in the world is manifested by many things But not by any more then this that hitherto enuie it selfe hath not opened her mouth neither euer shall be able so to doe his conuersation was so Christian and his iudgement so sincere This worthie instrument of his glorie God graciouslie offered nay liberally lent a long while to our Church but we 〈◊〉 so reuerentlie esteeming him as we should nor â—â—â—refullie profiting by him as in deede we ought God in great mercie towards him doubtles though in no small iudgement to vs ward hath been pleased to retraite him to himselfe out of this wretched world and to bring him to yea to place him in celestiall heauenlie ioyes Which whatsoeuer he was doing he did hunger and thirst after yea groane and 〈◊〉 and as we may say in another mans speech 〈◊〉 another matter he did eate drinke and 〈◊〉 eternall life euery thing in him in a manner assuredly testifying that here was not his hope but that he looked for a citie eternall in the heauens All which graces God gaue him not onely for his owne consolation but in deed for our imitation if happilie we can striue thereto that he being in some measure both in life and death made conformable to his head and Sauiour Christ we might learne in deed and that by an example in fraile flesh and blood to purge our selues from all filthines of the flesh and the spirit and to finish our sanctification in the feare of God Wherein that the Lord might the better instrucâ—â—s he hath thus farre graciouslie prouided for vs that though he be departed from vs as in regarde of the bodie yet he is present with vs in respect of his spirit yea to say truth he liueth and that not onely with God and innumerable Saints and Angels in the heauenlie places where is the fruition and fulnes of ioy for euermore but euen with men yea holy men vpon earth and speaketh to them though not in a bodily voyce yet in the sound of his Lectures and fame of many excellent things of his prouoking the good euerie day to be better and admonishing the wicked euery where to turne from dead workes vnto the liuing God that so they might repent and be saued And this he doth amongst others euen in these Sermons or Lectures which now I present vnto you as a posthume birth after the Fathers decease or as an Orphane destitute of earthly parents not onely to receiue as it were breath and being from you for that it hath done alreadie as without whose good meanes in deed it could neuer haue beheld this light but all good supportation beside it lying in you not onely for your selfe but with sundrie others by reason of the good credit you haue among all speciallie with the godlie to giue it voge and passage Take it therefore I pray you into your good patronage and protection and receiue it as it is in deed yours yea yours I say if not in many good and gracious respects besides yet in a double regarde at the least One in consideration of the author whose things whilest he liued yea and after life and death also were yours as yours again his but all in Christ Another in that it is produced to the view of all by your meanes without which it should haue been as bed-reden notable to moue hand or foote nor to see or speake or should haue perished inter blattas tineas as we say but now commeth forth into the world cloathed as it were with your countenance and to be vpheld by your credit In this holy loue of yours hold on I beseech you and increase with the increasings of God and shew it effectuallie not onely to his which yet remaine amongst vs as you haue bountifullie done and yet doe that so that may be verified in you in the daies of your pilgrimage which was auerred of a right worthie person in former time he
the gripe and holde of Christ and make thee to loue the Saints But how got they it of the which you haue heard saith he looke the word Then they got it by hearing Well you that count so little of hearing take heede to your selues they got it by the very eare and that of the Lord. They knewe it not before they heard of it No knowledge of life euerlasting by nature Thou shalt not know that Thou that wouldest liue after this life and after the fashions of it Indeede thou shalt know that thou shalt perish and dye euerlastingly Adam knew this when hee fell from God death seased on him and this was his knowledge of good and euill that he got that he knew what blessing he had lost and into what damnation he hath fallen But no sight of his rising before he heard so no light by nature of life after this life but a sight of euerlasting death and damnation Long may a sinner lye still dead in sinne before he thinke of life he is no more able to thinke of it then a dead body How got they it then by hearing What heard they a word the obiect to the care is a word or sound What word not a word of lyes of men of dreames of fables No how be it thou heare a thousand yeeres all the inuentions and dreames that Monkes in their cloisters haue dreamed build and rest on them as thou wouldest yet thou shalt neuer see life by them What kinde of word must this be then the word of truth a true word must let thee seethe heauenly life What truth is this the truth of the Gospell Euery science hath it owne truth but there is no truth that will saue thee and make thee see that inheritance but onely the truth of the Gospell and therefore the Gospell for the excellencie thereof is called the word of God and for the excellencie of the truth of the Gospell it is called the word of truth Then in a word to speake homely and familiarly to you the charter and the euidence of that heauenly inheritance is the Gospell of Christ Thou hast no other euidence looke The Gospell is the onely euidence of saluation to thy charter chest in heauen earth or hell thou shalt neuer get an euidence of thy saluation but the euidence of the Gospell Wilt thou keepe the charters of thy land and heritage on earth and close them fast vp in a sure chest and reade them at all times and forget this onely euidence of thy saluation and not care for it nor take pleasure to reade on it I denounce vnto thee what euer thou bee that thou shalt neuer see life but thou shalt bee shut out of heauen To doe this it is not a worke of thine own power nor of thine own nature and grace to drawe thee with some delight to turne ouer the euidence of the Gospell to heare it and to take pleasure in it in some measure so long as thou art from the full fruition of heauen and life euerlasting Thou shalt neuer brooke it in heauen and thy pleasure be not in some measure on this euidence whilest thou art here on earth I denounce ouer againe and that by the ministrie of this word thou shalt be shut out thou shalt not haue a furrow of land in heauen Count of hearing as you wil by hearing is your life and there is no pleasure but in the word of life and the oft turning of it ouer When he hath spoken of this Gospell he falleth out in a commendation of the Gospell you shall finde this in Paul when he falles in speaking of the Gospell he cannot be easily drawne from it No question he found the power of it so forcible in himselfe and sawe it also so effectuall in others that where hee speakes of it he cannot goe lightly from it He loued it so well and it was so sweete to him yea as it is said Psalm 119. It was sweeter to him then the honey and the honey combe Well then he commendeth the Gospell to them and there are three arguments of the commendation thereof First which saith he is come to you Brethren the Gospell commeth to vs and wee The Gospell commeth to vs and we goe not to it neuer go to it and it comes vnsent for it would bide long from vs if it stayed till we went for it and though thou wentst for it I tell thee thou art no more able to bring it then thou art able to bring the sunne out of the heauen For except the Lord send it to thee in his mercy and free grace thou shalt neuer get it But to come to the purpose Doe you scar at this Gospell that you haue heard because it is Epaphras that hath founded you you doe euill would he say Therefore he saith ye heard of him nothing but that which is spread throughout the world And Epaphras his Gospell is that that is my Gospell which I haue preached vnto others which is the Gospell of Iesus Christ Take out here a lesson wouldest thou haue a note or token whereby thou wouldest knowe that the Gospell which thou hearest and that we preach this day is the true Gospell the Gospell that must saue the world looke if it be the same Gospell that was spread through out the world in the dayes of Obserue these Apostles or if it be that Gospell that Paul and Peter preached How shall you know if it be that Gospell of the Apostles It is a long time since where shall you knowe it better then by their owne writ Paul nor Peter preached nothing but that which they wrote Neuer a sentence of saluation was preached by Paul but all is written He preached the whole counsell of God Act. 20. I say and will affirme and will dye with it that Paul preached the whole counsell of God and wrote euery word of the same Away with the clouted inuentions of the Papists and that rabble of the cloyster Then I pray you examine all our preachings by the rule of this written word And would to God brethren that they would suffer that to be the onely touchstone Oh vaine Papist thy cause would perish if thou wouldest take thee onely to this touchstone Thou shouldest finde all their inuentions to be but lyes But thou wilt hold thee by lyes and therefore thou shalt perish and they both Then thou that findest this Gospell that is preached to be the written word of the Apostles hold thee by it and take it for the true word of God the word of life and saluation Now I pray thee as thou wouldest find life and grace in it put away all preiudice of the minister whether he be come Preiudice against the Preacher from Rome from the Pope or not and the Gospell that he preached be as good as the Gospell of Paul and Peter if it be no other stand not vpon the man if thou countest more of the man or of
Cor. 15. 28. thou shalt rise vp glorious and this vile body shall be made like to his glorious body Matth 13. and then it shall shine more brighter then the sunne at noone day O the glorie of the Saints when he shall fill them so that they shall not neede a temple nor meate or drinke as it is said in the Reuelation 21. but he shall be al to thee because he shall be in thee and thou shalt be are him in thee thou shalt be a tabernacle to him then shall this fulnesse be and vntill then it shall be but in a growing to that perfection Blessed be that soule that growes and feeles that heauenly liquor dropping day lie into the soule be assured thou shalt get this fulnesse of the light and God shall dwell in thee for euer You see then he hath prayed for wisedome and knowledge to what end is all this will God giue a man knowledge or wisedome or will a man pray for it except hee wot wherefore wherefore is it then That you may walke saith he Wherefore is light giuen but that a man should walke wherefore shines the sunne but that thou mightest walke The sunne is not giuen thee to Similitude sleepe he is but a swinger but a lubber that will lye idle in the day light and the sunne shall witnes against him in that day much more that heauenly light that sunne of righteousnesse shines he for nothing If thou hast gotten this shining light walke goe and trauell be exercised in thy calling and be Vocation not idle will this sunne in the firmament testifie against thee if thou bee idle what will the light of the sonne of man doe trowest thou if thou be idle in thy profession O woe worth thee that euer thou sawst it I see there must be a walking but thou must not walke as thou wilt In deede there be many that are ouer busie and that were better sleeping in their beds then walking as they doe in wantonnesse and wickednesse And there is ouer many reeling here and there as wantons about I wot not what The very day light craues that thou walke according to the light Rom. 13. 12. thou must haue a very comely behauiour in the shining of the sunne and thou must not play the foole the drunken man the harlot the murtherer and the theefe I tell thee and thou doe it the sunne shall witnesse against thy euill deede to thy condemnation And if the sunne in the world and firmament craues this comely behauiour of thee and that thou walke orderly then much more must thou walke by a rule in thy light Iesus What is the rule Walke worthie of the Lord as if he would say is it the Lord that shines staine not that Lord of light by your euill behauiour This importeth as this light shines in thee so thou shouldest see him See him as thou wilt he shines on thee and if thou get a sight of this light blessed art thou Alas these filthie persons if they saw theeye of God trowe ye that they would puddle on this sort all stands on this that howbeit God see them they see him not Happie art thou if thou canst say when thou risest Lord thou seest me now Lord giue me an eye to see thee and Heb. 12. 14 Gen. 17. 1 by the seeing of thee to walke as it becommeth me in thy presence neuer to staine that glorious light by my prophane life Now in the next words he telles more plainely what it is to walke worthie of the Lord it standeth in this to please him in the whole actions of our life Well is that heart that can in any measure be set to please God and well is the mouth that can say I would please thee O Lord Lord giue me grace to please thee No no let not a thought that thou thinkest will displease him break out hold it in and say Lord slay it by thy Thoughts spirit but fye on thee when thy filthie thought falleth out into a filthie deede Therefore set thee to please the Lord in thought word and deede O the ioy in thy heart when thy conscience beareth witnesse to thee that thou wouldest please the Lord thou shalt neuer haue ioy in thy heart while then When we haue set our heart to please him it is but a meeting of the 2. Cor. 1. 12. Lord. The Lord hath set himselfe before thee to pleasure thee fye fye then that thou wilt not set thy selfe to pleasure him Do what thou canst thou shalt neuer be able to pleasure God in respect of his pleasuring of thee Thou art but an vnprofitable seruant yet happie art thou if thou endeuor to pleasure him as he will and wrestling and striuing as it were through a thornie hedge to get this cankered heart subiect to pleasure thy God and say as thou hast pleasured me Lord giue me grace to pleasure thee Note Now the Lord giue euery one grace to please him in some measure To whom be praise and honor Amen THE THIRD LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians beginning at the middest of the tenth verse COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 10 11 12. 10 Being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God 11 Strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse 12 Giuing thankes vnto the Father which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light WE heard brethren the preface of this epistle it standeth first in thankesgiuing and secondly in prayer We haue heard this other day of thanksgiuing and of the causes of it We entred into the prayer The Apostle sheweth that the first day that euer hee heard of the grace of God which the Colossians had receiued he not onely thanketh God for it but immediatly prayeth for them The effect of his prayer was that they should be filled they were not full yet wherewith with knowledge and not simply that but with all knowledge of what thing not of euery thing but with all knowledge of his wil of the will of God reucaled most cleerely to the world by the sonne himselfe who is in the bosome of the father and who manifested himselfe in the fulnes of time in the nature of man and with his owne mouth reuealed the will of his father Then he layeth out this knowledge in the parts of it In all wisedome saith he which consisteth in contemplation of heauenly things and in all vnderstanding which consisteth in practizing that contemplation All wisedome not earthly but spirituall all vnderstanding not earthly but heauenly touching the loue of God and the saluation of man in the bloud of Iesus Now to what end should they be filled with all this wisedome that they should sit idlie in the world no no but that they should walke and trauell and how according to the rule A misruly life dowes not it auailes
of heauenly inheritance of the Saints thou must come creeping to that communion of Saints be ioyned with them here if thou mind to haue any part with them in heauen separate thy selfe from that societie of the Church of God thou shalt be debard from heauen thou shalt neuer get a sight of it Looke the epistle to the Ephesians where he sheweth wherein the riches of the glorie of this inheritance is Where is it he saith it is among the Saints Ephes 1. 18. So then associate thy selfe to the society of the Saints in earth Men may passe their time and what reckon they of a Church It smelles in their nose what should they speake of it it is a stinking word mockage and scorne to them but I say glad shalt thou be to be of that number or else I shall debarre thee from all societie of the Saints in heauen Thou shalt be excommunicated out of heauen if thou excommunicate thy selfe here from the Saints Now where lies it you take heed where your heritage lyes and you will looke to your charters and euidences diligently for that cause you will looke the scituation of it Hee saith that this heritage of the saints is in the light there is the place a lightsome and a ioyful pleasant place The line of pleasant places saith Dauid Psalm 16. 6. is fallen to me It lyeth then in the light it is in heauen as Peter saith in his first Epistle 1. 4. It is kept and laid vp where God dwelleth it may well content thee to dwell where God himselfe dwelles Yet where is it Thy life is hid with God saith he O then thy heritage is in God! what can bee said more A faire heritage lying in so faire a light euen in heauen with God and in God I see then all our life and ioy either in this life or in the life to come is in that light of knowledge in that spirituall knowledge so that a man that hath his minde inlightened to see as the Apostle saith to the Ephesians the hope of his calling the riches of the glorie of the inheritance of the Saints the man that hath this light he liues and enioyes a great inheritance howbeit he hath neuer an ynch in this earth and his ioy is a true ioy And againe a man that is in darknesse not seeing the face of God in no measure knowing nothing that man liuing hee is dead if hee were an Emperor a King and a Lord. This countrie is full of dead stinking carrions because they want this light and they would pull out their eyes that they should not see this light But woe to them in the end when this darknesse shall bring an vtter darknesse when thou shalt be a dead stinking dog in hell Get thou this light if euer thou wouldest see heauen and haue a part of it which is not in darkenesse but in the light of God To whom we giue all honour praise and dominion for euer Amen THE FOVRTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 13 14 15. 13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne 14 In whom we haue redemption through his bloud that is the forgiuenes of sinnes 15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creature THe last day welbeloued brethren the preface of this epistle being ended we entred into the doctrine The Apostle in his doctrine begins at the first grace that a man or woman getteth in this world in Iesus Christ The first grace or blessing of God in time after they are borne into the world for our grace mercie begins before all time ere we be borne our election began before the foundation of the world was laid but the Apostle begins at y e first grace in time the first grace in Iesus Christ for all is in him nothing without him is this christian calling from darkenesse to light frō that foule puddle of sinne wherein we lye by birth and nature nay if thou wert borne a king thou liest in the foule puddle of sinne we are taken out of hell for our birth is in hell and to hell we goe if we haue no more but nature Thou art taken out of hell and put into heauē there is the first grace in time Now to come to the text ye heard y e father he getteth the first glorie of our calling Thanking saith he the father He is the fountaine Then we heard wherein the calling consisteth not in a bare naming as one man would call another but the Lord in calling vs maketh vs meete of vnsufficient for heauen he makes vs sufficient of vnable he makes vs able of dead men he maketh vs liuely that is the effectualnes of our calling Then we heard whereunto we are called Our calling is not in vaine we are called to a lot a fairer heritage then all the kingdomes of the world nay y e poorest soule is called to be an heire of heauē Such as are called are called to the kingdome of heauen all other heritages are but dirt and draffe And who oweth this kingdom It is the kingdom of y e Saints It is distributed among the Saints and if thou be not a holy one and in their societie thou shalt neuer see that heritage laugh at them so much as euer thou wilt Where lieth this heritage To wit in the light of God thou neuer sawest such a light It lieth in God for God is thy light and thy life and if thou be an heire of this kingdome thy life is hid with God in Christ To goe forward yet the Apostle insisteth in this first blessing of our effectuall calling and maketh it more plaine in this verse His words are who hath raught vs out that is the force of the word From whence From the power of darknes What more And he translated vs. Whereto To the kingdome What kingdome Of his sonne the sonne of his loue his deere sonne the Lord Iesus Now brethren it is cleere but I shall briefly insist on the words to let you see the force and power of euery word for they are of weight For the words that speake of heauenly things are not the words of men Then the word he hath puld vs out with a force or strength with a constraining I hold it not a simple deliuerie Then look to thy calling It begins at haling of thee Thou art so fast holdē bound whē thou art called that if thou beest not pulled out with a strong hand thou wilt neuer come out and that Christ himselfe saith No man commeth to me no not one except the father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. Thou wilt neuer see heauen if thou be not drawne So our calling must begin at our drawing all the powers in the earth will not draw thee to heauē if the hand of the Lord draw thee not To goe forward He hath drawne vs out
