all the graces that are in the bodie that is a great benefit yea the graces that are not in thee thou maist challenge them being in thy brethren members with thee of one bodie Therefore enuie not any mans grace but challenge it as thy owne Euery one would haue al who is he or she that would not haue all graces and perfectiō But I shall teach thee how thou shalt be perfect Wilt thou stand vp thy self alone like an A per se A and say I wil not be in any mans Common and so seuer thy self frō the body I say thou shalt haue no perfection thou shalt be as a rottē branch cast into y e fire if thou were a King the Lord shall cause thee stinke and die in thine owne pollution Away with a proude headed lowne who cannot humble himselfe to creepe in to the bodie Then the way to be perfect is to seeke to the body for there euery member shall supplie thy want Thus for this faire peece of garment Loue or charitie Goe to the rest that followes The eight peece of this garment is set down in these words And let the peace of God beare rule in your hearts So the eight 8 The eight part of the garment of the nevv man peece of this garment is vnitie of minde concord followes vppon charitie for he that loues must be a peaceable man They will not be restles spirits full of enmitie and strife I will not insist much to speake of this peace onely this I call this peace nothing els but a sweete quietnes in the heart of man and woman together with amitie and concord with thy neighbour for when thy heart hath peace within thee then thy heart is in Peace vnitie with thy neighbour and therefore it is opposed to that restlesnesse of the affections of mens hearts Alas what pleasure canst thou haue when thy heart cannot rest within thee The peace of heart comes not of nature no no by nature thy heart is troubled and out of tune and all is vnruly reeling and rumbling within thee From whence comes it then Of grace that God giues in Iesus Christ If thou haue a pacified heart the Lord hath giuen it thee and therefore it is called the peace of God and it is not of one sort for there is a peace Note of the kinds of peace that is with God himselfe and that is the first peace there is another peace that is with thy neighbour The peace that thou hast with God is a pacified heart with God so that thy Peace with God heart is setled with him that it stirres thee not vp to enmitie against God When thou findest that thou art iustified by faith in Christ O the peace of heart that thou shalt haue with God! thou wilt appeare before his tribunall with boldnes Rom. 5. 1. For being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. The peace with man is a pacified heart with man when the affection is ioyned in loue with man This peace comes of the other for being at peace with God thou art at peace with all the world get once a setled heart towards God of necessitie Peace with man thou must be at vnitie and peace with all men O then begin at God! What is the cause of all these variances debates and al these slaughters It is the want of the peace with God O murtherer thou hast no peace with God thou hast nothing to do with God and therefore that wrath of God shall consume thee O murtherer when thou fightest with man thou hast to doe with the great God O restles spirit that canst not rest till thou haue bathed thy selfe in thy neighbours bloud thou art at warres both with thy selfe and with the great God who shall at one time or other meete with thee and plucke off all thy harnesse and then thou shalt neuer get peace nor rest Now to come to this peace that is with man that is spoken of here This peace it must beare rule in thee it must be a commaunder of thee She must sit ouer thee and hold downe thy foule affections when they are fighting within thee Where must she sit In thy heart and not in thy hand for oftentimes when thy hand will be hindred to murther thy heart will be persecuting thy neighbour to death therefore it must be in thy heart Now marke the order When hee hath required all good vertues at last hee requires peace Whereunto To be commaunder of thine affections This teacheth thee that except they be commaunded and put in order looke not that thou Affections must be cōmanded can doe any good turne in the world Canst thou who art disordred in thine affection doe any good to thy neighbour No therefore minde not to doe any good without this peace Then beseech the Lord that hee will put this peace in thy heart to put these affections into an order For when enmitie possesseth the heart what good canst thou doe Well is that bodie that can lie downe in peace with God and man Therefore aske the peace of God that thou maist rest in peace with thy selfe and liue in peace with thy neighbour O villaine thou that liest downe with anger and a restles affection and risest vp and goest out and stabst thy neighbour what disorder is in thee and what peace hast thou with God No thou art in rage with God himselfe when thine affections be not ruled with loue