his omnipotent hand Will you looke to the heauenly creatures the Sunne the Moone the Angels thy Redeemer made them all The next difference he makes is from their substance and nature some visible that may be griped and handled some inuisible amongst the which is thy soule that thy owne eye cannot see thy soule is a glorious creature Then lastly among these inuisible creatures he makes a difference and it is not taken from the degrees of them as though he would make many degrees that is but a fantasie of men But it is from the stiles of honour He hath made all these inuisible creatures call them as you will call them Thrones Principalities Powers and whatsoeuer ye please thy Redeemer hath made them all none hath escaped his hands Looke not that I will curiously scan vpon Curiositie these words nay this is not the minde of the Apostle It is but curiositie to satisfie a vaine headed bodie in laying abroad the diuers sorts of these creatures made by the Lord Iesus Whereto tends this While he doth this he laieth out the glorie not of the creatures but of him that made them thy Creator thy Redeemer Therefore when we looke to the glorie of any creature we should be so farre from that to take the glorie of the maker and giue it to the stinking creature as men haue done who by nature are so inclined to Idolatrie to pull the glorie from God and ascribe it to the creature that by the contrarie seeing he is the maker of all wee should take all from the creature and giue it to the God of glorie though he were an Angell a king a fellow or seruant wee should take all from them and giue glorie to the Creator of them Sticke neuer vpon the creature but runne to the Creator for if the creature be glorious O how glorious is he that created him For I assure thee that neuer creature hath the thousand part of that glorie and maiestie that is in God the maker of all nay it is a vanitie to enter in comparison all the glorie of men Angels and of the firmament that are very glorious and beautifull creatures yet all in comparison of their maker and Creator they and their glorie both are but dirt When that glorie of God shall shew it selfe they will be ashamed to enter into comparison with so glorious a maiestie nay the very Angels hide their face for shame they doe not behold the glorious maiestie of their maker and wilt thou then vile stinking creature take this glorie of God or any part of it and giue it to the creature O the Lord shall take thee one day in his wrath and throw that proud neck of thine asunder and shall shew himselfe glorious to thy euerlasting shame and confusion O these Idolaters shall be ashamed then of themselues and of these creatures to whom they haue giuen such worship which onely belongeth to God! In the end of the verse when he hath fallen out in the particular creatures he reiterates again All things are made by him so he turnes backe againe he tires not to tell it ouer againe Brethren will you looke to the heart of the man that speakes for these words are come from the heart of the man These words rise vpon a deep apprehension of the Creator that glorious maiestie He hath created all things and againe He hath made all things For when the heart of man or woman is full of the deepe apprehension of the glorious maiestie of God the mouth is full of sounding and setting forth his praise When thy heart is emptie of God thy mouth will be emptie of his praises and if thy heart be full of God thy mouth will be full of his glorie Now when hee hath repeated these words to the praises of the Redeemer the Creator of all things Iesus Christ he turnes to the fourth part of his description All things were created for him that is a further point of his glorie then the former hee The fourth part made all things and that for his owne honour that he himselfe might be honoured in them That is a higher degree indeed If the Creator had made them for anothers glorie his glorie had bin the lesse but seeing al is made for himselfe O the glorie of him nay all the tongues of men Angels are not able to expresse the thousand part of his glorie All that men Angels can speak of it is but like the blabbery and babling of a child so infinite and incomprehensible is the glorie of that high maiestie All then is for his honour and all honour and glorie be to him for euer Amen You see a Craftsman will build vp a faire building but not to himselfe but to a more honourable then himselfe The Lord is not such a builder because there is none more worthie then hee himselfe Then you haue the fourth ground of your redemption as it is builded vpon one God and vpon one eternall God and one Creator So all is built for his honour hee is Alpha and Omega Then precious must the bloud be wherewith thou art redeemed The bloud being so precious the redemption so honourable thy redemption must stand fast and sure Yet to insist vpon this You see the sonne of God who with the father made all things of nothing The chiefest respect that hee had in the creation it was all to himselfe and why should not that glorious God haue respect to himselfe and as he had chiefe respect to himselfe so it cannot faile him nay there is neuer a creature made with his hand but al shall come about and serue to his honor He shall be honoured by the very gnat and the flye for hee cannot be disappointed Looke that circuit Rom. 11. 36. Of him through him and for him are all things all goeth about and turnes againe to him Seeing this is his respect thou who art his creature looke that thou haue that respect to him and that aboue all things yea aboue thy life Preferre the honour of this God thy Redeemer and if thou doe it honoured shalt thou be with him Wouldest thou looke to it I appeale to thy conscience can there be ioy in thy heart and in thy conscience when the Lord is not in thy heart It is true thou maist be like a beast haue a beastly pleasure but thou that hast not the glorie of God before thine eyes all the pleasure in the world will not make thee haue a ioyfull heart And if thou wilt not respect his honour thou shalt neuer be honoured of him Yea I tell thee and the world shall not bring it backe againe thou shalt be shamed and shent if thou wert an Emperour thou maist well run and range for a time but the Lord shall honour himselfe in thy euerlasting shame and damnation be assured of it Brethren this is a deepe mysterie of Iesus Christ and I say to you that ye may thinke of the glorie of
be freed from the wrath of God and that onely in that bloud of Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the blessed spirit be all honour Amen THE SIXT LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 18 19. 18 And he is the head of the bodie that is of the Church he is the beginning and first begotten of the dead that in all things he might haue the preheminence 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnes dwell YOu haue heard welbeloued in Iesus Christ the Apostle when hee had spoken of the benefit of our redemption and remission of our sinnes in the bloud of Iesus Christ he falles out into a faire and glorious description of him and all to this end to let vs see the pretiousnes of that bloud wherewith we are redeemed that thereby consequently wee might see the surenes of our redemption by that bloud It being of such value of necessitie wee must be redeemed by that bloud and our redemption must stand fast and stable for euer You heard in the description of Christ first he called him the image the essentiall image of the inuisible God then he stiles him the first borne of all creatures then he cals him such a one by whom all things were created next the end for whom and for whose honour all things were created that are created and lastly he cals him the preseruer vpholder and keeper of all things created So will you compare him with that inuisible God he is equall in glorie with him the image of the inuisible God equall with God whom he represents Will you compare him with the creature there is no comparison for hee is the Creator of all creatures in heauen and in earth and he infinitly passeth in glorie all the creatures both visible and inuisible Now when hee hath set him out in these points of glorie and maiestie hee staies not here for as yet he hath not told all of him and he hath not set out all his glorie but in this text he goes forward and setteth him out further in more points of his glorie This is the difference betwixt the points counted alreadie and the points of his glorie that follow in the text Before he hath described him as he is God the sonne of God from all eternitie for as hee is God properly he is the image of the inuisible God whom he represents as the liuely character of his person so that the points Heb. 1. 2. passed are the points of his glorie as hee is God The points which follow are of his glorie not onely as he is God but as he is man also clad with our flesh and nature There haue past alreadie fiue points of his glorie as he is the sonne of God there follow other fiue points of his glorie as Fiue points of glorie of Christ manifested in the flesh he is God and man in that personall vnion These are they briefly He is the head of the bodie of the Church there is one Secondly he is the beginning and the first borne of the dead Thirdly he hath preheminence among all creatures that euer were or shall be in the world Fourthly he is a man full of God Fiftly in office he is the Mediatour the midman betwixt God and man by whose bloud the reconciliation of man is made with God his father To goe forward in that order as they are here set downe first he is the head of the bodie of his Church these are the words Brethren euery word would furnish great matter of speaking but I am not minded to digresse into a common place Onely I purpose to speake so much for the present as the words will furnish He is called the head The word head that is giuen to him imports sundrie things in him first it imports that Iesus Christ is the Lord and the superiour ouer the bodie which is the Church and that worthily because he is full of grace and excellencie and in him is all matter of Lordship and dominion Of what reckoning is a Lord if there bee no matter of Lordship in him Of what value is an head if there bee not Iesus Christ head of his Church greater graces in it then in the bodie so the word imports a superioritie full of grace and honour Euen as you see the head of a man because of the excellencie of it it is a Lord and a superiour and a commaunder to the bodie Then againe the word that this Lord Iesus the head of the bodie he is not like the common sort of Lords and rulers but a Lord and a superiour who is most streightly conioyned with his subiects the bodie his Church Euen as you see the head most streightly ioyned with the bodie of a man euen so the Lord Iesus is most streightly ioyned with the bodie his Church yea he is more strickly ioyned with his Church then the head of a man is with the bodie for the head of a man may be soone seuered frō the bodie of a man but if Christ thy head be ioyned with thee all the powers in heauen and earth shall neuer seuer thee from thy head Iesus Christ Thou shalt neuer be separated from him as Paul to the Romanes saith Who shall separate vs from the loue of God in Iesus Christ As though he would say not any thing Nay if Iesus Christ become once thy head be assured he will neuer part with thee Yet more the word imports that as he is most strictly conioyned with his Church and euery member of the same as the head of a man with his bodie so he is most louing and tender affected towards it Will not the head of a man loue the bodie well will it not tender it most deerely and intirely will it not minister all graces it hath to the bodie giue life and mouing to the bodie otherwise it were no head to the bodie Euen so the Lord Iesus he loues his bodie the Church better then any head can doe the naturall bodie and in loue ministers a life to his bodie better then the life of this naturall bodie He ministers to his Church a spirituall life he ministers a mouing a doing and a growing and in these respects he is called the head of the Church Now when he hath called him the head of the bodie he turnes to the bodie and hee defines this bodie to be the Church Then there must be a great likenes betwixt the Church of Christ The Church and the bodie of man otherwise it cannot be called a bodie The bodie of man is subiect to the head euen so the Church of Iesus Christ is subiect to her Lord Eph. 5. 23. She is his subiect and he is her Lord. The bodie is streightly ioyned with the head the Church is more streightly ioyned with Christ The head giues life to the bodie euen so the Church of Christ is dead without the head the Lord Iesus Lastly
ye see the bodie accomplisheth the person of a man the head will not make a man but the bodie ioyned with the head makes vp a man euen so the Church fils vp the whole man Christ made of the head the Lord Iesus himselfe and of the bodie This for the words If this point of the glorie of Christ be weighed that he is the head of the Church it is a high point of glorie The Lord hath greater glorie by this that hee is the head of the Church of the godly and holy ones men and Angels then by that that he is the Dominator ouer all creatures ouer the diuell and all the multitude of reprobates And as it is high so it is in communicable no not the Angels gets this honour to be called the head of the Church Let be stinking flesh wilt thou set vp a Pope and call him the head of the Church A plaine derogation of Christs honour Thou wilt come out with a ministeriall head in the Church Away with thee and thy ministeriall head both there is no such thing Looke the whole Scripture No ministerial head in Scripture through thou shalt reade of a Minister in the Church but thou shalt neuer reade a word of a ministeriall head or Vicar of Christ But would you know how he comes to this glorie Yea to speake it so before hee came to this glorie there was much adoe and great stirre and busines in heauen and earth and a great hardnes The Pope he will start vp to it at the first dash before Christ came to this glorie heauen and earth was moued with a wonderfull motion before hee was exalted to it he was wonderfully humbled If you will make a comparison it was an easie thing to be the image of the inuisible God to haue created all things and to preserue them all was easie but when he comes to this there must be a great change this sonne of God is humbled and his glorie is wonderfully obscured Reade Philip. 2. 6. 7. and there you shall see the whole manner of it Iesus saith he was in the forme of God and hee thought it no robberie to be equall with God yet hee is not the head of the Church what doth he then The Apostle saith he emptieth himselfe of his owne glorie he makes himselfe of no reputation How doth hee that In taking on him the shape of a seruant What an humbling is this to clothe himselfe with the forme of an abiect seruant Thou thinkest it nothing but surelie it a wonderful matter if ye consider it rightly so then there is a wide step a strange step that he steppeth downe from his glorie wherein hee stood equall with the Father Yet he goes another step downward being found in the habite of a man he to whom all other creatures giues obedience of his owne will becomes obedient to his father Wherein stands this obedience not in doing only but in dying What death The death of the Crosse an execrable death the bitterest death that euer was nay neuer man died so bitter a death as Christ died All the death of men and Angels is not comparable to that death of Iesus Christ that he died for the redemption of sinfull man There is his humiliation Looke now to his exaltation Therefore saith the Apostle the father raised him vp to a wonderfull highnes and gaue him a name aboue all names that at his name all knees should bow In the Epistle to the Ephesians 1. 20. 21. the degrees of his glorie are set downe first he raised him from death secondly he hath set him at the right hand of his father that is he hath giuen him all power of heauen and earth and he declares this power Then he turnes to the Church in particular and calles him head of the Church for he could not haue been the head except hee had had flesh and bloud Trowest thou that thou canst come to that honour to bee a member of his bodie before thou bee humbled first No no thou must answere in proportion to him in his humilitie otherwise thou shalt neuer bee partaker of his glorie This for the sixt part of the description of the Lord Iesus in the which marke this as before wee heard many grounds of redemption made by his bloud so in this point of the glorie of Christ there is another ground of our redemption As thy Redeemer is the image of God the creator of all things and so foorth as you heard him defined before so thy Redeemer he is the glorious head of the Church yea he is thy owne head and thou art a member of him so thou seest not onely a glorious Redeemer but a sib a kinsman redeemer Therefore precious must that bloud be and of necessitie if thou beleeue in this bloud thou must be redeemed To goe forward Here followes the seuenth part of his description and the seuenth point of his glorie The beginning and the first begotten of the dead Yee heard he was called the first borne of all creatures because he was before them all and not for that onely was he called so but because he gaue the being to all creatures All creatures were created by vertue of him and by participation of that being that is in him for the first borne in the families of old communicated the speciall blessings to their brethren euen so Christ because he communicates to the rest of his creatures such speciall blessings as pleaseth best his wisedome he is called the first borne of many brethren Now he is called the first borne of the dead because he was the first that rose from the dead for there was neuer man that died that rose before the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 15. 20. He is called the first fruits of them that sleepe because that al y t shall rise they shall rise by vertue of his resurrection Then what will you haue He was the beginning of the creation now he is the beginning of the resurrection of the dead Then all mercie and glorie must come out of him No creation without him no resurrection without him If you will consider this it is a great matter when he had created man man by his fall lost the creation nay by thy fall in Adam thou hast lost thy creation and as thou wast made of nothing so by this fall of Adam thou turnest to nothing and well were that man that is out of Christ if he were turned into nothing No no he shall not be turned to nothing but he shall be turned to worse then nothing So man by his fall lost his creation and death seased vpon him and leaues him not till he turnes him into dust and powder And if Iesus comes not in now after that man hath lost his creation he would neuer be a creature againe Therefore the second benefit which is greater then the first is that my bodie shall rise againe so in comes Iesus Christ and that creature that was brought
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 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
she that is holy that gets the presence of God If thou be not sanctified if thou liue not in some measure in a holy life here I Heb. 12. 14 Mat. 5. 4. 5 giue thee this for doome thou shalt neuer see the face of God that is thou shalt neuer be blessed but shut in hell for euer But to sticke vpon the words the word in it owne language to present a man personally in such sort that he hath the eye of him vpon the Iudge and the Iudge vpon him then these words import that wee shall one day be personally with the same bodie and soule and no other presented before the Lord Iesus Christ No no there shall not be such a thing as one shall Euery man must personally present himselfe naked before God appeare for thee but thou shalt personally present thy selfe and stand naked before God there If thou stand vp in holines and see thy Lord thy Iudge with a holy eye hee looking on thee with a holy eye there shall be a mutuall pleasure for if thou be presented holy thou shalt finde such a ioy in thy heart as it is wonderfull to speake of and God shall reioyce of thee Luk. 15. So there shall be mutuall ioy on both parts we shall be presented before Iesus not as before a Iudge but as a The faithfull presented to Christ as a bride to the bridegroome bride before the bridegroome so speakes Paul 2. Cor. 11. not as folke to abide the triall nay there is no iudgemēt for thee that shalt be presented as a bride to thy bridegroome with whom thou shalt liue in ioy and pleasure for euer You see when a bride is presented to a bridegroome there is ioy O the ioy that thou shalt haue when thou shalt be presented to thy Sauiour Iesus Christ as a bride who can expresse and thinke of the greatnes and excellencie of that ioy Then as thou wouldest haue this infinite and vnspeakable ioy with thy husband Iesus striue to holines and seeke to be presented to him and then it shall be well with thee Now in this Iesus with the Father and the holy spirit be all praise Amen THE NINTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 23. 23 If ye continue grounded and stablished in the faith and be not moued away from the hope of the Gospell whereof ye haue heard and which hath been preached to euery creature which is vnder heauen whereof I Paul am a minister WE haue heard brethren from the beginning of this Epistle first the salutation the Apostle vseth to the Church of Colosse Secondly his preface before the doctrine Thirdly we came to the doctrine it selfe wherein ye heard propounded briefly the benefit we haue in Iesus Christ our calling to this estate of grace our redemption in the bloud of the sonne of God Then after to let vs see the pretiousnes of this bloud and the necessitie of this redemption by this bloud hee fell out into a faire and high description of the sonne of God setting him out in many points of his glory partly as hee is God the sonne of God onely partly as he is both God and man the Mediatour the Lord Iesus Christ Of the which whole points of his glorie we concluded the bloud of such a glorious personage must be exceeding precious and so it behooued that this bloud should ransome vs and ransome the world Yea if we looke to the preciousnes of it it is not only sufficient to ransome a world but to ransome ten thousand worlds Now brethren wee ended the doctrine the last day it followes in this text that we haue now read in your hearing that Vers 23. wee speake of the exhortation that the Apostle vseth and subioynes to the doctrine The exhortation is in a word Abide in the faith perseuere stand and keepe it fast for it is a precious thing The first argument hee vseth to perswade them to this Perseuerance in the faith and constancie in religion an infallible argument of our reconciliatiō with God perseuerance abiding in the faith is from that benefit of reconciliation wherof he spake before And he reasons after this manner If you abide in y e faith you are reconciled you stand in amitie with God you are friends to him and he to you and therefore if you count of such a benefit stand fast in the faith Now to come to the faith and to marke such things as God will giue the grace and time will suffer If so be saith he you abide in the faith As if hee would say you are reconciled and stand in friendship with God vnder this condition and restriction If you stand in the faith if you stand in the faith you shall perseuere in the friendship with God Then ye see it is the perseuering in the faith of the Mediatour the sticking fast by the Lord Iesus Christ who is the Mediatour of our reconciliation that makes a man to stand in the reconciliation and friendship with God Sticke to him by whose bloud thou art reconciled to God and thou shalt stand fast in that friendship with God As by the contrary so soone as a man lets the hold goe of the Mediatour hee shall fall from the friendship of the father and falling his last estate is worse then the first If he were miserable before the reconciliation he becomes tenne times more miserable then euer hee was And it had been better for him that he had neuer beleeued nor bin reconciled to God but as he was an enemie so he had continued an enemy So you see what it is to sticke to Iesus Christ by faith in him vnto the end Againe he saith not if you perseuere in well-doing in holines 2 Perseuerance in the faith Sundrie kindes of perseuerance but in the faith The perseuerance he craues is in the faith of Iesus Christ There be sundrie sorts of perseuering wee are said to perseuere in faith in hope in holines in weldoing in a godly life and finally there is not a grace but wee are said to perseuere in it and exhorted to perseuere in it But the first ground of all perseuerance is In the faith of Iesus Christ Marke it well And if this ground be laid downe the abiding in Iesus by a true faith all the rest followes willingly Keepe me faith and stand in faith thou shalt keepe hope of necessitie keepe Faith the eye and light of the soule faith that eye and light of thy soule thou shalt keepe holines thou shalt walke in the light and bring out the works of light On the contrary let goe or forsake faith thou shalt let goe hope of life let Christ goe out of thy eye once he shall go out of thy hand and looke neuer to doe any good turne A faithlesse bodie cannot doe a good turne to pleasure God yea though it should seeme the best thing in the world yet wanting faith
so now millions and great numbers are saued And whereas before it was but now one and then one that preased into the kingdome of heauen now they come in multitudes striuing and thrunging who should first enter into heauen Matth. 11. 12. For it is impossible that this light should be without life If thou take a pleasure in the light it is not possible that thou canst dye but if thou take no pleasure in it woe be to thee a double death The calling of the Gentiles shall befall thee Woe is to that man who dyes in the light of the Gospell without taking pleasure in the same Well it had been to thee that thou hadst dyed in darknes with the Gentiles for thy damnation shall be doubled Take therefore a pleasure in it and all the world shall not make thee to perish and that is that which Paul saith Sin raigned to death but grace raignes by righteousnes vnto life through the Lord Iesus Rom. 5. vers 21. But looke to the last words of the verse Vnto whom is the manifestation of the Gospell made Not to euerie one beguile not your selues for the Lord will not vouchsafe to manifest himselfe and grace in him to euery man but hee calles them his Saints to whom chiefly hee manifests himselfe Looke your books ye that scorne at the name of Saints if thou be nota Saint thou shalt neuer see heauen then this If thou be not a Saint thou shalt neuer see heauen manifestation is not made to euery man It is true brethren it is preached to all and all heare it it strikes in euery ones eares yet it is also true all men see not It is to many as the light of the Sunne is to a blinde man and the great multitude Simile gets no more good of it then a blind man gets consolation of the Sunne Who is it then that sees it None but the sanctified one that is none but they that are sanctified by the holy Spirit Nay no spirit no sanctification no sanctification no sight of God and so thou art no Saint but the diuell possesseth thee So none sees what this Gospell is but the sanctified ones and that man is he that hath gotten the spirit of Iesus to open the eye of his soule for it is the spirit of God that opens the soule to see what the Gospell of Christ is and what vertue comes with it when it comes If thou hadst the quickest spirit that can be if thou haue not the spirit of God thou shalt not see one whit in God because as it is the spirit of man that searcheth the spirit of man so it is the spirit of God that searcheth all things yea the most secret things of God 1. Cor. 2. 10. So none sees what the Gospell is and what it brings with it but such as are illuminated by the spirit of God Heare as long as thou wilt thou shalt a bide in blindnes till thou come to a desperate hardnes of heart if thou be not enlightened with the spirit of Iesus this is to be had in and by the Gospell Therefore brethren say euer Lord make me a Saint make me one of that number and make me to crie for the spirit of Iesus to sanctifie and Luk. 11. 9. 10. 15. enlighten me for otherwise thou shalt perish for want of the light of God Now to come to the next verse when he hath spoken of the Saints he insists vpon the reuelation of the mysterie made vnto them and hee sets it out in sundrie circumstances First hee sheweth who is y e Reuealer to wit God Secondly what cause moued him to make this reuelation to the Saints to wit his The reuelation or manifestation of the Gospell good pleasure towards them Thirdly what thing is reuealed to wit this mysterie And he termes it not simply a mysterie but he calles it the riches of his glorious mysterie and not that onely but the mysterie of Christ Fourthly among whom is it reuealed to wit not among the Iewes onely but among the Gentiles also through the world All tends to this to let vs see the glorie of the grace of God as it is said Ephe. 1. 6. So that this Gospell is shining bright and aboundantly in such a wonderfull great mercie that there is not a circumstance but it lets you see a wonderfull grace in God To come then to the first The reuealer of this mysterie is no other but God He was the author of the reuelation of this The first circumstance mysterie of the Gospell The Saints they begun not to see first but God first reuealed before they saw or could see yea they had neuer seene one glimse with their eye if God had not begun to reueale it no thou shalt neuer see any heauenly or spirituall Flesh and bloud can not teach vs spirituall things thing vnto the time it please the Lord to reueale it vnto thee Then in that hee is the beginner of grace herein appeares the more the glorie of his grace and the matter of praising of him but it staies not here We will come then to the next What moued him to reueale this mysterie to his Saints both of Iewes and Gentiles The Lord doth nothing rashly he hath The second circumstance euer good causes mouing him wherefore he doth this or that He is not like a vaine man that doth and vndoeth again and wots not what hee doth Saw hee any thing in these Saints to moue him Some Papist will say hee foresaw some merit in them O but the text saith that there was no such thing at all without himselfe which could moue him hee saw nothing I Nothing in the world did moue God to send Christ and his Gospell vnto vs but his owne loue and good pleasure say in the same or yet in the world which could moue him but his owne goodnes His good pleasure which was ere euer they were Saints is it that moued him to reueale this mysterie Then againe they were not Saints before the reuelation was made There is not a Saint before Christ be reuealed to them It is the sight of Christ that makes a man holy so there was neuer none holy but he that first gat that sight of Iesus the sight went before holines and holines followed vpon the reuelation because holines is the effect of the reuelation of the Gospell Then ye see that as the Lord is the beginner of the reuelation so it is not our deseruing but his owne good pleasure that moues him thereto The Lord of his good pleasure shewed himselfe to the world and no question this is spoken that thou shouldest euer glorie in God Alas would to God as we haue matter to glorifie God that we could answere to the thousand part of it Then to come to the third circumstance What is the thing The third circumstance that he hath reuealed He calles it a mysterie and
He that loues will straine himselfe if it were to the death for the weale of them he loues So if he be not painfull I doubt if euer he shall present himselfe let by other men Therefore the people should be carefull to haue a painfull man to watch ouer them For the Minister is ordained to present thee before the Lord and hee cannot do that if he be not painfull I will neuer giue the people counsell to hold a man that is not painfull to present and gaine them to God And cursed be that Pastor that takes his ease and rest and lets the sheepe of the Lords pasture goe here and there astray cursed be he and the Lord himselfe curseth him in Ierem. 48. 10. that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Alas it will not bee the studying nor the preaching of a Sermon that will make thee to be a painfull Minister but it must be the continuall teaching of thy flocke and euery one of them admonishing them that are out of the way and by thy trauels bringing them home and instructing them that are in Idlenes in the Ministerie dangerous the way of grace to goe on that they goe not to the left hand nor to the right hand but that they hold out the high way to Christ Iesus neuer resting till they get his presence and night and day to be watching and on his guard praying for the people this man is a painfull man that doth thus So a Minister should not be an idle bodie neither can he be idle if hee haue any whit of conscience in his calling And I count a sluggish Minister worse then a theefe he will goe and studie a peece of a Sermon and vp to the pulpit and preach that and then come his way hee thinkes hee hath done enough and neuer more thought nor care hath he of the people of God O vaine man thou art a sluggard worse then a theefe thou shalt present but few or none at that great day And therfore thy damnation shall be the greater for the bloud of all these soules that through thy default dye ignorant shall light about thy shoulders and presse thee downe like milstones in hell where thou and they shall be tormented euerlastingly Yet there is more here this presenting craues more then labour or paine He saith he stroue as a man fighting a combat or as a souldier vnder a banner And to speake the truth this mans life is but a battaile as is plaine in the 2. Tim. 4. 7. I haue saith he fought a good fight yea and the sorest fight that is fought is to fight for the soule to bring it out of the diuels hands and to put it in Christs hands to bring it from hell and to set it in heauen How hard a thing it is to winne a soule from death to life that is a sore fight The man therefore that will bring soules to God he must not be a painfull man onely but he must be a warriour and he must oppose himselfe standing and fighting with euery one who oppose themselues against Christ if they were Emperours or Monarchs and hee must fight the battaile to the end otherwise if he be not painfull and a fighter also I doubt if he shall present himselfe much lesse others in that day to Christ A coward that will take a backe side he will not be meete to present one he is not for the field away with him Of al this I marke it is a hard thing to winne a soule to God nay the soule of one cannot be won but with great paine and labour and fighting Why then labour ye not with striuing and wrestling for the safetie of your soule that you may present it to the Lord safe and sound The soule of euery bodie hath many enemies and mightie enemies O if thou wist how many enemies thy soule hath to stay The enemies of the soule thee from going to heauen thou wouldest not sit in such ease as thou doest neglecting thy selfe and the time both but thou wouldest euer bee labouring and painfully labouring and fighting to keep thy soule safe to the Lord. Againe we see that heauen is a faire thing For this is true Difficilia quae pulchra The more glorious the harder to get so heauen is too faire a iewell to lose through sluggishnes No these things in the world haue no ioy A heape of stones is no iewell and if thou wilt lose the iewell of heauen for that looke what aduantage thou wilt make Now let vs see what fruite reaped he of his paines according to his working the effectualnes of him saith he who worketh in me mightily the end of his labour was effectualnes he was effectuall in the hearts of them who heard him In despite of the diuell and his impes he drew great multitudes by the power of the word out of the kingdome of the diuell and darknes and wanne them vnto Christ Take paines on thee meete the diuell fight on to relieue soules and be assured thou shalt see the effect of thy labours for there was neuer none that stroue but he shall be presented at that day glorious Yet albeit men would labour and striue neuer so much some will perish All shall not perish in that great day therefore let vs fight with paine and labour To whom giues hee the glorie of his labours and effectualnes ascribes hee it to himselfe saies hee according to my effectualnes No how then According to his effectualnes that workes in me mightily that is God So that all power and al the effectualnes that is in his hand is not in himselfe but in God and of God and that power of God is craued and is needfull to the recouerie of a soule yea of the silliest soule of you all The silliest soule that is shall neuer be safe by any power or vertue of man of the Minister there is no power that can free a soule but the almightie power of God The power of God only must free a soule This his power comes downe from heauen while the Minister is speaking and it gaineth conquereth the soule that heares the word Therefore looke not to the man that teacheth but pray that the power of God would come downe and free thy soule from bondage And as thou shouldest depend vpō God so when thou hast trauelled all thy daies turne back thy praises vnto God and thank him for it The Apostle takes nothing to himselfe Marke and behold the words he saith according to his effectualnes that worketh by me that is in a word hee taketh the honour and reputation of an instructer of a Minister and seruant of God and God giues him that honour As the Lord will haue the honour of the principall worke to himselfe and good reason he haue it so when hee hath imployed thee hee vouchsafeth to impart honour vnto thee He will giue thee a honour that thou art his seruant and therefore 1. Cor.
it is indeede O the blindnes the world hath lien long in especially the Gentiles Plato seemed to haue great knowledge of God he was called diuine Plato but he had no knowledge in deede for he knewe him not distinct in persons And all other knowledge is to damnation for there was neuer a science that made this plaine but this Gospell of Iesus preached by the Apostles and left to this day in register to vs. All the science of Philosophers is meere follie in respect of this science of the Gospell The knowledge that the Iewes had of God was but as a glimmering for all were vnder shadowes and types but in the Gospell there is the full sight So that as thou seest the Sunne shining whereby thou art able to discerne and iudge of euery obiect so thou hauing this Gospell shining in thy soule thou shalt see distinctly the God of heauen in his essence and shalt discerne the persons of the Trinitie wherein thou shalt finde ioy O the ioy that ariseth vpon this spirituall knowledge and sight of God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word Alwaies brethren marke the gloriousnes of this Gospell It lets thee see cleerely and distinctly thy God thy redeemer if thou 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. wilt prease to looke without it to see him thou shalt be the more blinde and the more dimme and the further from seeing of him Therefore striue to get a sight of God in his Gospell otherwise thou shalt not get a sight of him to thy comfort Now making mention of Christ he subioynes a description of Christ In whom saith he that is in Christ Iesus is all treasure weigh euery word of wisedome and knowledge I cannot see when euer he names Christ that he can let him goe so but the heart is so full of him that his mouth is full of him also He before called him that hope of glorie and now naming him hee saith In whom is all treasure of knowledge and wisedome Alas brethren to speake this by the way this tastlesse speaking of Christ testifies that there is little of Christ in the heart of men How to speak comfortablie and cheerefully of Christ. and women now adaies If thy heart were filled of him in any measure thou wouldest euer be speaking of him and so fully as thy heart could deuise Now the Lord teach vs to speake of him so ioyfully as wee may euer more and more take pleasure to speake of his name to his euerlasting praise that wee may finde what vertues be in the Lord Christ Iesus Amen But to come to the words he laies out the rich merchandise that is in him take heed ye that would be merchants and that The riches of Christ that is in him he calles wisedome and knowledge I will not be curious to distinguish them except ye will call wisedome that hid mysterie and knowledge this knowledge of earthly and heauenly things all is in Christ hee hath this knowledge these two are distinguished Rom. 11. 33. O the deepnes of this riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! For there is no other wisedome but in Iesus Christ for the fulnes of God is in him Now he calles it not bare knowledge and wisedome but he saith In whom are the treasures of all wisedome and knowledge Many will haue wisedome and knowledge but neuer a one hath the storehouse of it saue Iesus Christ Now hee saith not the treasures but all treasures to shew you that there is not a treasure without him Ye haue heard before of this fulnes In him saith he this fulnes dwels Now againe hee saith In whom are all treasures And againe in a higher stile hereafter vers 9. In whom dwels the fulnes of the Godhead bodily looke what a Sauiour ye haue all is included within the vaile and nature of man and shines as it were through the vaile Then of this I conclude there is nothing to be sought without him Thou that hast need seeke nothing without Iesus For he that would be wise without Iesus Christ hee would be wise without God because the father is in him So thou that wilt haue all fulnes seeke it in him Brethren if this Iesus that is reuealed this day were sought earnestly we would finde it by plaine experience in our selues that there was nothing lacking in him that might doe vs good but he would minister vnto vs wisedome and knowledge and all other benefits And I charge thee vnder the paine of thy life that thou goe to no other to seeke for ought without him Seeke not to mans traditions to these deceiuers of Gods people May not their deceits be perceiued by you May you not see that poyson of theirs in their doctrine Fie on that man of sinne fie on him that drownes all the world with his foule stinke of traditions Rest vpon this Gospell and spit at this beast and this poyson that hee offers to the world Content thee with this Gospell Would to God I or thou could attaine to the thousand part of this Gospell If thou wist what this Gospell were and what treasures of wisdome were in it thou wouldest neuer let it be out of thy sight night nor day Thou wouldest spit at all other doctrine and tradition that sauoured not of this Gospel For in this Gospel is light and life but in mans tradition thou shalt finde no light nor life Darknes and damnation shall be the end to them which imbrace them O damnation to thee ô man that leaues the fountaine of liuing waters and diggest vp to thy selfe cesternes of rotten water Woe vnto thee that leaues the truth of the Gospell to follow the traditions and fantasies of mans braine Lord deliuer vs from that poysonfull doctrine and they that are in the chaines of it the Lord deliuer them out of the same and giue them this full riches of the Gospell of Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holie Spirit one euerlasting God be praise for euer Amen THE FOVRTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE Epistle of PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 4 5 6 7. 4 And this I say least any man should beguile you with entising words 5 For though I be absent in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit reioycing and beholding your order and your stedfast faith in Christ 6 As ye haue therefore receiued Christ Iesus the Lord so walke in him 7 Rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith as ye haue been taught abounding therein with thankesgiuing AFter brethren that the Apostle hath spoken at large of his owne person to purchase authoritie to his doctrine and exhortation now in the first verse which I haue read hee returnes to the exhortation begun in the first chapter taking the occasion of the words going before For there the Apostle shewed that in Iesus Christ were all treasures of wisedome and Coherence vnderstanding hid Vpon this hee concludes in this verse seeing
of grace or two or sixe or seauen for there is no facietie till thou get that sight of the countenance of Iesus in the heauen as he is Now he ioynes with this aboundance thankesgiuing as if he would say as thou findest thy faith grow euer thanke him that giues thee it For these two are inseparably coupled together so that if you take thankes away there will be no abounding of faith Thou that canst not thanke God thou hast no faith thou that canst not perseuere in thanksgiuing thou growest not in faith For thanksgiuing is an vnseparable companion of faith Growest thou in thanksgiuing thou growest in faith True signes of faith for it is a plaine argument of the growth of faith in thee Hast thou a pleasure to pray and to aske and to thanke God thou canst not get a surer token of the aboundance of faith then that Then thou maist reioyce and say Praised be God my faith growes and I shall get daily a cleerer sight of the face of Christ and so shall be made conformable to my Sauiour the Lord Iesus Now the Lord worke this grace and earnestnes in our hearts for this his Christs sake To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise for euer Amen THE FIFTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 8. 9. 10. 8 Beware least there be any man that spoyles you through Philosophie and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily 10 Andye are compleate in him which is the head of all principalitie and power THe Apostle brethren hauing set downe his doctrine as ye heard in the first chapter he addes hereunto an exhortation and admonition He hath exhorted to perseuerance in faith now hee admonisheth to beware of false teachers and of false doctrine He began his exhortation in the first chapter then hauing spoken something of himself partly in the first partly in the second he returnes and giues this admonition to beware of false teachers Then after he returnes to the exhortation again calling vpon them to be constant in the doctrine once receiued Now in the text that wee haue read this day he returnes to the admonition admonishing them to beware of false teachers Then briefly to come to the words Beware saith he least there be any man that spoyles you The word in the originall language signifies Let no man The sense of the word spoiles carrie you away as a pray The word is borrowed from robbers and theeues that come vpon a folde of sheepe and carrie away the sheepe as a pray Euen so false teachers are naught else but robbers brigands theeues that come vpon the sheepfold of the Lord Iesus and carrie away his sheepe as a pray The manner how they doe this is not by strong hand or by violence but it is by Philosophie by deceiuing of the sheepe and snaring of them first by sophistrie and then when they haue snared them and trapped them they binde them and so take them on their shoulders and they goe on willingly being deceiued Therefore wouldest thou not be a pray to a false teacher keep thee from his deceit keepe thee from the Papists traditions mens Philosophie For all their religion is meere peltrie I say to thee their Philosophie that is their deceit and vanitie in doctrine The philosophie of the enemies of the Church more to be feared then their violence or power is more to be feared then their violence and power because by it onely they get their pray if thou keepe thee from their deceit they shall not bee able to take thee as a pray As for their violence if they beguile thee not it shall neuer seuer thee from the Lord Iesus Christ Yet to insist vpon this hee calles it Philosophie A faire name to be called wisedome but hee giues it as foule a name afterward when he names it vaine deceit that is vanitie that deceiues there is no soliditie in all their doctrine Search it who will Indeede it is true the wisedome of man so long as it is within the bounds of things that are earthly and worldly things naturall things concerning policie it will haue some soliditie but so soone as the head of a man albeit neuer so ingenious and learned reacheth without the bounds of earthly and naturall things begins to climbe vp to heauen and to seeke out God and his worship there the head of man vanisheth and becomes foolishnes O how great distance is there betwixt the wisedome of God and man Therefore Paul to the Romanes chap. 1. 21. speaking of the wise Philosophers seeing to be wise saith they became starke fooles Diuine Plato a very foole in the knowledge and worship of God and all the rest fooles concerning God Yet brethren he saith This wisedome of theirs is deceiuing Although it be vaine notwithstanding it is effectuall to beguile thee because it will seeme to be wisedome and it is dyed with the colour of wisedome so that if thou wilt looke on it at the first face it wil seeme wisedome for outwardly it hath a fairer shew then the greatest wisdome of God So I note here alas how lightly and with how light a thing is a bodie deceiued Follie will seeme wisedome and vanitie will seeme stedfastnes vnto him There is none borne otherwise if he haue no more then his natural birth So there must be a deeper ground of this matter What can be the cause that vanitie and follie can so soone deceiue a man Alas if the cause were not in thee thou couldest not so soone be deceiued Thou art borne with a vaine hart and thou drinkest it vp as naturally as sand doth water If thou hadst not this nature and this vaine heart none would be able to beguile thee When I consider this O fie vpon the deceit of the world I wonder not to see millions of Papists Poperie is a naturall religion Kings and nations to be so blinded this day at the light of the Gospell for that is the naturall disposition of all men but rather I wonder to see one silly body to haue that change that he can drinke in the truth of God And if thou haue it thy selfe wonder at it and giue him thanks that hath shewed such grace and mercie on thee To go forward In the second word when he hath set down this vaine deceit he specifies it more particularly and saith Through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not according to Christ I aske the question what thinkest thou by the vainest doctrine that euer was taught I answere out of this place of the Apostle when hee hath said Traditions of men the vainest deceit in the world vaine deceit hee expounds it mens traditions so the vainest doctrine in the world is mens traditions If thou wouldest