to thy neighbour and peace thou canst not haue with thy neighbour if thou haue not the first peace which is with God And so thou in bearing hatred against thy neighbour tellest plainly thou hast no peace with God and wanting this thou tellest plainly that thou art yet in thy sinnes and therefore vnder the wrath of God Now when hee hath exhorted them to this peace hee subioynes the argument To the which saith he ye are called in one bodie They who are in one bodie should liue in peace together An argument to moue vs to peace The first argument then is from our Christian calling It is a shame to a man not to be answerable to his calling if thou be called to such a thing why shouldest thou not doe it But aboue all a Christian man is called to this peace and therefore woe is to him in that great day if he bee one who hath wanted it Now take the lesson As ye see a man is called to be a member in any citie not to liue at variance or debate with his neighbours no no he is called to peace and to be a quiet man an vnquiet man is an euill neighbour a restlesse spirit a seditious and an vnpeaceable spirit is an euill neighbour euen so a man called to be a member in the citie of God in the kingdome of Christ for that is our calling he is called to be a quiet and peaceable body For saith the Apostle what is
grace He prayeth that they should be filled with knowledge with light euen with that that they haue most neede of O the darknesse that is in man naturally he is full of that blacke smoake of darkenesse he is choked full of it lying wallowing in it so that of all things he hath greatest misse of light If thou were lying in a pit thou wouldest thinke it a great benefit to get a glimse The naturall blindnes of man Ephes 6. 12. 13. of light O but if thou sawst thy owne darkenesse in thy soule thou wouldest neuer bee ioyfull whilst thou gatst this light which the Apostle prayeth for So thē the thing we need most is the spirituall light of God for God is light and dwelleth in light that hath no accesse 1. Tim. 6. 16. What is then thy blessednesse to be filled with this light to be partaker of it in some part as thou art able to be filled with it So the thing promised in the scripture is knowledge and light and the first thing the Apostle prayeth for is to get knowledge of this mysterie of Christ The second word is to be marked that you may be filled with all knowledge This speech letteth vs see that it will not be a part of knowledge that will fill a man but he must be filled with all knowledge how beit the heart of man be but of a small roome and capacitie yet if his heart be sanctified it is a wonderfull thing the length and the depth of the grace that it will receiue howbeit it be finit yet vnspeakable how infinite a thing it will receiue God shall dwell and be all in all in that heart that is once sanctified so infinite a thing it will be capable of Take it in the owne nature thereof ye finde it in A sanctified heart experience in common sciences it is not capable of things that are finit but get it once sanctified it will take apprehension of that infinit maiestie and riches in him That you may be filled with all knowledge whereof there are many things better not to be knowen then to bee knowen Adam would faine haue knowne the mysterie of the forbidden tree and it had been wel for him that he had neuer knowne it Whereof then must this knowledge be of his will what a will is that Euen that will that Iesus his sonne comming out of the bosome of the father hath reuealed to the world that was the best and ioyfullest reuelation that euer was So it must be the knowledge of the will of God reuealed Where was this will some will aske all the time preceding the comming of Christ looke 1. Cor. 2. 7. It was a wisedome in a mysterie hid and neuer fully reuealed while Christ came which was appointed reade the place vnto our glorie Then he comes to that that was contained in that mysterie The things saith he that the eye neuer saw the eare neuer heard neither entred into the heart of man loue him if thou wilt which God hath prepared and reuealed to vs by his spirit If thou haue his spirit thou wilt pierce into the gulfe of his loue towards thee in Iesus Christ and of his riches And in the epistle to the Ephesians 1. hee opens the mysterie more cleerely well it is no small matter to get the eye of thy minde opened Thou wilt thinke it a great matter to get the eye of thy body opened that thou mightest see the visible creatures of God But what is that sight and the opening of the bodily eye to the sight of the soule and opening of the eye of thy soule whereby thou shalt see God and the things of God for thy weale There is no match here Therefore the Apostle to the Ephesians explaines this mysterie more cleerely where he saith that You may see what is the hope of his calling yet he goeth further and what is the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and then he goeth further And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towards