that cannot speake as the Apostles and Saints of God did wee should learne how to speake of God Paul the more he insists in speaking of Christ and his fulnes the more his heart aboundeth and the more How to speake of Christ with grace his mouth is filled with words to his praise degree by degree So the mans heart being filled with Iesus his mouth is filled a full mouth speaking of Christ wil fill the harts of the hearers Then brethren learne the more y t one speakes of the fulnes of Christ and of his glorie the more more shall he finde his hart abound his mouth filled And it is impossible if thy heart be full of him but thy mouth must be full and thou wilt speake of him with a full mouth and not lightly a word and away And then who wots but the Lord will make that fulnes to fill some of the hearts of the hearers Blessed is that heart that can get any part of that fulnes of Iesus for thy heart was neuer stablished with grace that neuer got no part of the fulnes of Iesus All this speaking tels thee Christ is no winde nor vanitie If thou hadst no other thing to know stedfastnes by this same speaking of Paul tels thee that all soliditie and fulnes is in Iesus Christ Therefore when thou readest this marke it and say I see here a fulnes Alas that there should be such fulnes in Christ and I hauing so small part of it Lord let me finde this fulnes in some measure Cease not while thou finde it for it stands thee vpon life and life and the heart that is not filled with Christ here in some measure shall neuer be filled with his presence and ioyes in heauen hereafter And therefore thou that wouldest haue that onely fulnes which shall be in heauen by the sweete presence of Iesus there where thou shalt see him as hee is in our nature full of glorie and maiestie which sight shall make thee reioyce exceedingly looke as thou wouldst haue ioy for euermore that thou be filled with Iesus here on earth in some measure otherwaies away with thee thou art a cast away and thy end shall be in euerlasting woe woe vpon woe and euer in woe So then you may see all the glorie in heauen is in Iesus Christ there is not a iot of glorie out of him but all is in him that is in thy Sauiour Wouldest thou haue a Sauiour where wouldest thou get one if thou misse this Sauiour See the honour of thy nature in him All the glorie of heauen shines through the vaile of thy nature in him thy nature is the very vaile that hangs about that glorious Christ God manifested in our flesh maiestie that light that hath no accesse and it shines to thee through the vaile I speake this for this cause that thou presse not to seeke heauen nor no ioy nor glorie therein but in this Lord Iesus Christ No looke not here nor there but directly set thine eye vpon him that sits at the right hand of the Father For in him is all the glorie of the Father and looke that thou imagine not to see any glorie but that that is in thy head Where is thine heauen Iesus is thine heauen All thy heauen here and hence is as it were included in him Seeke it where thou wilt thou shalt finde no heauen without Christ Now to come to the next verse the Colossians might haue said What is that to vs that thou hast told vs of the great fulnes that is in him he is full but we are emptie what vantage haue wee by it Euen as if one would tell of a glorious King another will answere what is that to me The Apostle meetes with this obiection and saith In whom ye are complete who is the head of all principalitie and power As if he would say O Colossians in him ye are filled his fulnes is yours it serues for your profit So you see that not onely all fulnes of glorie is in Iesus Christ in his owne person but with the beames of it as it were all creatures are filled yea heauen it selfe is filled with his glorie and the earth is filled with his glorie and this is the felicitie of all the creatures in the world Wherein trowest thou stands the blessednes of the earth of the heauen and of all the elements Note Looke the eight chapter to the Romanes vers 21. 22. and there you shall finde that the blessednes of the creature stands in the gloriousnes of Rom. 8. 21 22 Christ one day to be reuealed And therefore Paul saith that the world groanes sighing for the reuelation of his glorie for the glorie of the earth and heauen is not yet reuealed Peter saith in his second Epistle chap. 3. 12. 13. When that the Lord shall come in his glorie that the heauens shall burne and be dissolued and the elements shall melt then there shall be new heauens A new heauen and a new earth made and a new earth So that thou shalt see another glorie in heauen and earth then euer was before or is now seene But to speake of man especially they that would beleeue and would be in him they shall be ingrafted as it were into him and set as it were in his fulnes aboue all other creatures for they shall be filled with his own fulnes If thou be set in him as the Sunne is in the firmament the fulnes of the glorie that is in him shall shine in thee aboue the earth aboue the Moone aboue the Sun it selfe So that this is felicitie to haue a share and portion of the grace and glorie of Christ to receiue of his fulnes for he is full of grace and veritie saith Iohn 1. 14. It is true indeed and so long as wee liue here this appeares not There is neuer a one that beleeues but he is a Kings sonne and a Kings daughter But saith John 1. Ioh. 3. 2. it appeares not as yet but when hee comes then it shall appeare wee shall all shine in glorie And the reprobate that thought thee but a lost creature shall wonder that euer there should be such a glorie prepared for thee Albeit thou shine not now yet if thou beleeue thou hast this vantage all that glorie that is in Christ is thine I say to thee a man is not so surely clad with his shirt as thou that beleeuest in Christ art clad with him He is a garment to thee haue what clothing thou wilt if thou hadst but a ragged coate yet if thou beleeuest in him thou art clad with him Goe where thou wilt if thou cast off thy coate Iesus will sticke by thee There is neuer a faithfull Saint wants Iesus And therefore thou maist say The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance Onely beleeue in him be ingrafted in him by faith Onely possesse him in thy heart Thou hast all his glorie and maiestie
principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse WE insist yet brethren on the description of God and of the effectualnes of his power Ye haue heard that he is described from his effects the workes that hee hath wrought The first effect and worke in which chiefly the effectualnes of his strong power vttred it selfe was the raising Coherence of Iesus Christ from the dead not by remitting him any sinne that he had done because he neuer sinned but simply he raised him by his power The second effect is the raising of the Colossians and generally of the Gentiles when they were dead in sinne and in that vncircumcision of the flesh But how by forgiuing them their sinnes for there is no life nor quickening of thee but by the remission of thy sinnes First that guiltines must be taken away before euer that spirit of life enter into thee The third effect that wee entred into the last day and now this day wee shall finish it by Gods grace and it is the quickening of the Iewes who had also as great neede to be quickened as the Gentiles had And Paul confesseth his owne miserie and wants naming himselfe among the rest But how by putting away the handwriting that was against them for besides the guiltines of sinne they had subscribed to their own guiltines for so oft as they vsed the ceremonies of the Law so often did they subscribe to their owne condemnation So that before they could be quickened it behooued that this handwriting should be scraped out It standing there was no forgiuenes to them so their life is by taking away of this handwriting But to proceede the last day we opened these words Hauing put away the handwriting of the ordinances that was against vs That is to say hauing put away the rites and ceremonies of the Law for Christ by his death abolished them all the which rites were as an obligation or handwriting subscribed by the Iewes against themselues sealing the guiltines of death and damnation for sinne Now to goe forward in the text as it followeth as God will giue grace Immediatly after these words marke euery word for they haue weight hee subioyneth which was contrary to vs he repeateth it againe but hee tooke it out of the way that is the handwriting of rites that was contrarie to vs and made not for vs the Lord Iesus took it out of the way It lay in our way and it was a sure stumbling blocke to vs and we were not able to remoue it nor to take it out of the way but yet the Lord Iesus hee taketh it out of the middest of the way So ye see there is nothing but a repeating of that that was spoken before howbeit in other tearmes he said before which was against vs now hee saith which was contrarie to vs al is one in effect Repetition of a thing is not without cause for the holy spirit neuer speaketh any word in vaine Thou and I may often spend words idly but the holy spirit cannot waste one iot or sillable The cause of this repetition is Paul cannot forget the thing that he and the rest had done against themselues and that that Christ did for them O if thou remembredst the benefits of God once telling thē ouer would Repetition not idle in Scripture not serue thy turne and it learneth thee neuer to forget that that thou hast done against thy selfe and that which Christ hath done for thee By that that thou hast done thou had dest beene vndone if this that Christ hath done had not beene done Besides this it serueth for the greater certaintie of that that was done He will force an assurance into thee both that thou hast subscribed to thy owne death and also that Christ hath taken away thy subscription that thou shouldest not doubt Woe to that vaine doctrine of doubting and woe to Doubting the doubting Doctors The dolts will bid thee doubt whether Christ hath taken away that subscription woe to such Doctors If wee will marke the words ye shall see an opposition that that thou hast done Iew or Gentile it is against thy selfe that that Christ hath done is for thee This lets thee see not only the Iew but the Gentile that thou art more beholding to Christ then to thy selfe thou subscribedst against thy selfe and if the Lord proceede vpon thy handwriting thou shalt certainly dye But Iesus Christ hath put that subscription of thine out of the way so that if thou be thankfull thou shouldest loue him better then thy selfe for the greatest enemie that man hath is his owne selfe And therefore shouldest thou not loue him better then thy selfe If thou doe it not thou shalt dye But not to leaue the force of the word for this word importeth a greater meaning then the other the word of blotting The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putting out The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take out of the way out was great indeede ducere transuersas lineas is a great word but to destroy the very tables paper and all and to rent it asunder is more then both Marke it for it lets vs see that his mercie is not halfed he shewes not a peece of mercie vpon vs. Men will halfen their mercie towards others but Iesus Christ halfens not his mercie towards vs but he perfecteth it If he once meant to shew mercie he wil not leaue that work till he end it and if he once meane to remit he will not leaue off till he haue freely forgiuen for that that he doth he doth it perfectly to his glorie and thy saluation The Pope will make him to halfen his mercie O vaine doctrine doest thou halfen the mercie of the Lord thou art a lyer the mercie of The guilt of sinne the punishment both remitted in Christ the Lord is perfect so that when hee remitteth hee remitteth both the sinne and the punishment thereof Now to come to the words that follow In the last words he sheweth how the handwriting is taken out of the way It was not after so light a manner as a man would take an obligation and rent it but before it could be rent it behooued the Lord to be crucified Well who would be hanged for another mans obligation and he being crucified he taketh that obligation and naileth it to the crosse and rents it asunder Now to make this plaine when Iesus Christ was crucified he was not crucified alone but many things were crucified with him and many things that same very houre were nailed to the crosse with him This handwriting of thine thy inditement that would haue condemned thee thy sinne originall thy actuall sinnes the death that followeth thereon and hell euen all these were nailed to the crosse with him finally that curse was crucified with him all died together hee died not alone all depended vpon his death he died first they
they had depriued themselues Ah woe to all false teachers and woe to them that doe depriue themselues of such an head and make the Pope their head But to come to the words he saith He holdeth not the head that is the false Apostle Then he subioynes whereof that is out of the which head the Lord Iesus through ioynts and bands the whole bodie is knit and compacted together and furnished Whereof it importeth not onely that Christ the head is the efficient and worker of all grace that comes to the bodie but more Christ the head of the Church that out of him as out of a storehouse and not elsewhere all grace and vertue doe flow vnto man So the word hath a great force for as out of the head of a man flow all the vertues mouing life and sense that is in the bodie take the head away no vertue is in the bodie euen so from this head the Lord Iesus to his mysticall bodie flow all power and mouing that the bodie that is his Church and euery member thereof hath Thou hast nothing but that that floweth from him Therefore the Apostle saith in him dwelleth all fulnes and againe in him are all treasures and againe in him dwelleth the Godhead bodily and againe in him wee are compleate To let you see that Iesus Christ is the storehouse of graces Goe thy way to heauen thou shalt not finde one iot out of thy head the Lord Iesus Thou shalt seeke all thy time and thou shalt not get a droppe without him Then he saith that by ioynts and bands the whole bodie is furnished not a part but the whole bodie and euery member neuer a one being excepted neither rich nor poore But to insist in the comparison euen as the whole bodie of a man and euery member of the bodie to the finger and toe sucketh vertue from the head and the head is powerfull to cause euery ioynt to liue it is euen so with this mysticall bodie There is neuer a member of this bodie but it receiueth some vertue from the head the Lord Iesus yea the silliest bodie of them all receiueth it owne grace and Iesus Christ is effectuall in euery one from the highest to the lowest If it be in the bodie it cannot want grace It is impossible that any that are in Christ Iesus can want grace but the Lord must be powerfull in them Runne then and ioyne thee with the bodie for if thou be not of this bodie I giue thee this doome thou Ioyne thy selfe with the Church if thou wilt be in Christ shalt neuer see grace nor get the spirit of Iesus which is the worker of this grace in Iesus 1. Cor. chap. 12. 7. he saith To euery one is giuen the manifestation of the spirit to profit withall And Ephes 4. 7. likewise he saith To euery one is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift This importeth that Iesus Christ is not onely full of grace but that there is such a varietie of grace in him that there is not onely one or two graces in him but he is full of varietie of graces There is not a member but he hath gotten a different grace I haue gotten mine thou hast gotten thine and euery one hath gotten his owne different grace So looke what varietie there is of the faces of men Varietie of graces in Christ. as great varietie there is of the graces of Christ and so there is no grace out of Christ seeke grace in him or els thou wilt neuer finde it To goe forward the first thing that euer commeth downe from the head to the bodie what thinke ye it to bee What is the first thing that commeth downe from the head of a man It is yee know the sinewes as the first thing for the head by them is bound to the bodie euen so the first thing that commeth from Christ he calleth it bands or ligaments that goe downe from him as from the head So that there is not a member of the bodie of Christ but there is a sinew a band comming from Iesus Christ the head to it Ye will aske what The bands which knit vs vnto Christ are these mysticall sinewes The first of them is the spirit of Iesus Christ God himselfe is the master sinew without that sinew thou shalt neuer bee conioyned with the head The second band is faith for when that spirit commeth he is not idle in the person in whom he is but hee worketh faith in him There is the other sinew whereby thou takest hold of him he taketh hold first of thee and then thou takest hold of him The third and last band is loue to thy neighbour a branch as it were striken out from faith where faith is loue will strike out from it as a branch striking out from the master sinew so these are the three bands The spirit entring into vs faith rising from vs and our loue rising from our faith whereby we mutually embrace one another I neede not to insist to proue by the Scriptures these points ye see in this Epistle chap. 3. 14. Loue is called the band of perfection Now brethren ye must know this moreouer euery one of these bands must extend to euery member There is not a member of Christs bodie but first he must haue the spirit of Iesus next faith and thirdly loue otherwise thou canst not be a member of Iesus Christ For if thou want but this loue which is the last thou canst not be one of Christs I say and affirme thou hast not the spirit nor faith and so art not conioyned with the head It is true that euery one hath his particular gift different from other but I assure you a man may not want one of these three Thou maist want the gift of tongues miracles and such others but thou must not want the spirit faith nor charitie Want what thou wilt and if thou haue not these three thou canst not stand in the bodie thou hast not to doe neither with Christ nor with his bodie therefore if thou hast the spirit faith and charitie and doest find thy selfe to haue them then thou maist be ioyfull Now to goe thorow after he hath set downe the bands he sets downe three effects that proceede from Christ by these Three effects proceed from Christ to euery member bands downe to the bodie The first effect is a furnishing of the bodie wherewith not with earthly furniture but with spirituall furniture otherwise it cannot stand For as when the bodie is knit with the head by sinewes and then downe through these sinewes as thorough certaine conduits doe flow vertue and power to the bodie cut off thy head thy bodie nor no member thereof hath any power to moue or stirre euen so this mysticall bodie being ioyned to Christ by these spirituall meanes the spirit faith and loue there commeth downe through these conduits to vs that water of life and that is
before Christs comming but now Coherence are so abolished that they become not the tradition and doctrine of God but of men His argument was Ye are dead with Christ from all these things by your death ye are freed Therefore why should ye be burthened with ordinances I insist not vpon that which was spoken but I goe to the verse that followeth wherein he setteth downe a certaine kinde of rite whereunto the false teachers presseth them to wit concerning meates and hee bringeth in this matter by counterfaiting of the voyce of the false teacher O saith the false teacher Touch not taste not handle not there is the doctrine of the deceiuer ye heard when hee admonished them to beware of these ceremonies The first sort was concerning rites from that he past to daies Now againe the onely sort of ceremonies which here he expresseth is the same concerning meates This importeth something that he sticketh so vpon this ceremonie of meates Wherfore the Apostle specifieth the Iudaicall ceremonie concerning meates It teacheth vs this that the diuell the enemie of man specially tempteth men about meate He begun betimes Our first parents were not so soone created and placed in Eden but he begun to tempt them about meate and from that houre to this houre he neuer resteth to tempt men about meate either after one manner or other either to abstaine or else to exceede He hath thus tempted the world in this subiect of meates VVhat is the cause of this He seeth not a meeter subiect to tempt men with then meate drink It is the thing that we vse and must vse daily therefore he setteth his engine to tempt men in this Yet to open this matter better there are two things especially wherein the Lord hath giuen men libertie meate and mariage In these two the Lord hath giuen vs libertie And this hath euer been the craft of Sathan to restraine this libertie giuen by the Lord. The Apostle foresaw this in the 1. Tim. 4. 1. and foretold that in the latter daies men should arise with a lying spirit and should deliuer the doctrine of diuels And then he nameth these two points of their doctrine forbidding saith he meates and mariage Now there must be some cause of this temptation of Sathan he knoweth well enough there is a faire The pretence of hypocrites pretence for restraining of mens libertie to wit the mortification of the flesh Abstaine say they from meate abstaine from mariage because it mortifieth the flesh So hauing a faire pretence he tempteth men in these things and restraineth the libertie that the Lord hath graunted This pretence is friuolous because there is no meane of mortifying but that that God hath commanded Therefore if thou shouldest pine and famish thy selfe to death thou shalt not be mortified but the more thou vsest that dealing without the spirit of Iesus thou shalt be the more puffed vp in the vanitie of thy minde for it is a meane to pride to vse that which the Lord hath not commaunded thee It is true that Paul said 1. Cor. 9. 27. he held his bodie vnder at a straite diet and so doe all godly men this is a good meane and the Lord hath commaunded a diet to be kept but to abstaine frō meat as an vncleane thing thou hast no warrant neither oughtest thou to follow such as would perswade thee to the same Therfore follow no meane to mortification but that which the Lord commaundeth thee And as for that which Paul did hee had the warrant of the spirit of Iesus but yet ye shall see there that he placeth no merit in it But the false teacher as the Pope and his Clergie they place a merit and necessitie in these things But to come to the words of the Apostle he counterfaiteth the voyce of the false teacher and speaketh as they doe and that with bitternes of heart O saith the deceiuer Touch not taste not handle not which testifieth plainly that in the heart of the spirit of God there is a bitternes against the hypocrite yea a bitternes like gall especially against the false teacher O thou shalt finde one day a bitter voyce vttered against thee Touch not saith hee that is lay not thy fingers end vpon such meate hold backe thy hand from it Taste not that is bring it not to thy mouth let not the tip of thy tongue taste it Handle not that is lay not thy hand grosly vpon it nor meddle not with it in any wise handle not such vncleane and forbidden meates Brethren these commandements that are so streight import that these false teachers thought there were in certaine meates vncleannes and that they were poysonable and had force to infect and make a man vncleane this was their mind concerning meates and therefore their sinne was manifolde For first they are iniurious to the meate in accounting the creature vncleane which was cleane In 1. Tim. 4. 4. it is said the creature is cleane And Rom. 14. 14. that there is no meate vncleane So they were very iniurious against the creature the meate And then that which is more they were iniurious to the Colossians in taking their libertie from them and in burdening them with an vnnecessarie burden To bind a man to this meate or that meate thou snarest the conscience and doest worse then if thou shouldest strangle that man whom thou thus entrappest What God commaundeth that thou countermandest Lastly they were iniurious to God who created althings cleane especially to them that are in Iesus Christ who sanctified althings and gaue libertie to man to eate what it liked him as wee see in the Acts 10. 15. when all sort of meate was offered to Peter and he being commaunded to eate indifferently of all refused Then the voyce commeth to him halfe in anger and saith to him that which God hath made cleane make not thou vncleane O Papist God hath not made the meate foule but it is thou that defilest thy selfe and the meate both the Lord hath cleansed it in the bloud of Iesus and thou deceiuer shouldest thou stand vp and say it is vncleane O deceiuer thou art vnworthie of meate Yet more ye see in these words the nature of an hypocrite A false The marke of a false teacher Doctor he is the strictest y t euer was in that that auaileth not in a trifle he will be wondrous precise in the things wherein the Lord hath giuen libertie he will be a niggard and close the hand of him And by the contrarie in that which the Lord hath forbidden he will be liberall Come to murther he will giue thee a pardon before hand hee reckoneth not of adulterie and oppression and such grosse sinnes Paul 2. Thess 2. 4. giueth this as a note of the Antichrist that he shal oppose himselfe to euery thing diuine he shall be euer in a contradiction to God So where ye find this opposition say here sitteth Antichrist Therfore I say
in the Church of Rome sitteth the Antichrist There he sitteth shall sit vntill he be abolished by the breath of the Lord Iesus This for this point of false doctrine In the 22. verse he falleth to and refuteth this doctrine and he bringeth in two forcible and pithie arguments and first he reasoneth from the perishing nature of these things what are they They are corruptible things Who will set downe rules about things that perish as though religion were in them Paul 1. Corinth 6. 13. in handling this same matter he saith Meates are ordained for the bellie and the bellie for the meates but God shall destroy both it and them As if hee should say both the meate and the bellie shall perish Now this argument taken from the corruptible nature of these things hee aggrauateth when hee saith but in the vse they perish When they are in the hand and mouth they perish It is true that all these earthly things appointed for this mortall life passe away all goeth away that is appointed for the sustenance of man yet there are somethings more lasting and more durable then others but as concerning meate and cloath and such things they all weare away by the vse So the Apostle would say that of all vanishing things meate is the most vanishing thing that is Then note this Religion godlines and the worshipping of God it is not in things corruptible it is not in things indifferent as meate drinke daies cloathes and the rest of these vanishing things but true religion standeth in things permanent and in things necessarie I giue thee an example To eate this and not to eate that I will not count thee the more godly or religious for that is to be in the kingdome of Antichrist but to honour one God onely the true God sincerely that is religion And so goe through the whole commaundements and if thou finde thy heart sanctified to obey God in his word and to follow him onely then I say to thee thou art truly religious Eate what thou pleasest all is sanctified to thee and to keepe temperance in the vse of them that is acceptable to God But to eate or not to eate that is no religion if thou haue not the warrant of the word of God for thy religion I will not giue a poynts end for thy religion for there is no religion but that which the Lord hath commaunded And therefore Paul to the Romanes chap. 14. vers 17. he saith that the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke religion consisteth not of these things but in an vprightnes peace with God and with thy neighbour and ioy in the holy Ghost Albeit thou shouldest fast all the fridaies and wednesdaies in the yeere yet if thou be a wrangler with thy neighbour thou hast no religion thou art an hypocrite Ye see the religiō of the Papists standeth in things corruptible goe to Rome and Spaine ye shall see this their religion standeth in wearing this cloathing and that cloathing in abstaining from this meate and eating of that and such other trifles wherewith they haue troubled the world Fie on them will they neuer be ashamed of it Thus for the first reason of the refuting of this false doctrine now followeth the second What are al things saith he againe but the doctrine of men This doctrine Touch not taste not handle not was not the doctrine of God and therefore saith the Apostle it auaileth not For euen as these things corruptible as meate drink with the rest of that sort they are no matter or subiect of religion euen so the commaundement of man and the doctrine of man that commeth from his braine is no rule of religion Liuest thou after the doctrine of man I affirme thou art not religious Liuest thou in abstinence at the commaund of man Ha ha there is a faire countenance in thee but I say to thee all is superstition which is ruled by the doctrine of men In one word take all that religion in that Church grounded on the braine of man not to be religiō but superstition Thou shalt find out a superstitious Friar by his habit goe through all their Cloysters ye shall finde nothing but the doctrine of man and the doctrine of man will neuer make a religious bodie Secondly The doctrine of mē cannot make any religious I perceiue in this place and such others that men in all ages haue busied themselues to set downe doctrine about things indifferent Looke the doctrine of the Romane Church ye shal finde this true This testifieth whereto the wit of man inclineth to wit to be religious in vanities in eating drinking cloathing and to let thee liue as thou wouldest As for other necessarie points it will not acknowledge them as for the honour of the parents thou wilt passe by that O the wicked nature of man it hath no inclination to any thing but to vanishing things and it will haue a religion of these things in any case To come to the last verse hauing thus confuted this false doctrine concerning meates by these two arguments the false teacher might haue excepted and said O yet there appeareth some reason in this doctrine of abstinence because it hath a shew of wisedome Secondly it hath the appearance of the submission of the minde and thirdly it is a mortifying of the The third obiection bodie it spareth not the bodie but it humbleth the body and therefore this doctrine must haue some reason and shewe of wisedome The Apostle graunteth this but he saith it auaileth not because this doctrine is about fleshly things the filling of the bellie c. But briefly to examine the words which indeed hath the shew of wisedome Marke first a false teacher a Sophister howbeit there be no wisedome in his doctrine yet if it haue a faire shew and a glance it is enough to him This is the nature of a Sophister he is well contented with a shew of wisedome and beguileth the world with this And the people are naturally as vaine as he If thou get a shew of wisedome thou wilt be content with it And why The heart is vaine and vanitie may serue a vaine heart a vaine emptie heart that hath no soundnes will drinke in vanitie greedily as a man drinketh in water 2. Thess chap. 2. vers 10. 11. Therefore brethren wonder not to see this world wander after vanitie wonder not to see so many Papists and superstitious persons to spread abroad and the people to follow them no wonder because the world inclineth to drinke in vanitie and the world is content with a shew of truth but thanke God if hee hath made thee able to discerne betwixt a shew and a solid thing for thou hast gotten a great grace And therefore if thou heare of Phil. 1. 9. their vaine arguments thanke God that thou hast that heart to consider of them aright and that thou hast an eye that can rightly discerne thereupon for few hath gotten
the Apostle saith mortifie that same word is a word of mortification euen so he mortifieth men by example Hee will take a slaine soule and Examples of the faithfull ought to moue vs. set it vp as a spectacle to thee and bid thee that art a sinner looke to that slaine soule he will point it out to thee and bid thee take an example of it of mortification and so well art thou that preachest by thy life howbeit thou neuer preach Heb. 12. 1. 2. 3. one word with thy mouth for thou wilt be able to edifie by thy life as another will be by y e word Now howbeit that the Lord vseth both the word and example to teach vs mortification yet for all this it is not effectuall in euery one of vs for where one will be moued by example two will scorne at it Know yee not how a naughtie packe sold to wickednes will scorne when he seeth the life of a godly man or woman propounded to him he wil scorne at him what matter if he were a Lord or whatsoeuer he be if hee scorne at the life of a godly man I say he is but an impious man void of grace 1. Pet. chap. 4 vers 4. 5. it is said Because yee will not runne on with them they blaspheme But what addeth he Who shall render an account to him that is readie to iudge both quick and dead thou scorner shalt first render an account of thy prophanenes and then of thy blasphemie against the Saints To come now to the fourth that is to be marked here which is the time put away now saith he that is while it is to day before it was night and darknes and therefore yee walked in darknes but now it is day and fie on thee that wilt liue in the day light as it were in the night Brethren there is no small force in the time to doe this or that Ye know by experience when it is night and when the clowdes couer the earth it prouoketh men to doe that which they would not doe in the day and prouoketh a man to sleep A man that is inclined to drunkennes will goe to it in the night and he that desireth harlotrie he craueth the night for he that doth euill hateth the light And by the contrarie there is no small force in the day light it will shamethee and will make thee to wake and compell thee to put to thy hand to doe some good thing But to come to the spirituall night and day if this day hath this force hath not the spirituall night a great force Thou that liest vnder the clowd of ignorance thou art more heauily opprest therewith then the clowd of the night doth the bodie this clowde will cause thee to runne to all mischiefe in the world And by the contrarie when once that light the sunne of righteousnes shines when the shining of the Gospell beginneth to breake vp it prouoketh men to goe to heauenly workes which are the workes of the light Therefore Paul saith The night is past and now is the day walke then as in the day time Rom. 13. vers 12. Fie on thee that euer thou shouldest let this glorious light of Iesus shine vpon thee and then walkest in the workes of darknes and in the night Better were it for any in Scotland that they had neuer seene the light of the Gospell then to haue seene it For there are many in Scotland that the more they heare of the Gospell they are the wickeder for except this Gospell be forcible to the slaying of sinne in thee it shall be forcible to the workes of darknes which shall worke thy damnation If it make thee not the better it will make thee the worse for it shall be either the sauour of life vnto life or els the sauour of death vnto death either Christ shall quicken thee and slay thy sin or els he shall slay thy selfe In a word neuer Turke nor Pagan was so wicked and so euill a liuer as a Christian man and yet he will heare the word and turne vp his eare and listen to the preaching now if this word alter him not it shall harden him And therefore I giue thee my counsell except thou finde a mortification in thee of thy affections by the hearing of this Gospell neuer lend thy eare to heare the word of Christ for it shall be a sealed booke vnto thee And therefore take good heed that the Gospell be powerfull to life to thee and crie O Lord let the word of life be powerfull to life that I may finde life in me by it Now brethren I haue ended these first words When hee hath generally exhorted them to put away all these things he commeth on in particular and besides the members that hee hath rehearsed before he reckoneth more of them but not all And in this text he reckoneth vp seauen wrath anger as it is turned malice blasphemie or cursed speaking filthie speaking lying-speaking Let vs heare of euery of them as they are set downe Onely I shall touch them so farre as shall serue for the purpose The first foure are contained vnder the generall Sixe common iniuries Foure degrees sin called iniurie or wrong done against our neighbour they are set downe in degrees and passe vp in degrees The first is wrath that is the lowest degree anger is the second and a firie malice is the third and cursed speaking is the fourth To come to the first he termeth it wrath that is the first member of the argument that hee will haue them to put away from them This wrath is the first commotion sinfull in thy heart against thy neighbour to this end to be reuenged on him An angry man is euer reuengefull and there is nought in him but vengeance and the vengeance of God shall ouertake him I call it a sinfull commotion because there is a commotion that is holie God forbid that men want wrath the Lord hath wrath the Angels haue wrath and the godly man hath wrath Holy wrath and that a holie wrath I call it so when it is not so much thou that art angrie as it is the holie Spirit that dwelleth in thee that is when the holie Spirit so ruleth gouerneth thy wrath that in wrath thou sinnest not in any circumstance Wrath in it selfe is a thing indifferent but if thou faile in circumstance it is a sin Some will be angrie without a cause for the turning vp of a straw thou sinnest if thou passe measure in anger thou sinnest if thou be angrie when it is no place nor time thou sinnest if thou bee angrie with one with whom thou shouldest not bee angrie So it is a sinfull commotion when there is fault committed in these circumstances either in one Eph. 4. 30. or all And then when thou failest it is not the spirit of God in thee that directeth thee in thy anger but it is thou thy selfe in thy corruption And
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
and some seruants for otherwise an horrible confusion should follow And the Gospell is so far from that that by the contrarie it sanctifieth policie So that if any King before the Gospell was setled after the Gospell he is better setled And if a master of a house was setled before the Gospell he is now farre better setled after the Gospell And this is the rule of the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 7. vers 17. 20. Let euery man abide in that vocation wherein he is called And then he saith Art thou a slaue art thou called to it abide still in it vntill by lawfull meanes thou get freedome Will ye haue example of this There was Onesimus that ranne from Philemon his master Paul after that he had made him a Christian man hee sendeth him againe to his seruice So it is but vanitie to thinke that religion is enemie to policie or maketh any alteration in policie nay it rather establisheth all in policie This one thing is to be marked The second is seeing in matters of grace the Lord hath no respect to the persons of men hee will not iustifie a King because he is a King and denie it to a beggar because he is a beggar but he will iustifie the one and the other without all respect of persons Seeing then this is his doing what should we doe Looke what Paul saith 2. Cor. 5. according to the flesh I will not account of one man more then of another I will offer grace to the beggar as well as to the rich And againe in policie I giue thee leaue to account of the King as much as thou wilt and why shouldest not thou that art a seruant account of thy master otherwise thou offendest Thinke that thou art an inferiour to him albeit thou be equall in grace with him And so let euery one in policie in common-weales and families haue their owne place let the King haue his place the Lord his place in his own ranke and roume and so foorth And I say to thee if thou doe it not thou hast no grace For if thou hadst grace thou wouldest be so sanctified that thou wouldest not faile in any wise to honour thy superiours here on earth and yet when the comparison falleth out betwixt the gracious man or sanctified man and old things count more of a regenerate man then of all the prophane Kings of the world What did Paul hee had many of these outward things as ye may reade in the Epistle to the Philippians chap. 3. I am an Hebrue saith he as ye are O but when Christ came in all these aduantages became to me not onely domages but they became as dung So all these externall things are but as nothing in comparison of regeneration It is better to be a renued man being a beggar then to be the greatest Monarch in the world wanting regeneration Now lastly in this place ye see when Christ commeth there is a strange change in the world Thinke ye he came in vaine or for nothing Is there not a great change when a great Monarch commeth into the countrey Thinke ye not but when Christ came there was a great change such as was neuer at the comming of all the Monarches in the world Paul 2. Cor. 5. vers 17. saith speaking of this change Whosoeuer is in Christ is a new creature all things are made new in him but there is such a stupiditie in men that they cannot see this Thou art euer harping on these old things will ye heare him boast it will be of these old things O senseles creature thou shewest thou art not renewed O these braue Courteours all their speech is of these old things by the which they testifie that they wote not what Christ meaneth Yet in a word some may doubt Are all things so renewed that these olde things haue no place Is there no difference of nations of riches of honours stand not these things these old things fleshly things notwithstanding this innouation I answere they stand but I adde this if euer it be well with them they must be renued that old shape must be put off them Thou that art a King must be made a new creature and thou that art a subiect thou must be renewed againe and obey thy Prince in the Lord. The Gentiles knew not this thou y t art a seruant thou must obey thy master in the Lord and thou that art a master thou must doe thy dutie to thy seruant in the Lord so as these outward things must be renewed in Christ I say more the first comming of Christ made some change but the next comming shall make it palpable Thou shalt see it and feele it for there shall be no kings but the kings of heauen there shall be no superiours or masters but all shall be glorified there shall be such an alteration then And thou that wilt not see it now thou shalt then be compelled to see it nill thou will thou This for the first part of this verse the next part followeth In the first ye heard he hath taken away all respect of these outward things now it might haue been thought if this new man hath cast off all these outward things what hath hee in steed of them for it were a great losse if he gat not something in steed of them He answereth in a word Christ is all and in all things There is the answere So that the thing that graceth a new man is one onely thing and what is it Iesus Christ the Lord is in steed of all he supplieth the want of all these earthly things So that if yee will aske of this new man what is thy nation supposing he be of the best nation on earth he will answere Christ is my nation If thou aske what is thy kindred let him come of Kings he will say Iesus Christ is my kindred It is a wofull bloud thou art come of if thou be nothing renewed in Christ Wilt thou aske what is thy kingdome He will answere Iesus Christ is my kingdome An earthly bodie will say and answere I am King of France and I am King of Spaine and I am Emperour and will cast his head vp If thou wilt aske what is thy riches thy honour and estate hee will answere Christ is all things to me and so there is no prerogatiue in this world Hee will put Christ in the roume of all whether he haue or want it Ye remember Matth. 12. when the mother of Christ would haue come to him and the Disciples telling him that saying Behold thy mother thy brethren stand without desiring to speake with thee he answereth Who is my mother my brethren and sisters Euen they that doe my fathers will Then generally he telleth whosoeuer will doe the will of his father are his mother brother and sisters Then turne it ouer if thou be a faithfull man thou art brother to him and all and againe he is all to thee Now certainly this
Then in this life in the faithfull Christ is not all in vs for there is much ill stuffe besides grace in vs. Goe thy way to thy heart and thou shalt finde it thus and thou shouldest thinke it a marueile that one sparke of grace should abide within thee But come to that life to come In the resurrection when faith shall goe away Iesus Christ shall be in thee in his full glorie Then in that estate there shall be nothing but Christ Al this vncleannes and vilenes shall be cast away and that heart of thine shall be inlightened and shine in thy bodie It shall not hold in thee but it shall breake out in thy face and make all glorious both thy hands and feete and all this mortalitie shall be scoured out of thee and then it shall be truly spoken Christ is all in all Now one thing and so I end Comparing this place with that to the Galath chap. 3. vers 28. I finde there one end of the comming of Christ and of the new man in this word that is not specified here and it is that all might be made one in Iesus Christ for as long as hee is a Iew and a Grecian they are two but when once this commeth that they are new men they are made one in Christ so the words spoken import For Christ being in all who is one of necessitie all must be one And againe if hee be all in all it being but one of necessarie force it must be one Ye see the end of Christs comming into this world of the new man it is this to make all one to put Communiō of Saints away all this variance and to ioyne all in one There is much adoe to ioyne altogether wouldest thou haue thy blessednes to stand it standeth in ioyning thee first with thy head Iesus Christ and then in making thee a member of his bodie If it were but one ioynt of his little finger if thou be but one toe of that bodie thou shalt be safe Well wanton men and women goe out from the Church But O that terrible wrath if thou be not found in that blessed societie make a iest of it as long as thou wilt if thou be not of the militant Church thou shalt not see the triumphant Church and thou shalt not be of the number of them that shall be glorified I might let you see the example what danger it is to be cut off from this bodie of the Church I aske what is a mans arme worth when it is cut off it serueth for nothing it dieth and perisheth Now it is euen as sure if thou be cut off from this militant Church thou shalt die and perish and thou shalt neuer haue part with thy head Iesus Christ if thou abide cut off thou shalt die euerlastingly Wherefore count it your blessednes to be first conioyned with Christ and then with his members Now what is the blessednes of the true God euen an vnitie in trinitie So thou art blessed when thou art one with the members of Christ and all thy ioy is to be in the Lord Iesus Now the Lord graunt we may abide one vntill we obtaine this vnitie in perfection in Iesus Christ to whom be all honour and praise now and for euer Amen THE XXIX LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 12. 13. 12 Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued put on tender mercie kindnes humblenes of minde meeknes long suffering 13 Forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell to another euen as Christ forgaue you euen so doe ye BEfore in this chapter the Apostle hath exhorted the Colossians to mortifie slay and put away the members affections and actions of the old man that is of the sinful and corrupt nature Now because it is not enough to put off the members of the old man the actions of the sinfull nature except we appeare before God with other actions for we cannot stand naked before him therfore in the second roume hee exhorteth vs to put on the members actions and affections of the new man these are the actions and this is the cloathing wherewith we must be clad to stand before God Then to come to the words and to weigh euery word as the Lord shall giue the grace The first word is Therfore put on c. He hath spoken immediatly before of the new man now vpon the occasion of this word new man he gathers his conclusion Haue you put on the new man Therefore put on all his actions If ye be holie cloathe your selues with holy actions The obseruation is short The new man which consists in holines and righteousnes requires a new life and new actions for if the life be not yet renewed but that the old life yet abide with the old actions I say you wot not what the new man meanes This is but a vaine boasting of regeneration that is in the mouthes of men to say thou art renewed and made a new man all is but vaine Let me see thy life and thy actions and I shall tell thee by them what thou art otherwise thou shalt neuer perswade me that thou hast put on the new man Now the Apostle saith Therefore put on as it were a garment or raiment neuer to be put off againe I shewed you before that when once thou hast put on this new man thou must not cast him off againe as thou wilt doe with thy coate at night when thou goest to bed which thou wilt cast off and the morrow put it on againe but this cloathing thou must goe in it walke in it lye downe with it and rise with it Now the parts of the cloathing followe Put on therefore the bowels of mercie c. Note then briefly wherein stands this abiliment of the new man It is made of sundrie parts it is like the coate of Ioseph made of sundrie colours This coate is so pleasant that it is wonderfull to looke on Mercie a pleasant sight Bountifulnes pleasant Modestie pleasant Meekenes pleasant Lenitie pleasant so there was neuer so pleasant a garment put vpon the backe of man Before hee comes to the parts of this garment hee puts in by the way sundrie arguments to moue them to put on this new man The motiues are three the first is election the second holines the third the loue of God towards vs. Ye are the chosen of God the holy ones of God the beloued of God therfore put on this garment that is pleasant in the eyes of God But to examine these grounds The first is their election that is the calling them out of this darknes into the light of God so Peter defines it 1. Pet. 2. 9. a faire choise This Gospell that ye heare is the light of the world and so this election whereof the Apostle speakes here is nothing els but that which we call commonly our vocation For whom God hath