vs. And if thou hast faith thou shalt tast of such an excellent grace that thou shalt wonder that that same sory and sillie heart could gripe and attaine to such vnsearchable riches The effect of his will is this the way of redemption to the lost world is reuealed the way of remission of sinnes how to be made holy and the rest of the graces reuealed in Iesus Christ True wisedome This is the will of God Note then what call you true wisdome Men would be wise man inclines to nothing more then to haue knowledge Then what is true knowledge To know the way of thy redemption And if thou want this the greater knowledge thou hast the greater foole Be a foole man to come to this knowledge Come down thou art that scansing soring I wot not where come downe come downe I say if thou know not Iesus thou art a foole thou shalt neuer reach to the wisdome of Christ thou must come down and leaue thy foolery and proud conceite of knowledge if thou wilt be truly wise In the end of the verse when generally he hath spoken of this knowledge he laieth it out abroad and saith With all wisdome and vnderstanding By wisdome briefly he vnderstandeth all that knowledge that consists not so much in doing as in contemplation By vnderstanding he meanes such knowledge as stands in doing for religion and that true Philosophie and wisdome is not a bare meditation for a man to sit in his chamber all the day and like a Cloister Monke and in the meane time to doe nothing thereby to profit the Church of God it is nothing it auailes not But religion is a knowledge and a meditation and a doing Practise thy religion or else it is not worth a penny And if it shine not in thy life it is but durt so you haue the parts of this knowledge wisdome Wisedome in meditation vnderstanding in practise in meditation vnderstanding in practising to profit the world You see first this knowledge is spirituall in quality not earthly It is of things that neuer shall take end it is parted it stands in wisdome and stands in practising will you come to degrees It is perfect in degrees and then it is perfect in parts in the which there is nothing that wants or is superfluous This is that knowledge that we haue in Christ howbeit the Apostle would seeme that he prayeth that they should get this faith here yet is it sure that it is neuer gotten in this life if thou shouldest liue Methusalems daies It must be that thou grow in filling vp this faith euery day thou liuest more and more but so long as thou brookest this mortalitie this fulnes whereof the Apostle speakes shal neuer be for this mortalitie must be swallowed vp of life If thou wouldest haue this faith thou shalt neuer get it till the day of the resurrection at which time God shall be all in all 1.
God and praying to his maiestie euen when hee is most opprest Put these graces together in a man and that is the man that pleaseth God And O the liking of God that hee hath of thee when thou art thus occupied Thus far the preface Now followes the third part of the Epistle contayning doctrine both faire and sweete opening a glorious mysterie and that briefly You that would haue riches he opens vp the riches of Iesus Christ to you that was so long hid vp from the beginning to his comming The first thing he begins at in his doctrine it is this christian calling it is the first grace and Our calling The first grace we receiue in time blessing that in time we get in Christ I say in time because our election or predestination is before all time So the first grace we get in Iesus Christ in time is our christian calling In the epistle to the Ephesians he beginneth higher but in this epistle he doth not so he begins not for the height but at this blessing that is first in time to bee called to bee a member of Christ Note Now in speaking of this benefit of our calling to be a christian hee speakes not simply of it but in speaking of it he is thanking the Lord the father who hath made vs meete for a part of that glorie for you shall marke this of the Apostle he can neuer speake of the graces of God but he euer thankes God And in the first epistle of Peter 1. 3. to teach thee when thou speakest of the graces of God to remember to praise him and to giue him hartie thankes for his blessings Now to come on first in this doctrine of this christian calling we haue the author of it Whom thankes he Thanking saith he the father Author of our calling so he giues the glorie of our calling to the father of our Lord Iesus the father of glorie he gets the first praise of our calling The sonne himselfe speaking of his owne calling he giues all glorie to his father So all the godly giue the glorie of their calling first to the father because he is the beginner of all grace Then he cōmeth to the benefit it selfe he saith not thanking the father who hath called vs but in steed of the word calling he putteth the definition of calling the effect of the calling who hath made vs meet or sufficient in effect then marke the words they import first this That then when the father hath put his hand to worke to cal thee thou wast vnmeete if he made thee meete thou wast first vnmeete 2. Cor. 3. 