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
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
thinke to be safe account of the Ministerie as thou pleasest if thou lay not thine eare to the Gospell and beleeue Let saith he the word of God dwell in you In you that is in your hearts not in your mouthes and eares onely but let it goe downe to the heart and to the rootes and depth of the heart and let it haue it residence there It is not enough to haue it tinckling in thy eare albeit some think it enough but it must goe from the eare to the heart and there the residence and lodging of it must be So hee recommends not onely the hearing and reading but hee recommends the meditation in Meditation in the hart the heart thinking musing turning it ouer and ouer againe and againe in the heart for except the word be in the heart it can haue no operation It is not enough to sit and heare a while and no more if there bee not a musing in this word thinke not that it can haue an operation in your heart but the more thou hearest the more gracelesse art thou experience proues it Then the word must be in the heart but how long must it abide there Must it abide the night and away the morrow as a pilgrime lodging here this night and in another place the morrow must it lodge with thee so must thou muse of it for this time and then farewell till thou haue to doe with it againe and goe to thy drinking and pastime No saith he Let the word dwell that is haue a continual residence night and day within thee and be a domesticke or household seruant of Psal 1. 2. thine and not a stranger to abide with thee for euer and let there be a continuall meditation on it so long as thy strength can beare it Trowest thou that the thinking of Iesus will hinder thy occupation No it hath no grace but when thou art thinking of Iesus and it hinders thee nought except the meditation of the word be ardent in thee night and day as it was in Dauid who had as weightie occupations as any man O would to God Kings had a peece of meditation in this word as Dauid had in all those other affaires thinke not that grace will abide with thee For looke how soone this word leaues thee as soone grace goes from thee so that of a mercifull man thou be commest a tyrant What makes so many of our Noblemen so debased but the contempt of this word All our great men are very contemners of Gods word See ye not the vengeance of God vpon them their wiues and children they would haue this word driuen out not onely out of this countrie but out of the hearts of men Well well for all that let the word haue residence and continuall residence within you O but in what measure and what quantitie Some will say if you know this what behooues me to be ouer carefull to vnderstand this word let the Ministers who liue by it haue that care If I haue the Lords Prayer the Beleef and the tenne Commandements I need no more I am a Lord I am a Ladie I am a Gentleman what neede I to trouble my selfe with the Byble I haue another occupation But what saith the Apostle Let the word dwell in you How In scarsitie in a bit of it leauing the rest to others No but let the word dwell in you plenteously let the word make you rich The Apostle then requires a treasure and a store to be laid vp in the heart he would that the riches of the word be in you and not a pouertie of it And I say to thee thou who wilt content thee with one part and wilt not seeke the riches of the word and as the Apostle to the Hebrues chap. 6. 1. that striuest not to be led forward to a perfection but dwellest in the Elements and Cathechisme I say thou hast nothing of it He that will content himselfe with the Pater noster and the Creede I say he hath nothing And if he haue any illumination by it and cares not for a perfection that light he hath gotten shall die out if it grow not it will vanish away You see that if fire be not fed with new matter it will goe out It is as sure We must grow in knowledge or els vve haue no knowledge of that knowledge and light that thou hast of God and that light that is kindled in thee if it be not intertained so that it grow on it shall goe out And O then what danger art thou in If thou spue out that light it is impossible that thou shouldest be renewed by repentance for it is called the sinne against the 2. Pet. 3. 18 Heb. 6. 4. 6. holy Ghost Therefore all ye that would see the light and the riches of heauen striue to be rich in this word and be greedie in reading and meditating of this word as the Lord will giue you grace To goe forward Let the word dwell in you and in euery one of you for that that is spoken to one is spoken to all and that aboundantly It is the treasure that thou shalt take vp with thee and it shall not leaue thee in the graue it shall serue thee in heauen But what more In all wisdome now in this text that Effects of the vvord followes we haue certaine faire effects of this word of Iesus dwelling richly in vs. They are partly in the man himselfe in whom the word dwels and partly in others that heare him speake He who is rich in Christ is not rich himselfe onely but he shall inrich others also with him euery word that comes out of his mouth is a lumpe of riches to thee Then to come to the first effect In all wisdome and knowledge The word of God dwelling richly in any must not want the effect it Wisedome is a faire light must haue an effect and the first effect is a faire light O that light it is as it were a goodly torch light in a darke house that enlightens the whole house So thou by nature art a darke dungeon there is not a sparke of heauenly light in thee by nature Thou hast some light of nature but what is that It is to make thee inexcusable When this light of heauen comes it lightens all thy darknes What is the first effect of the light of the Sunne or of a candle but illumination So this word is the illumination of thy mind It opens the hart and enlightens it Illumination and it illuminates all the affections and puts them in order So the first effect is light It hath this of the owne nature 2. Tim. 3 15. Paul saith The Scriptures are able to make thee wise reade al the bookes that are written if thou couldest compasse heauen The Scriptures bring true wisedome and earth if thou want the Scripture in thy heart thou shalt neuer be wise And seeing this is the true effect
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
affirme there was neuer more neede to speake to the affections of men to admonish and rebuke then in these times Now hee insists in the second thing in raising vp the heart of the hearer that is ouer farre cast downe and heauie so that it cannot speake to God To cheere it vp I say the meanes are Psalmes that is the first The second is Hymnes The third is Songs Canticles All stands in singing melodie of the voyce The sad heart that is ouer farre cast downe that it cannot rise to glorifie God requires to be raised vp with the melody of the voyce I will not insist Psalmes are songs in generall of what 1. Psalmes argument or purpose soeuer they bee Hymnes are songs of 2. Hymnes praises a speciall kinde of Psalme Canticles or Odes are a 3. Canticles certaine kinde of Hymnes composed and made after a more artificiall manner as the song of Salomon The Lord recommends these as meanes to raise vp the heart of man to God that is ouer sad Then the lesson is this Among all the rest of the meanes whereby the heart is wakened and raised vp to God singing is one This melodie this sweete harmonie whether it be naturall or artificiall Musicke serues to raise vp the heart to glorifie God And therefore the melodie of the voyce it should be applied to the edifying of others Looke how ye vse your voyce ye that haue it the Lord giues it to thee for the edifying of thy brother If any haue a Canticle vse it to the edifying of thy brother the greatest part vse it to the destroying of the hearer and feeding of their foule affections to vanitie Well take heede you who haue voyces to sing for thou shalt giue an account if it be not to the edifying of the hearer In the words following hee insists in a large description of these three First for the matter as concerning it it should be spirituall and heauenly All the matter of Psalmes Hymnes and Canticles should be spirituall For why they come from the riches of the word in the heart If thou haue this substance within thee all thy songs will be of Scripture of heauenly things and all to glorifie thy God and to edifie thy brother Well this that Paul speaks condemnes all these songs of vaine and filthie purposes Fie vpon thee who doest abuse thy voyce in foule bawdrie matters to corrupt and infect the affection of the hearer It had bin better thou hadst not gotten a voyce Then he comes to the forme of singing which is it should be gracious that is it should haue such gratiousnes and grauitie as might conuey grace to the heart of the hearer This condemnes all these light and wanton tunes that mistune the affection of the hearer Besides this it condemnes this chirming and chaunting in the Papistical Church This word grace condemnes all because by their broken notes of Musicke they breake the words of the Scripture and so they darken the sentence that the words cannot be vnderstood and feede not the heart with the words and sentences of the Scripture but feed the eare with a vaine tune and so it condemnes all their singing for al is gracelesse because this singing which the Apostle requires should be such as should not breake the words of the Scripture but should make them more plaine and distinct In the third place he comes on to the chiefe Organ that is the instrument wherewith they should sing It is not with the Organs of the Papists no not with thy tongue but it is with the heart and with the affection of a well ruled heart Therefore as a fidler or any that playes on an Instrument tempers his Simile Instrument that a sweete harmonie may be heard of it Euen so before thou sing temper thou thy heart and let thy song rise not from thy throte but from the depth of thine heart that is from thine affections set vpon God Lastly he sets downe to whom we be to make this musicke and whose eare we be to please in singing He saith it is to the Lord then it is the Lord Iesus Christ to whom thou shouldst direct thy song and whose eare thou shouldest please So that he or she that sings either Psalmes Hymnes and Canticles should set themselues to please the eare of Iesus Christ You see these vaine singers set themselues to please the eares of men but thou that wouldest sing with grace to edification set thy selfe to please Christ Iesus that hath pleased thee O woe to thee that will not endeuour thy selfe to pleasure Whom not flesh but him who hath pleasured thee Fie on thee that shouldest please thy selfe with the displeasure of thy Lord For what hast thou won whē thou hast pleased al the world with displeasing of God When thou singest to the pleasure of God thou giuest grace to the heart of thy neighbour and edifiest the hearer Thus much brethren of the meane whereby these graces are gotten As for the verse that followes taking occasion of the former he sets downe a generall rule of all thine actions to wit that in al Iesus Christ should euer be before thy eye Al should be done to his honour First he saith Whatsoeuer you doe doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus That is by calling vpon his holy name begin with him and looke that thine eye be first on him and say Lord mine eye is vpon thee and all is for thy glorie And in the end of the verse he will not giue thee leaue to thanke the Father without the Sonne for he saith Giuing thankes to God the Father euen by him The lesson is then In all actions and speeches euer respect Iesus Christ his honour and glorie he is a maiestie of maiesties When thou art honoring God the Father misse not Christ by the way otherwise thou shalt haue no accesse to that tribunall of grace and say O my God I thanke thee through my Mediatour Iesus Christ Lord haue mercie on me for my Mediatour the Lord Iesus sake for there is no mercie without Christ The ground of this doing is let be that he is God he hath also a Lordship ouer thee Read Rom. 14. 8. 9. For this end hath hee died and risen againe that hee might be Lord both of the dead and of the quicke So honour him as thy Lord. As Paul 2. Cor. 5. 15. Christ hath died and risen to that end that he who liues liue no more to himselfe but to him who died for him and rose againe Looke that that life of thine bee to him Let all thy life thy words and thy actions be to his glorie Whereto should I insist to recommend this matter to you experience teacheth it What ioy hath a man in any action be it neuer so faire what sweetnes hath any man except in the meane time his eye be vpon the Mediatour the Lord Iesus except his conscience tels him hee speakes to the honour of the
Lord Iesus I presse ye with experience foundest thou euer any true ioy in thy heart when thy hart eye was not on Christ No no there is no actiō if it were neuer so glorious that will minister ioy to thy heart except the eye heart be on Christ No if it were a Preacher if he haue not the eye of him on his Lord his speeches auailes not they will not comfort the soule of him Therefore haue euer thy eye vpon this Lord Iesus as euer thou wouldest haue pleasure and ioy in thy heart and benefit to thy selfe in the Lord Iesus To whom with the Father and blessed Spirit be all honour and praise for euer Amen THE XXXII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 18. 19. 18 Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands as is comely in the Lord. 19 Husbands loue your wiues and be not bitter vnto them IN the text preceding the exhortation hath been generall to wit to mortification pertaining to euery estate in the world Now in this text he descends in particular to certaine speciall estates of men and women directing his exhortation particularly to them and namely to three estates The first is to husbands and wiues The second is to parents and children The third is to masters and seruants To come then to the purpose It is to be vnderstood that from the beginning of this world there hath euer been these three principall estates and ranks of men and women in the world The first is the estate of husbands and wiues for ye know Adam ere euer he had children he had his wife The next after Inequality in all estates this was the estate of parents and children and then by processe of time there became some masters and some seruants so that this is the last in order and time In these three estates all be not equall but there is an inequalitie some are superiours and some are inferiours The superiours he hath made to be Husbands Parents and Masters The inferiours he hath made to bee Wiues Children and Seruants For if all were equall no policie could stand nor order on the earth but a confusion The Lord who is onely wise knew this and therefore it pleased him to dispose the world after this manner so that a policie might be kept in it These being the three estates the Scripture hath chiefe respect to them and giues exhortations to these three In all he begins first at the inferiours as in this place he begins at the wiues and then comes to the husbands The cause of this is because the estate of the inferiours is hardest and therefore the spirit of God first informes the inferiours that they should take that burthen the Lord hath laid on them and that they should doe that which they doe willingly for I will not giue a peny for thy seruice and subiection if it be compelled for the subiection that is voluntarie is blessed whether it be by wife child or seruant otherwise all is nothing worth thou hast lost thy thankes But to come to the words First he saith Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands Few words but pithie Note foure things In them ye shall marke foure things First that dutie that is required of maried wiues the dutie is subiection and obedience The second is to whom they owe this dutie not to euery one but to their owne husbands The third is the manner of subiection how it shall be done to wit in the Lord. The fourth is the argument to moue them and it is taken from that that is comely The dutie then is subiection let vs weigh it The first thing in it is obedience in deede and effect This is the first part of subiection as appeares in the first Epistle of Peter chap. 3. where the Apostle making mention of the ancient women brings in the example of Sara and there he defines that subiection Yet there is more in this subiection then simple obedience The obedience must haue ioyned with it honouring of thy husband in word As thou obeyest Subiection of wiues to the husbands and what required in it him indeede and effect so thou must honour him in word therefore in that same place it is said that Sara called her husband Lord. Yet there is more then all this there is feare and reuerence in the heart required that is the ground of all Paul Ephes 5. 33. speakes expresly of this Looke that the wife feare and reuerence her husband in heart So then there is this subiection in the whole parts thereof In deed it is obedience in word it is honouring of him in heart it is feare and reuerence Note So that wife which will be subiect to her husband must keepe these three points or else she faileth in subiection Come to the second to whom this subiection ought to be giuen not to euery one To your owne husbands This subiection is commaunded not to strange men but to your owne husbands The speciall kind of subiection wherein stands the dutie of the wife to the husband is not to be communicated with any other man It is true the male kind hath a preferment aboue the female it hath honour aboue the other Looke Paul 1. Tim. 2. 13. 14. where he giues two reasons of this preferment The first is from the creation Adam was first created and then Eue. The second is from the transgression the woman fell first and it is sure first in sinne last in honour Notwithstanding this wiues are not commaunded to doe this dutie to euery man but to their owne husbands If you will mark the words narrowly you shal perceiue there lurks an argument in them The argument is taken from their propertie they are your proper goods thou hast nothing so proper as thy husband and therefore seeing thy husband is thy proper good shouldest thou not doe a dutie to thy husband But I leaue this and I come to the manner The manner of this subiection is bounded In the Lord the Lord Iesus must be the rule of it But to consider the words Wiues be subiect to your husbands in the Lord The manner of the subiection in these two respects First when you are subiect to your husbands be first subiect to Iesus Christ obey him honour him there is the first dutie which is according to the law discharge thy dutie to God first otherwise thou art in a backward way Begin neuer then at a man though it were at a King to shew and giue thy subiection but begin first at God and subiect thy selfe first to him Secondly when thou hast done thy dutie to the Lord Iesus Christ then for the loue and pleasure and glorie of this Lord thou shouldest subiect thy selfe to thy husband I will giue thee my counsell let neuer wife be subiect to her husband but for the cause of Christ and not for thy husbands cause First if thou doe it so for the Lords
exhortation concerning all estates of men indifferently the last day as the Lord gaue grace wee entred into the speciall concerning Three states in a familie euery estate of men There are three estates in a familie The first is the husband and the wife The second estate is the parents and the children The third estate is the master and the seruants The last day we spake of the first estate concerning husbands and wiues now this day we haue to speake of the second estate to wit of parents and children The words are few yet as the Lord giues grace we shall weigh euery one and only shall set downe the doctrine properly as the words shall affoord The exhortation begins at the children the inferiour ranke as before it began at the wife I shewed you the last day the cause The estate of the inferiour is most hard to be borne withall therefore first hee directs his speech to the inferiour estate to instruct them that willingly they take vpon them that burthen which otherwise they must beare or els displease God To come to the words Children obey your parents The word childe in it owne language is common both to the manchild and to the womanchilde both are comprehended indifferently vnder the name of children and therefore this precept is directed indifferently to both The word if ye would marke the meaning of it signifieth him or her who are begotten What the word children meaneth and borne of those which are called parents yet in the second place it is directed to euery one which beares the name of sonnes and daughters whether they be daughters in law or sonnes in law Ruth as ye reade daughter in law to Naomi she tooke this precept to her she would not depart from her good mother and as you reade she promised obedience to her in all things Experience teacheth vs this day that there bee few like these two Then briefly this much for them to whom this precept is directed The next thing to be marked in the words is the dutie commaunded which is this Children obey this is the duty This duty of obediēce is a dutie y t pertaines to the whole man both soule and bodie it must come inwardly frō the hart and outwardly from the hand To let you see it better in the soule it is reuerence because thy parents be thy superiours they be not thine equals and therfore Obedience to parents thou art bound to reuerence thy parents as thy superiours for reuerence is nothing els but an acknowledging of thy superiours Next in the hart soule it is loue because thou art boūd to thy parents by nature and the band wherewith God hath bound thee to thy parents is loue Thou takest substance and being of thy parents al that thou hast in this world vnder God thou hast it of thy parents therefore the bond of nature binds thee to thy parents to loue them Thirdly this obedience in the soule and heart is thankfulnes for the manifold benefits receiued first by thy parents thou art not the beginner of liberalitie but thy parents they begin to be beneficiall to thee and therefore thou art bound to be thankfull vnto them And this much for the duties in the soule To come to the obedience in the bodie which is nothing els but an outward testification of all those things that are in Externall obedience to parents thy soule it stands first in a reuerent speech Secondly in obeying the commaund of thy parents And thirdly in compensation of the benefits receiued of thy parents I reade in the first Epistle to Timothie chap. 5. vers 4. he makes mention especially of the last Let children saith he learne to shew godlinesse first toward their owne familie beginning at their father their mother If thou be not godly to them thou canst not be godly to another And againe vers 3. Thou that wilt not prouide for thy familie art worse then an Infidell Thou that wilt not prouide for thy father and mother thou hast no faith Well ye who are children learne of Ioseph what hee did to his father and brethren It is said he fed them he fed his old father and put meate in his mouth but thou wilt wring it out of their mouth if they haue but one mouthfull Yea if thou haue wealth and they be in pouertie thou wilt not know them nor help them but wilt begin to be ashamed af them Thou wilt not let them come within thy doores and if they come at any time to thine house to be eased thou accounts so lightly of them that thou canst not abide their presence at thy boord or in thy hall but away with them to the chimney corner O villaine thou art vnworthie to be called a sonne and as an vnthankfull bodie thou shalt finde thy reward to be worse then the reward of the worst Infidell in the world Know ye not this to be true yea some children when they come to yeares will wring all from their parents and send them to beg their meate O Scotland thou hast many such children within thee but woe yea double and treble woe be vpon them for euer Then the dutie commaunded is obedience and this commaundement lets vs see how naturally children are inclined to disobedience God Children naturally inclined to disobediēce bound thee in the creation to obedience and now the world is so degenerate that there is nothing to be found in children for the most part but contempt and disobedience euery way O the malicious lowne will not be so despitefull to any as to his parents So this commaundement lets thee see the stubborne nature of children against their parents O but if this commandement enforce thee not to doe thy dutie to thy parents thou shalt be reserued in bonds to thine eternall damnation But to goe forward to whom should this obedience bee shewed Obey saith he Whom not euery one but thy parents him and her that haue begotten thee and borne thee of whom thou hast thy being and all that thou hast vnder God that is the force of the word So in the word there lurkes a forcible argument from nature Vnnaturall bodie will not nature moue thee art thou vnnaturall thou art vngodly to God For thou who breakest the bond of nature thou breakest the bond of pietie So the argument is from nature It is wonderfull to see how Ethnicks children moued by the light of nature haue obeyed their parents There was a law made among the Athenians that the child should feede the old parent or els be bound in fetters so long as hee liued If this law were in Scotland I thinke there should bee many children bound in fetters yea so many as there could be fetters made for them Well wilt thou goe to the beasts they may shame thee thou maist reade of their gratitude to their parents as for thee they may cal thee very wel mother-curse and malison If nature hath
been so forcible in Ethnicks Pagans and brute beasts shall grace doe nothing in thee Wilt thou say thou standest in grace and then wilt not doe the thing that nature requires of thee It is shame to thee to stand vp and say with a brasen brow that thou stands in grace when nature hath no force in thee Thou liest thou hast nothing to doe with grace for that thou hast lost euen thy naturall affection The next thing lets children sâ—â— in what thing they should be obedient apparantly the word hath no exception Obey saith he in all things The word is either of one action and in it is required a perfect and whole obedieÌ„ce If thou wilt obey if it were but in action giue him whole obedience in doing of the same Some will goe to worke with grudging and glonshing the lowne will goe with a backward looke murmuring and whispering with a diuels pater noster This is but halfe obedience and thou shalt get no thankes for it therefore as thou wouldest haue thankes of God let thy obedience be voluntarie and cheerefull or els the Lord loues thee not Or this may be vnderstood of sundrie actions Obey in all things whatsoeuer You will aske Are the children bound in euery thing to obey Apparantly the Apostle meanes so Brethren there are three sorts of actions or things in the world the first that is Three sorts of actions plaine euill forbidden by God when it comes to that action obey him not when the father of heauen countermaunds obey not thine earthly father There is another sort that is good commaunded of God when thy father commands that thou art bound to doe it yea when he bids thee not thou oughtest to obey because God hath commaunded thee And if God and thy father commaund how darest thou disobey The third sort are indifferent actions that are neither bidden nor forbidden but may be done and not done according to circumstances which make them good or euill when thy parents commaunds thee to doe them thou oughtest to obey considering the circumstances yea thou art bound to obey thy parents euen in things that are grieuous to thee The Lord hath bound thee so streightly to thy parents that if the Lord countermand not thou art bound to obey him I say euen in that that is grieuous vnto thee And briefly these are the things in the which obedience is to be done to earthly parents Now followes the argument to moue them to this obedience for saith he that is well pleasing to the Lord he likes well of it for in obeying them thou pleasest not so much them as the Lord Iesus who lookes vpon the inward disposition of the heart Well are they that can please the Lord set thy heart to please him for there is no ioy but when the heart thinkes True ioy that the thing that it doth pleaseth God Wherefore is it pleasing to him There is nothing pleasing to him but that that is iust the iust Lord likes nothing but that that is iust Therefore Ephes chap. 6. vers 1. hee said Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right or iust Wherefore is it iust because hee hath said it is according to a law and this is the law Honour thy father and thy mother But the word hath further It is well pleasing that is exceeding pleasing and acceptable in an high degree The Lord hath declared this that this obedience to the parents is not only pleasing but in a high sort it likes him wel Looke in the order of the Commandements begins he not in the second table at this Commaundement Honour thy father and mother to serue them that is the next commaundement of seruice he commaunds to be done after him thou art bounden to thy earthly father and more he hath declared that it is pleasing by that promise that is added to that commaundement That thy daies may be long in the land c. So this promise lets thee see that there is not a dutie vnder his owne worship more acceptable to him then this dutie to parents is and if To please parents is a dutie very acceptable vnto God thou omit that dutie and dishonour thy parents although thou shouldest giue to others all thy goods thou shalt neuer doe any thing pleasing vnto the Lord. Well you that are disobedient to pareÌ„ts the Lord shall lay to your charge the breach of the whole law This argument hath an higher ground before it moue children to doe this dutie first of all they must know the Lord Iesus they must studie to please him and then knowing him and studying to please him out of question they will be obedient to their parents Because my heart is set to please the Lord therefore I will obey my father And therefore you that are parents take your lesson As you would haue your children obey you for the Lords sake so traine them vp in the Lord. Tell them what the Lord is and what hee hath done for them and what they are indebted to the Lord. If you Education omit this to instruct them of the iust iudgement of God it may come to passe that thine owne childe may be thy greatest enemie So woe to thee that wilt not let thy sonne know the Lord Iesus Now you see this argument What if the child obey he hath here a faire offer if you obey you doe that is acceptable to God as by the contrarie if thou disobey thou displeasest not so much thy earthly father as thou displeasest God And thinkest thou that thou shalt doe that vnpunished Thy earthly parents cannot get an amends of thee but thou canst not passe away and eschue Gods iudgements Reade you not of the punishment threatned Exod. 21 It is commaunded that the disobedient to parents should bee stoned to death Deut. 27. Among the rest of the curses he that curseth his parents hath a speciall curse and what is this curse is this curse in hell euerlasting damnation Is there no more Prou. 30. vers 17. The eye that mockes the father as there be many lownes that mocke their father and despiseth the instruction of his mother let the Rauens of the valley picke it out and the young Eagles eate it Would you haue an example Reade of Cham the Scripture tels you what an eternall curse he and his posteritie got Reade you not of the curse of Absolon and of Abimelech Iudg. 9. he slew all the lawfull sonnes of Gedeon but the Lord reuenged it We haue no neede to goe to farre examples see we not daily examples of the iudgements of God vpon disobedient children to their parents Thus farre for the dutie of Children Now followeth the dutie of the parents Fathers saith the Apostle prouoke not your children to anger the reason least they be discouraged This commaundement to parents lets you see euen as the children may faile in doing of their dutie to their Duties of parents to children parents so
Lord allowes it him and thou who pinchest the belly of him the Lord shall pinch thee in things heauenly the Lord will haue an eye to him beware therefore how thou dealest with them in this life Then he saith Giue them What That that is iust that is that that thou hast conditioned with them Hast thou conditioned for such a hire keepe thy condition yea there is more giue them but giue them that that is equall what is that Haue they serued thee according to the rule that I prescribed haue they serued thee in all things then be not so streight with them but giue aboue thy condition made to them be more liberall and stand not with them in their hire The Apostle 1. Pet. 2. 18. sets downe two properties of a master Iust and liberall Compare this with that that went before when he spake of the reward of the Lord. There there was not such a modification but a kingdome was promised but turning to the dutie of masters he modifies a stipend hee bids not giue all his inheritance but giue him that that is iust and equall that is a part of it according to their labour and condition and that liberally without niggardlines This imports something This lets thee see a great difference betwixt God and man in rewarding The thing that man will giue thee is but a hire a thing measured but the thing the Lord giues is not modefied nor measured to thee it is an inheritance and all that is gotten here is but an earnest peny of thy reward Of this followeth another difference The thing thou gettest of thy master it is a debt to thee thou merits it at his hand but when thou commest to God there is no debt there and thy doing is no merit but a thing giuen of beneuolence It hath pleased God to giue thee a reward and so to giue it by no debt goe thy way with thy merits for if thou sticke to them thou shalt get no merit but hell Gods giuing to thee of any thing is of fauour Now to end briefly To moue the masters to their dutie he addes to an argument Knowing that yee also haue a Lord in the heauens What followes on this There is something suppressed to wit a Lord in the heauens who if you giue that that is iust and equall shall giue you that that is iust and equall hee will doe iustice both to you and them he will make all oddes euen there is no respect of persons with him This is the office of the Lord to make all oddes euen neuer soule shall receiue wrong at his hands but when thou gets punishment thou gets thy due punishment pertaines to thee c. The thing that I marke is this It is the Lord that makes masters and that makes this inequalitie that giues this preferment that raiseth vp and casteth downe When Adam was created was there any preferment No as the Lord doth this so the eye of that great Lord is neuer off him whom he hath preferred Hath he made thee a Lord or hath he raised thee to any preferment his eye is vpon thee and as his eye is vpon thee so he stands aboue thee with mercie in the one hand and iudgement and vengeance in the other And the greater thou be the greater mercie and iudgement is aboue thee No thy hand is not so readie to take vengeance of thy seruant as his hand is readie to reuenge the wrong And thy vengeance and his differs in this thine is wrong but his is neuer wrong but al is right he doth But yet brethren to weigh the words Knowing saith he there is the first word The light of knowledge is the ground of dutie Light of knowledge ground of dutie What can a blind bodie doe that sees nothing if he were a King a Iudge and a Master The light then of knowledge is the ground of dutie as ignorance is the ground of all euill doing Knowing What That ye also haue Then the masters that did not their dutie they misunderstood the thing they had and men know not that they haue if it were but this wee haue a God yet they know him not The next word is Ye haue a Lord. It is the ignorance of the Lord that makes men misknow their dutie their eye is euer beneath the eye of the King is vpon the subiect but it is a rare grace to get an eye to looke to the Lord that is aboue him and therefore he thinkes hee hath no more adoe but with the poore subiects and so hee cannot doe his dutie aright Where is this Lord In the heauen Thou art in the earth though thou wert a King but thy Lord is aboue thee thou art farre beneath him and therefore the iudgement and stroke that must fall from him must be sad and heauie because it is farre fetcht The furthest stroke thou canst bring will be from thy Crowne but what is that to the stroke of God fetched from the high heauens yea from aboue Gods stroke all heauens that must be a very sore stroke beware of it for if it light on thee thou shalt neuer rise againe The last word also makes a comparison betwixt the Lord and the seruants you haue a Lord as they haue as they are seruants so are ye likewise seruants yea to a greater Lord. Yea the more high the Lord is aboue you in comparison ye are the lower seruants then the sweeper of your house is Note if ye were a King the very dust is greater in comparison then thou art Thou canst not make a pickle of dust Would to God Kings and Lords knew this Abraham knew it when he said What am I but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 27. Now then to make the masters to doe their dutie he brings them downe vnder the feete of the Lord of heauen hee brings thee out of thy chaire hee hurles the King out of his throne It teacheth vs that there will be no dutie gotten of superiours except thou bee first humbled vnder thy God If thou be not humbled vnder God thou wilt not nor canst not doe thy dutie Lastly I see a different dealing in the Apostle when he deales with seruants he Note well doth it comfortably but comming to Lords and Masters he drawes vp their head to see that there is a Iudge sitting aboue them this is another manner of dealing So marke his discretion hauing to doe with sundrie estates and persons he vseth sundrie arguments Our folke may not abide this forme of dealing who bad him say they threaten Lords and Kings speake to the Commons and poore people Well well let not the mouth of the Gospell be closed which speakes sometimes comfortably and sometimes boysterously and lets men see an angrie God and all to their saluation Further I perceiue this all Superiours would be threatned Masters would be threatned Princes would be threatned and the higher the greater matter of threatning For such is the
it In the last verse he makes plaine the thing he said he declares what a speaking this is That I may make it manifest that is that I may open it and vnfould it as a piece of cloath Take this mysterie in the which Christ and his riches is inclosed lay it open and let the world see it cleerely As to the speaking of it Moses spake of it but he left it foulded vp Then the Prophets spake of it but they vnfoulded it not for they could not doe it because Christ was not yet come in the flesh Then come the Apostles when Christ is crucified and they open it and as it is said in the Ephesians chap. 3. They Euangelize They A mystery make manifest the comming of Christ and his mysterie In a word that which was a mysterie of old they make an Euangell of it and the mysterie and the Euangell is one in effect for the mysterie is nothing els but a closed Euangell and the Euangell is the mysterie opened vp Then the lesson is wherein stands the speaking of the mysterie of Christ To wit in opening vp of it And therfore who euer thou be that takes vpon thee to speake of this mysterie look thou be skilfull to handle it that is that thou cāst vnfould it rightly to let the world see Iesus Christ that was so long hid vp Let them see Christ crucified and glorified looke that thou canst speake with the demonstration of a spirituall power with euidence of the spirit to make it plaine to the world and take Iesus Christ and paint The preaching of the Gospell the vnfolding of a mysterie him out to the eye of the people and let them see him glorified in the heauen and that life flowing out of his bloud If thou inuolue it when thou shouldest lay it abroad woe is thee hold thy tongue and speake not of him Alas then Ministers haue need to take heed to themselues This Gospell would not be handled with vnwashen hands The last words are As it becommeth me to speake or as it is in the owne language as it behooueth me of necessitie whereby he meanes that there was a necessitie imposed vpon him as in the first Epistle to the Corinths chap. 9. 16. and there hee saith Woe is me if I preach not the Gospell in this place he means that same necessitie Then briefly the Apostle here acknowledgeth a necessitie imposed vpon him to vtter the Gospell of Christ The lesson is easie weigh the estate of Pastors and Ministers In a word there is not a Pastor nor Minister that takes in hand to vtter Christ but there is a necessitie laid on his necke as an oxe yoked in a plough and all the Kings of the earth shall not take it off to vtter the Gospell with libertie To hide nothing of the mysterie not to impaire it a whit what euer the Lord requires in the Gospell in paine of thy life see thou impaire it not If the Emperors of y e world should lay an other yoke on thee say with Paul Woe is me if I preach not In deede thou who wouldest close the mouth of a Pastor if thou couldest free him of the necessitie and yoke that God hath laid on him thou wouldest doe something but woe to thee that wouldst lay on thy yoke with the yoke of God! Wilt thou the poore mans perishing Lay on him what thou wilt thou shalt not relieue him of the yoke of god and woe to that Minister that conceales ought of the truth of God for the pleasure of man Will not men consider this necessitie No al the world shall not with Gods grace make me cast off this yoke yea if it come to practise ye shall finde men who will be content to die for this Woe to thee who will impaire a iot of the Gospell Thou dishonourest God and his Gospell Therefore the Lord giue vs grace to suffer all extremitie and death it selfe cre euer we impaire a iot of this Gospell The Lord work this for Christs sake for his yoke is sweete and easie to be borne Now to the Father Sonne and holy Spirit be all praise and honour Amen THE XXXVI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 5. 5 Walke wisely towards them that are without and redeeme the season HAuing spoken brethren of the particular admonitions that were giuen by the Apostle to particular estates of men and women especially dwelling in one familie and household wee returned againe to the generall exhortation pertaining to men and women of all estates high and low poore and rich Princes and subiects masters and seruants and to all alike The first generall wee heard the last day and intreated of it as God gaue the grace it was an exhortation to prayer and perseuerance in prayer It is not enough to pray but thou must perseuere in prayer be ardent and earnest in it night and day for so thou hast neede to doe if thou consider thy wants Vnto perseuerance in prayer he ioyneth watchfulnes which is nothing els but feruentnes and earnestnes to pray with an ardent desire otherwise thou scornest him if thou deale with him for fashion and thou scorner Prayer wilt be met with and shalt finde thy prayer to be but foolishnes Eccles 2. 17. Then when he hath done this in generall he comes in speciall to himselfe and desires them to pray together for him among the rest considering that there was none that needed more then he because he was lying in bands for the Gospell and therefore had an impediment to vtter with libertie that mysterie of Iesus Christ which is nothing els but the Gospell hid vp in a mysterie to the consolation and saluation of the world Now to come to the text here followeth the second generall exhortation and it is to walke but with wisedome so in a word it is an exhortation to vse wisedom in their actions and proceedings whatsoeuer For what auailes it to doe ought except it be done wisely But to weigh the words as the Lord will giue grace Walke saith he You shall finde this oft recommended you are neuer bidden sleepe or sit idle but euer walking Walke occupation busines doing is recommended This Christian calling that wee haue in Christ Iesus it is not to sit idle to be sluggish to sleepe and slumber to sit to lie and to stand still in one place but it is to walke to goe to be on your iourney Wee are pilgrims and a pilgrime would euer be on his feet and if he rest it would be shortly and speedily dispatched and euer to the iourney Our calling is to occupation and labouring here but thou shalt cease from thy labour after this life To whom is this promise made to cease from your labour but to those who are diligently and earnestly occupied here in the vineyard of the Lord euer taking heede to their waies that they offend not the great God of
heauen and therefore thou shouldest labour if thou wouldest rest after this life And I say brethren a true Christian is not a sluggard or The true Christian labours in a lawfull calling an idle bodie but a doing man and of all sorts of men he is the most actiue Take the example of the Apostle he said not only that he walked with a slow pace reposing himselfe in this world but he ranne as a man in a race the first Epistle Cor. 9. chap. with great speed and in that race he ranne so fast that he looked not behind him to look ouer his shoulder he took no time but his eye was still on the marke for standing in the race is the losse of time Therefore sit not downe to count what thou hast done but ouer thy shoulder with it and still goe forward Well saith he walke be occupied be doing it is not enough to be doing euery way for it were better for some to be idle when they are doing The greater part runs to mischiefe and are doing wickedly How should they walke Wisely In the Epistle to the Ephesians fift chapter he expresseth this in more words Walke saith he circumspectly consideratly diligently not as fooles but as wise men these are his words then walking is commended But how with wisedome The Lord giues wisedome to men yea walke so circumspectly that thou take heede to each footstep when thou lifts thy foote take heede where thou sets it The life of a Christian is so precise therefore looke about thee for the world lookes vpon thee Thou walkest in the light walke then in a comely manner Finally in thy walking walke so wisely that thou let passe no circumstance neither of time place nor person but haue an eye to all euen to all Then to giue you the lesson Our honourable calling is to labour walking and occupation but with al wisdome consideration and discretion and a Christian man or woman must be wise as they are laborious They must not be fooles rushing and rumbling running headlong to euery thing without taking any regard which is a shaming of themselues oftentimes Thou must not walke so this is common to euery Christian but especially to those whom God hath set ouer others it chiefly appertaines I meane the ministers they must bee most circumspect The eyes of the world are vpon them they are vpon the mountain nothing can escape them but all is marked therefore this wisedome is specially required of them Paul in the second Epistle to Timothie chap. 2. he Ministers must pray they may walke circumspectly saith consider these things then with a prayer he sayth The Lord giue thee wisedome in all things The Lord giue a Minister wisedome in all things for there was neuer more neede then there is now And Iesus Christ saith Be prudent and wise like Serpents and simple like doues So this wisedome that he craues is not the wisedome of this false double world but wisedome that is in the simplicitie of the heart The Lord saue vs from the wisedome of these politike heads it is not that wisedome Serpentine wisedome with simplicitie that the Lord commends to vs. The Lord shall iustifie our wisdome when their wisedome shall be counted false policie in that great day Would ye haue example of both these wisedomes of the wisedome of the Serpent and of the wisedome of simplicitie like the Doue To make that plaine I shall let you see both in the 23. of the Acts. Paul is accused he is standing before Ananias the high Priest making his defence The first word he vtters he saith In all good conscience I haue serued my God to this day This is the preface here appeares not the wisedome of Serpents but the simplicitie of a doue laying out before them that life hee had led in a good conscience before God We must follow him and must in all delations and accusations stand vp and protest before that God that seeth all that in a good conscience we haue striuen in al things to seeke the glorie of God and his seruice Then Ananias hearing this protestation he commaunds to strike the man on the mouth Alas the world cannot abide to heare that the seruant of God keepes a good conscience Then he saith O whited wall the time 1 The simplicitie of a doue in Paul will come when the Lord shall strike thee so the Apostle stands stiffe in defence of his good conscience before God and will not hold his tongue of that but foretels to Ananias the iudgement that was to come vpon him Well should wee holde our tongues here No brethren so long as the Lord opens our mouthes to speake I say we were traytors aboue all traytors to King Church and Countrey if we foretold not that heauie iudgement that shall follow vpon such proceedings nay if we should hold our tongue the earth and the walles shall crie out that a iudgement shall come vpon sinners Then hitherto he hath vttered his simplicitie and foolish simplicitie as they 2 The wisedome of a Serpent in Paul esteemed it The forest enemies that then pursued him were the Pharisies and Sadduces then the Lord giues him the wisedome of a Serpent and he shewes that he is a Pharisie and the sonne of a Pharisie and that hee was brought there in iudgement for the hopes sake he had of the resurrection of the dead and in this he speakes no lye but speakes the trueth as it was The Pharisies hearing that they fell by the eares with the Sadduces and so he escapes The Lord giue vs this wisedome and simplicitie in the like danger Walke wisely In the Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 5. vers 15. he desires this wisedome and he makes it to be the vnderstanding of the will of God Wisedome then what is it The vnderstanding of Gods will The wise man what is he He that vnderstands Wisedome what it is Gods will the rule of our actions What is our owne will Nothing but crooked and backward and makes an ouerthwart and backward action but Gods will is straight and makes all our actions that are done after his will straight and euen Who is the wise man not he that followes his own will wit and reason but he who in all his doings followes the rule of Gods will and renounceth his owne reason Take thy reason and thy will and binde them and either conforme them to the will of God or else they shall carrie thee to damnation Naturall reason and will and thou who wouldst be wise be a foole There was neuer mā that followed his owne wit and will from the first to the last but in the end howbeit it was plausible for the time he hath lamented miserably and hath found that hee hath run without a rule or marke and that he was a foole Nay if thou follow thine owne will it shall miscarie thee and thou shalt find that thou hast wrastled with thine owne