5. thou wast vnmeete euen if it were to thinke a good thought when he began to worke thou hadst no power once to thinke of this calling Then What our calling is wherein stands our calling not in a bare name as you would calaman but it standeth in a change When he calleth thee he changeth thee wonderfully makes thee that that thou wast not Thou wast an old crased creature a faggot for hell thou wast nothing because of thy sinne and except the Lord make thee a new thing better it were for thee to be turned to nothing for thou shalt bee turned downe to hell Rom. 4. 1. he calleth the thing that is not as though it were This is the calling of the Lord when he calleth a man he changeth the heart of him The free-will of the Papists that poysoned doctrine of theirs that a man hath some grace by nature howbeit vnable to receiue grace of God will neuer stand in the day of the Free-will Lord and if thou wilt defend it thou shalt neuer finde this effectuall calling of the Lord. If thou renounce not thy owne sufficiencie thou shalt neuer get grace He thankes God that made vs sufficient of vnsufficient meete of vnmeete of dead men quicke men wouldest thou thanke God from thy heart for thanking of God must rise from the heart there is the first ground of it the feeling of thy owne want of thy owne miserie and that great lacke of grace in it and that must be the deepest sense in thy heart and lye at the roote of thy heart and thy prayer must rise from that steppe and from that Thanksgiuing steppe to come to another steppe to the sense of that mercie that God hath shewed thee that is the next The first is a sense of thy miserie the second is a sense of the mercy of God of these two breakes out the thanksgiuing So that if thanksgiuing beginne not at the sense of thy wants I tell thee it is but a thanksgiuing from the teeth forward Take it for a sure rule if thou haue not a true sense feeling of thy owne wants and miseries and then of the mercie of God thou canst neuer thanke God aright nay thou canst neuer in any measure seeke to God truely So to returne I say as thou wouldest haue grace begin at this that thou art nothing in thy selfe that God may haue the glory there is your calling and the effect of your calling But whereto are we called A man that is called he is called to some thing The Lord calles not but to some end He hath made vs meete for a part whereof A part of a lot that is of an inheritance that falleth by lot Then wouldest thou vnderstand whereto thou art called and made meete to wit for heauen to make thee able to brooke that heauenly inheritance so thou art not called to nothing but to an inheritance So if thou finde that thou art called and a change is made in thy heart of an vnmeete man thou art made meete and if thou finde a change looke certainely for an heritage faile not to looke for it for the heritage shall not faile thee Thy sufficiencie had not been wrought if thou haddest not been propped vp for that heritage yet the word would be noted He calles it not an heritage but a lot by the which he will let thee see that thy heauenly heritage falleth out to be by lot Ye would thinke that a man called should merit to himselfe an heritage that hee might worke for it here No saith the Apostle thine heritage falleth to bee a lot when thou art called So a benefit is not a merit of another benefit our sanctification is not a merit of our iustification but all is of grace and our inheritance is but a lot that is a grace or gift of God without deseruing Yet further whose is this inheritance he saith that it is the lot of the Saints of God God hath giuing it them and none other hath gotten it or shall enioy one foote broad of it but the Saints Thou maist inherit here a kingdome an earldome a Lordship though thou were as a diuell but in heauen thou shalt haue none if thou be not first a Saint and a holy one here on earth Marke this lesson ere euer thou get a share
that loues vs although hee be absent yet he should striue to make his loue knowne to vs by a register and putting of it in writing as Paul did He writes vp and registers his loue to vs. It is no shame to Paul to tell vs that he loues vs if so be he haue the glorie of God and our consolation before his eyes So all comes to this in a word it is a comfortable thing for thee to know that the Saints of God loue thee and that thy pastor loues thee and it is an argument that God loues thee and that thou art deere to him This for Pauls answere in the first verse To come to the second verse and to goe forward word by word he sets downe the end of his care he had of them and his strife he sustayned for them the end is that their harts might be comforted that they might get consolation not in their head Consolation is felt in the heart but in their heart Consolation is in the heart It is not a fleeting thing in the head it is not an imagination or phantasie in the braine it is not superficiall but it occupies the whole heart it takes roote in the heart and it spreads all the roots of it through all the parts of the same and this is the true consolation Then brethren you may perceiue by these words that all men by nature are comfortles no man by nature hath Euery man comfortles by nature any consolation O comfortles miserable creatures are we if thou wert borne a king thou art borne a comfortles body and miserable by nature for by nature there is no consolation to mankinde after the fall of Adam but woe and miserie For as touching these earthly things and benefits what sound consolation is in them The light of the sun ministers no true consolation to man that hath no more but nature nay the more blessings which might minister of themselues consolation the more curses to thee if thou stand in nature the greater honor the greater misery if thou stand in nature onely And againe all these benefits shall serue to thy welfare if thou be in Christ through faith This preaching of the word it ministers consolatiō to thy silly soule For the end of it as this place lets you see is to minister true consolation to the comfortles And this is the end of all the care trauell and strife that the Apostle The end of the gospel and ministery therof is to bring consolation vnto men takes to minister comfort vnto thee And therefore Iohn saith in his 1 Epistle chap. 1. 4. These things write I vnto you that your ioy may be full So all that is spoken and written in the Scriptures serues this end that thou mayest haue sound ioy in thy heart And thou that wilt not take consolation at the hand of the minister I denounce against thee though thou werst a king thou shalt get no consolation in this world and thou shalt see no ioy nor consolation in the life to come To come to the next word By what meanes come they to this consolation by being ioyned and compacted in one altogether as the members of a man there is the meane to obtaine this consolation This lesson is easie the meane of true consolation and comfort of sound ioy tranquillity and peace of conscience is this a blessed coniunction with the members Communion with Christ and his members brings sound consolation of Iesus Christ This is it that we call the communion of Saints and to be ioyned in the societie of the Church here in earth And thou that wilt stand thy selfe alone if thou cut thy selfe off as a rotten member and disdaine the societie of the Saints and runne from them run thy way if it were to the end of the world the curse of God followes thee And therefore this being the meane of this consolation without the which no saluation nor ioy can be he that would haue that comfort let him be ioyned with the members and the minister that would comfort any let him labour to make them members of that body of Christ that the ioy of Iesus Christ may flow downe from Christ to them To come to the next word Hee sets downe the meane wherby this coniunctiō is brought to passe being conioyned together saith he through loue Albeit that faith goes before by nature yet I will follow the text as the words lie The meane whereby thou art ioyned with the body of Christ and standest The first meane of the communion of Saints Loue the band to binde vs with men but faith with God with that societie of the Church in the earth is loue Wouldst thou be coupled with the body loue thy neighbour One member of this naturall body will loue another So if thou be a member of the body of Christ thou must needes loue thy neighbour truely And he that cannot loue nor will not loue he shall neuer be ioyned with the body for wanting loue no band can binde thee to Christ nor his Church A malitious euill body that cannot loue call him as ye will a christian he is not in the body and so hath no consolation for without the coniunction with Christ there is no comfort Therefore he that will haue comfort let him be conioyned with the body and hee that would be conioyned with the bodie let him loue the members of the bodie Loue God first aboue all and then thy neighbour as thy selfe And therefore Iohn in his first chapter of his Epistle when he had spoken of this coniunction hee euer in the rest speakes of loue For without this loue there is no coniunction nor societie with his Church The second meane of this coniunction is in these words The second meane of our communion with the Church And in all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding by these words he meanes nothing els but this faith in Iesus which by nature in this coniunction is formost and loue followes For to speake it so faith is the master sinew that binds the members with the head and this loue is the band which bindes vp the members among themselues Then to come briefly to the matter here ye see the chiefe meane of this societie with the Church One faith in Iesus Christ not two or three or foure faiths sundrie faiths will not make thee a member of the bodie True faith of Iesus Christ If thou be of another faith then this true faith which hath this full assurance then the Church will not be conioyned with thee it will be like a brasen and firie wall to hold thee backe from that societie So that without one faith there cannot be one bodie Therefore Paul when he hath spoken of one bodie then he subioynes one faith meaning that there cannot be one bodie without one faith Marke the place Ephes 4. 5. All these bands of bloud of consanguinitie will not ioyne men together