and godly zeale that hee bare towards them but also towards their neighbours the Laodiceans and them of Hierapolis for whom certes euen as for the Colossians hee did in prayer euen as it were striue with the Lord. For wee cannot earnestly powre forth prayers vnto God for any vnlesse that our hearts be seized before hand with an earnest affection towards them And it would bee marked that to the end this great care and loue of Epaphras towards them might be the more assuredly manifest and they the better perswaded of it he confirmeth it by his owne testimonie which considering what great authoritie and credit specially as an Apostle hee ought to haue amongst them should at no hand be counted either light or deceitfull and that causeth him to say and deliuer it in this forme This I testifie of him It followeth in our text namely vers 14. of this chapter Luke the beloued Physition saluteth you c. These are still salutations and greetings sent them and indeed comefrom sundrie of the Gentiles as diuers of those before did This Luke that is mentioned here was Pauls continuall companion in all his troubles and trauailes as appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles which hee himselfe wrote and hee remained with Paul euen then when other being sent away from him Demas forsooke him also which also the Apostle sheweth saying Onely Luke is with me 2. Timoth. 4. 11. And in Pauls Epistle to Philemon vers 24. he is called Pauls helper that is a labourer or worker with him in the Ministerie Now Paul deseribeth him here first by the calling which he had before God put him a part to preach the Gospell hee was a Physition from whence wee may learne that no politike or ciuill calling or occupation can hinder Gods calling vnto the ministerie of Nothing can hinder Gods calling of men to the holie ministerie Christ but hee will call whom hee will and of what sort of people please him He calleth Matthew from the receipt of custome to be an Apostle He calleth Peter Andrew Iohn and Iames who were busied about catching of fishes and he maketh them fishers of men He chose Amos from being a heardman to be a Prophet and the like may we reade in many other And so he maketh Luke the Physition to become an Euangelist For as God is most free in himselfe so is he not tyed to any condition or calling of men whatsoeuer but chuseth whom he will as he will to do his worke alwaies notwithstanding induing them with gifts fit for the execution of their duties according to his good pleasure Secondly hee setteth him out by this adiunct beloued in which terme the Apostle commendeth him for that great loue which he bore towards him as a Christian man and one that was very inward with him and familiar vnto him For the loue that Christs Apostle and the friendship that was betweene them did not a little commend the man By which wee may see that it is no small To be beloued of them that loue God matter but indeed of good worth both to our selues and to others to be beloued of them that either loue God or are loued of him To our selues as a testimonie of good comfort and to others as an argument of good credit To him he adioyneth Demas This was he of whom the Apostle complaineth that he was forsaken saying 1. Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath for saken me and imbraced this present world In the Epistle to Philemon he is called Pauls helper from whence we may with good probabilitie gather that at that time he was a minister of the Gospell but afterwards forsaking his calling he fell away and gaped after gaine From whence wee may see that the loue of this present world cannot stand with the The loue of the world and the ministerie of the Gospell cannot stand together ministerie of the Gospell For no man saith Christ can serue two masters for either he shall hate the one and loue the other or cleaue to the one and forsake the other Ye cannot serue God and Mammon Matth. 6. 24. If the mind once be caried away with the carefulnes of worldly things it cannot be wholy occupied in seeking Christ and his glorie but will easily preferre the world before Christ himselfe And thus farre concerning these verses and the true and naturall meaning of them with other necessarie matter in sort and manner as you haue heard Now to some obseruations out of them And first in that Epaphras did alwaies striue for them in his prayers wee may gather that it is not so easie a matter to make prayers vnto God No easie matter to pray well as commonly men account it but rather indeede very hard and of great labour Which may appeare by this that if a man doth but once settle himselfe to it specially if hee doe it earnestly hee shall finde a thousand lets and hindrances set before him if not vtterly to pull him away from prayer yet to stay him much therein or to make his prayers more cold and faint Sometimes Satans malice sometimes his own corruptiō will stand vp against him sometimes other mens examples of neglect or of cold performance of prayer And though Hindrances to pray these were not but that men thought still they prayed yet shall men if they would sift and sound their hearts well perceiue y t this is one cause why in prayer or to prayer men find no hindrance because they are content with a certaine forme of words which flow from the mouth but haue no seate in the heart and so praying without true faith indeede or any serious affection of the minde or any vnfained reuerence of God or any sound feeling of their owne miseries or any heartie desire to bee reconciled to the Lord c. their prayers are Things necessarie to him that would pray well lip-labour yea lost labour Neither will Satan much set himselfe against such praiers if we may call them praiers because he knoweth they will not much hurt him and his kingdome But hee will mightily oppose against the heartie praiers of Gods people and resist them by obiecting and casting in their way all the temptations that possibly he can because he well knoweth that by meanes thereof his kingdome shall if not be ouerthrowne yet greatly diminished Secondly in the person and practise of Epaphras learne that it is the Pastors dutie not onely to teach and to instruct his The Pastors dutie in presence and absence flocke in the doctrine of the Gospell whilest he is present with them but euen as it were to carrie them about with him in his heart and to take himselfe continually bound and tyed to zeale and care for them and with earnest requests and supplications to wish for and procure their saluation and continually to pray for them to almightie God And great reason they are their fathers they are their teachers Fathers are vnnaturall if
ministers they ought to honour and esteeme as sent from God vnto them for their good For if that rule of the Apostle 1. Tim. 5. 1. Rebuke not an Elder but exhort him as a father hold and be true still towards them that be of great yeers then must it in proportion be true in the Ministers and Elders of the Church in whom their place and calling this way foorth is as much to be respected as yeeres in others And the Pastor himselfe should not in regard of his great place and excellent graces aboue others contemne or lightly esteem these admonitions as the manner of some is but should set them to heart and be prouoked by them the more faithfully to execute the charge and function that God and the Church haue imposed vpon him which what it is the Apostle sheweth by the words following when he saith Looke to this that thou fulfill the ministerie which thou hast receiued from the Lord. This is a very graue and yet withall a very modest forme that the Apostle would haue the Church to vse in admonishing their pastor And it seemeth to stand vpon two speciall points or to containe two things which hee would haue the Church to admonish their pastor of The first that hee should well consider and regard the ministerie which God had committed vnto him both Two things principally required in a faithfull pastor or minister what manner office it is and of what great weight and also how graue laborious and excellent the vocation is looking into it generally and carefully considering all the parts of it and omitting nothing that is of necessitie required to the faithfull full performance of his pastoral dutie The second that after he doth once exactly know his office and charge he faithfully fulfill the same that is diligently accomplish and faithfully execute all the parts of that his office so that nothing may be found defectiue or wanting in him which appertaineth to the full discharge of his dutie and office And these two things must of necessitie be ioyned together not onely in doing ministeriall duties but in euery other calling whatsoeuer I meane the knowledge of an office and the execution thereof for this is not sufficient that a man know what his dutie is vnlesse he also execute and performe the same A very strong reason because as the Apostle saith to him that knoweth how to doe well and doth it not to him it is sinne And againe wee know that no man can execute his office and discharge it in faith and a good conscience vnlesse he first vnderstand what he is bound by the vertue and power of his calling to accomplish because that experience teacheth vs that as of an vnknowne thing there is no desire so there cannot be any accomplishment no man being able to doe that which he knoweth not or vnderstandeth not Now though out of these words we may learne many good lessons yet for the time and because wee are to hasten to an end wee will obserue onely two The first that for the better stirring vp of Archippus to fulfill his ministerie he taketh an argument drawne from God the author of the ministerie saying which thou hast receiued from the Lord. From whence wee may learne that the conscience of our callings specially then when we are sure they are from God should be no smal spurre Conscience that the ministerie is from God shall make men to walke faithfully in it to prouoke vs to faithfull execution of them in the place wherein God hath put vs whether it be Magistracie Ministerie or any other specially the ministerie of the Church So Paul when he exhorted the Elders of the Church of Ephesus to looke to themselues and to the whole flocke and so to feed the Church of God draweth and taketh his argument from the holie Ghost who had called them to the ouersight of the Church of Ephesus In which saith he the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers thereby declaring that nothing can more effectually moue and stirre vp men to the doing of their duties then to consider that wee haue receiued our ministerie from God before whom wee as other men must render an account of all things that we haue done in the flesh before whom also the minister must stand as an approued workman that neede not be ashamed 2. Tim. 2. 15. Which whilest good men haue seriously thought of and carefully practised as became them they haue had the peace of a good conscience in themselues and great approbation before God and men Whereas others either not knowing this or not walking in the obedience of it haue runne riot to much excesse and drawne many after them and with them into perdition And I would to God that we here in our land had not tasted of the smacke of this yea I wish with all my heart that wee could learne by that which is past to be wiser for that which is to come or at the latter end as we say then should we see God more honoured the ministerie more faithfully discharged the people better instructed and all good fruites abound Whereas now through ignorance and carelesnes of this sinne and superstition ouerfloweth all and nothing but a floud of iudgement readie to ouerwhelme But we will leaue this point and proceed on to the other The second point is this that if a man will well and faithfully execute his office in the ministerie it is not enough that he trauaile in one part of it alone as for example that he teach The ministerie is not performed when some one point or dutie of it is accomplished onely exhort onely or so foorth but he must of necessitie diligently execute all and euery part thereof that so hee may be found faithfull in all the house of God as Moses was Hebr. 3. 2. and in all the parts of his calling too keeping backe from them none of Gods counsels that so he may be free from the bloud of all as the Apostle was Acts 20 for that indeede is to fulfill the ministerie And great reason indeede of this and that as well because the whole and euery part of the ministeriall function is from God and wee know that no imperfect or defectiue thing will either please him or be good to our selues sith he commaundeth vs to doe all that he enioyneth vs and not to goe aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left Deuter. 12. as also because it is so prescribed in the word of truth For the Apostle writing vnto Timothie in his second Epistle and in the end of the third chapter and reckoning vp the principall vses of the Scripture and namely that it is profitable to instruct to reprooue to correct and to teach euen vnto righteousnes which are as it were so many parts and peeces of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and in which indeede consisteth that same right diuiding of the word whereof he speaketh in the same
Epistle chap. 2. 15. presently in the beginning of the fourth chapter with a graue obtestation vrgeth Timothie that in all these things hee would be earnest and vigilant saying I beseech thee therefore before the Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge the quicke and the dead in that his glorious appearance and in his kingdome preach the word be earnest in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine And afterwards vers 15. But watch thou in all things But what shall we thinke of these carelesse men that will not labour in any part much lesse in euery part carefully to discharge their dutie or those that thinke labouring now and then in some peece of their calling the same to bee more then a sufficient discharge of it before God or of othersome who as though their generall and particular vocation in the Ministerie and parts thereof were not troublesome and burthensome enough doe take and lay burthens vpon them in Magistracie in policie and I cannot tell what But wee leaue them to God to whom they must one day answere for al these corruptions and will goe forward in that which followeth which is the last verse both of this chapter and of the whole Epistle The salutation by the hand of me Paul After he had put down other mens salutations to the Church he doth in the last place mention his owne adding thereto that as he desireth them to be mindfull of his bands so he cannot but wish them all grace and goodnes from God Concerning this and such like salutations the Apostle vseth them for two speciall respects first to testifie vnto them his great care loue and good will that he caried to them being alwaies mindfull of them for good then to expresse the prayers and the wishes he made for them by which hee desired grace and all good things to bee vouchsafed vnto them for whom he prayed And concerning the salutation hee protesteth that hee wrote it with his owne Pauls care to preuent counterfeit writings hand and that to this end and purpose that it might be as a signe and seale with which he shut vp after his vsuall manner all his Epistles as he professeth 2. Thessal 3. 17. for it seemeth that Paul in writing of all his Epistles at the least in most of them did vse the helpe of a Scribe or Secretarie till such time as he came towards the end or shutting of them vp or as wee may say the greetings in the end but that hee wrote with his owne hand and that to this end that all might know by that his handwriting that it was Pauls owne Epistle and not one that was adulterous or foysted in in steed thereof For there were euen in the Apostles time some as appeareth 2. Thess 2. 2 who dissembling Pauls name spread many errors abroad and all for the corrupting of that sound and holesome doctrine which he had deliuered And should wee marueile at this seeing wee know that this is an old sleight of Satan to obtrude vnto the Church forged and bastardly writings in steede of true and all that he might corrupt the Church But as Satans malice was great herein so did Gods care and loue to his Church appeare in prouiding so for his Church that he hath by certaine infallible notes distinguished the writings of the Prophets and Apostles from all other writings of men whatsoeuer And though it be certaine that Pauls naturall and true Epistles be to be discerned from all bastardly and counterfeite ones by setting thereto his owne hand yet the authenticall Scriptures of God haue certaine other notes and marks more sure in my minde and the same also perpetuall As for example the diuine maiestie that shineth therein though otherwise the speech vsed in it be very simple and plaine Againe the heauenly puritie and sanctimonie that euery where is manifested in it the spiritual grace that appeareth therein as well in the words as in the matters thereof the certaintie of the things being before foretold and accomplished in their times the inward reuerence that is in mans heart towards them aboue all writings whatsoeuer with sundrie such like of Should be strong in vs to detest popish perswasiōs and Atheisticall opinions which we may not speake at this present Onely this wee are to know that if we feele this in truth and peace it will effectually arme vs against Papists Atheists and other corrupters some not onely deprauing the credit of the word and bringing in many bastardly writings besides to the end they might equall with or aduaunce their traditions before Gods word which is the sinne of the Romish Catholikes and othersome disgracing and discrediting the same that they might perswade men there is no heauen or hell God diuell word c. and prouoke them to liue as bruit beasts and these are Atheists but both lie vnder iudgement the first for their grosse superstition and idolatrie and the latter for their horrible blasphemie But to go from this point to some other following The Apostle addeth Remember my bands Before he come to put downe his wish or prayer for them he commendeth vnto them the memorie of his bands or imprisonment which he suffered for the defence of the Gospell And of this one precept Three respected in one precept there are many vses and that both as in regard of Paul himselfe the Colossians and others For it behoueth them in respect of Paul to thinke vpon them and him in them that so they might in earnest prayer commend him and the cause for which he suffered into Gods hand and that not onely for his owne sake that he might stand fast notwithstanding all his troubles but that the Gospell also might flourish more and more thereby And as in regard of themselues it was meete they should doe it not onely that by his example of patience they might bee the more incouraged valiantly and comfortably to beare all persecution for the truth of the Gospell but also for this that they commed him earnestly in their praiers to God and that not only for his owne cause but for the Gospels for which he was bound as appeareth both in the third verse of this present chapter and also Ephes 6. 19. And if we respect others we shal see there was good cause to moue them to doe this dutie and namely their testification of their care and loue for their brethren and their earnest desire for the glorie of God both which were much to be aduaunced in the Apostles patient carying of himselfe in his imprisonment and in his constant vndergoing and ouercomming of the same There remaineth the last words Grace be with you Wherein the good thing that he wisheth to the Colossians is grace Which word first signifieth the free fauour of God towards them in Christ next all spirituall blessings especially which What things are specially signified by the word grace from that free fauour proceede and flow to them that he loueth of which sort are forgiuenes of sinnes iustification sanctification and many others in this life and eternall glorification in that which is to come When hee saluted them in the beginning of this Epistle he wished this grace vnto them from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. And now in the latter end yea in the last words thereof he wisheth them not any other good thing then the very same grace neither indeede needeth he to pray for any other thing for them because he that hath this grace hath all goodnes Whence wee may see also that it is an vsuall and ordinarie thing with the Apostle almost in all his Epistles to begin with grace and to end with it as wee say From whence also wee may safely gather that nothing in this life more excellent and more to bee Nothing more excellent or more to be wished for thē grace desired can be giuen to any man then this great goodnes of Grace which as the Apostle signifieth in so praying for it as on the behalfe of the Church So Dauid doth not obscurely declare it when hee prayeth Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs Psal 4. shewing that that should be farre better then the increase of Corne Wine Oyle or all other worldly things whatsoeuer whereof also me thinketh we may render this reason For what can a man imagine that may be either profitable or necessarie to this life present or to that which is to come which wee haue not and enioy when once this grace is committed vnto vs in Christ The Apostle telleth vs 1. Timoth. 4. 8. that godlines is profitable to all things as which hath the promises of this life present and of that which is to come But from whence proceedeth godlines but from this grace Nay I will say more what good thing is there any Grace and opinion of mans merit cannot stand together where that in any case may steed vs that can come from any other cause or ground then frō this great grace Whereupon wee may conclude that the conceit of mans merit hath no place in procuring any good for vs from or before God The Apostle himselfe in this very Epistle and namely chap. 1. commendeth the Colostians for their faith and charitie towards all Saints But doth he for all that wish or pray that God would vouchsafe them a recompence or reward as due from God in the name of debt as wee would say for those fruites and workes of their charitie None at all neither is there any thing though neuer so small that he insinuateth that way either there or elsewhere in his writings Nay rather the thing that hee wisheth vnto them and prayeth for as on their behalfe is wholy and altogether grace that so wee might learne stedfastly and in euery respect wholy to depend of Gods grace and to ascribe all thereto that so in all the good things which are communicated to the Church and bestowed therevpon God might haue the praise and glorie of his owne grace through Christ Iesus Which to performe the Lord of his owne goodnes vouchsafe vs the grace for his deare Sonnes sake Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be ascribed and giuen all glorie and praise with strength and maiestie of all people and in all places but specially of and in the Church both now and for euer So be it FINIS