be vaine all the fables of the Poets be not so vaine or will not make thee so vaine as the vaine traditions of the Papists called their vnwritten verities O vaine Papist I giue thee the soueraigntie of the vainest creature that euer stepped vpon the ground In the words following he declares it yet more particularly according to the rudiments of the world This is one sort of mens traditions In this chapter ye shall see two sorts of mens traditions one that neuer was knowne such as the holy Ghost Two kinds of traditions here specified neuer gaue nor was ordained to be preached as the inuocation vpon Angels or Saints Satisfactions Purgatorie such as God neuer knew Another sort called the Rudiments of the world or the elements of the world that is the elements and shadowes of the law ceremoniall that God gaue to his people which hee willed should be abolished when the truth it selfe which they shadowed should come I meane the Messias whē he came into the world all these ceremonies ceased Learne heere that euen those ceremonies that were giuen by God to be obserued before Christ came into the world now when Christ is come are to be counted the doctrine and traditions of men And now if God will not know these ceremonies which he himselfe gaue O vaine Papist will he acknowledge thee and thy dreames and the rest of that peltrie No in that great day thou shalt finde the Lord shall say I know neither thee nor thy doctrine In the last of these words opposing to mens traditions and specially to the ceremonies of y e Iewes he saith not after Christ that is that Christ and his Gospell hath not to doe with them Then wouldest thou haue two opposite things that will not stand together where wilt thou seeke them Thou thinkest water and fire a wolfe and a lambe be most contrarie No I must tell thee what is more contrarie yea that it will neuer be glewed together the sincere word of the Gospell the written word of the Scriptures and their vnwritten verities Let the Papists endeuour as they will to glew and to soder them together they shall neuer agree together Heauen and hell shall bee as soone put together as thou shalt put them together And looke how soone thou puttest to a part of mens traditions to the Gospell so soone thou puttest to a peece of sower leauen to sweete and so all is made sower to thee So thou hast no sweete bread in the Gospell Put me in a tradition to Iesus Christ paint him out in as good intention as thou canst I say in mans tradition Iesus Christ is nothing but a maine Idol and thou art an Idolater and thy death shall be with Idolaters When he hath giuen them the admonition that they should beware of false teachers their doctrine whereby they were led away captiue as a pray to perdition he subioynes a good reason in the next verse wherefore they should not feede vpon vanitie For in Christ saith he dwels all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily As if hee would say would ye be filled And certainly The heart desires to be filled with something the harts of mē naturally craue to be filled either with one knowledge of God or other yea and ere it will want a filling it wilinuent a God to it selfe Nature tels this So would ye be filled saith he Leaue not the full plenitude that is in Iesus Christ and runne to puddles that will turne to poyson in the end Then before I come to the words in particular marke this There is such a fulnes in Christ that thou needest not to be emptie or to seeke to be filled without him with any thing in this world Thou art bound to seeke out of this plenitude to be filled and not elsewhere That fulnes in him is offered to thee and if thou seeke without him to be filled his fulnes shall make thy damnation double Remember I tell thee the fuller he is of grace and glorie if thou get not a share of it the greater shall be thy damnation in that day either shalt thou get grace or else his fulnes shall aggrauate thy iudgement In whom saith he dwels the fulnes of the Godhead bodily Then what is in him First not onely grace as we say by participation as it is in vs but in Iesus is the God of grace himselfe The deitie the Godhead Gods owne essence and nature is in Iesus Christ He saith not simply the Godhead is in him but hee saith the fulnes of it not a part of it so that one part is here and another there one part in him and another part without him but hee saith the fulnes of the Godhead is in Ioh. 14. him He is full of God the perfect God is in him yea the Godhead of the Father is within him The full Godhead is in him in substance nature and essence Hee saith not simply looke euery word that the fulnes of the Godhead is in him but hee All the fulnes of the Godhead is in Christ saith all the fulnes is in him as if hee would say The fulnes of the Godhead in euery sort and manner of way is in him The fulnes not in wisedome onely in power onely in iustice only in mercie only but the fulnes in all these together and euery propertie of the Godhead is in him In a word the whole glorie and maiestie of God is in him And not this onely but hee saith it dwels in him God is not in Iesus simply to speake it so in him today and tomorrow out of him but he abides in him euerlastingly He shall neuer leaue him Then he saith he dwels in him How not after a common manner but bodily that is to say essentially So that the very substance of the Godhead in Iesus Christ is become corporall in the person of the sonne The word was made flesh Ioh. 1. 14. The very essence of God is become incarnate as it were a marueilous coniunction there is of two natures in Christ For that the nature of man in Iesus Christ is conioyned with the nature of the Godhead and the two natures are become one person to wit the person of God is become one ioyned with the nature of man No creature hath this prerogatiue only Iesus hath it and so in this respect it is said the Godhead dwels bodily in him This is the meaning of the words This is the third time that he hath spoken of his fulnes Note In the first chapter vers 19. he saith In him dwels all fulnes and then in this second chapter vers 3. In him are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Where ye see in his second speaking hee speakes more fully then he did in the first Now lastly in the third roome hee saith In him dwels dwels all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily there is a more full speaking then before So by his example wee
of Christ 12 In that ye are buried with him through Baptisme in whom ye are also raised vp together through the faith of the operation of God which raised him from the dead IN this second chapter of this Epistle brethren you haue heard how the Apostle exhorteth to perseuerance in that faith receiued next how he admonisheth the Colossians to beware of false teachers and false doctrine The last day ye heard how he admonisheth them that they should take heed that no man spoyle them or driue them away as a pray and that through Philosophie which hee calleth vaine deceit His argument was from that fulnes that is in Christ In him saith he dwelleth the fulnes of the Godhead bodily Summe of the former Sermon Therefore be contented with him and seeke not to be filled with vaine traditions of men and their deceitfull philosophie Then for that they might haue said he is full that is true let him be full and let the fulnes of the Godhead be in him what is that to vs we are neuer the fuller in regard thereof He therfore meeteth with this obiection and saith you are compleate in him his fulnes filleth you if you be in him you shall receiue of his fulnes and be filled And who is this that filleth them To let them see that it is no small matter to be filled with his fulnes he painteth him out and saith he is the head of all the Empire Well would you thinke it a small matter to be filled with his fulnes that is so high Now to come to the words which we haue read They might Coherence Obiection haue said we want Circumcision for the false teachers did alwaies beate that into their heads they themselues thought they could haue no grace in Christ but by Circumcision The Iewes receiued Circumcision which was an entrie to grace we want this Circumcision therefore wee can haue no entrie to grace as the Iewes had In this verse the Apostle meeteth Answere them and saith In whom also ye are circumcised He granteth to them circumcision in a manner and saith Complaine not you want not circumcision in Christ Neuer Iew had it in greater effect then you haue and therefore complaine not Then note here shortly this question of theirs and his answere thereto He saith plainly that we cannot be filled with the fulnes of Iesus Christ except after some sort we be circumcised that is to say except the foreskinne not of the bodie but of the heart Our naturall corruption must be circumcised if we be in Christ and Christ in vs. be cut away For except this originall and naturall corruption wherein we are borne be cut away there is no grace for vs. For I tell you if in no measure it be abolished it so occupieth all the parts and powers of the soule that there is no place to the grace of Christ Iesus Therefore it must be first thrust out and think not that the original corruption wherein thou art borne and the grace of Christ can dwell together Simile the one expelleth the other as water doth the fire The second thing which I note is this I perceiue there is The second obseruatiō nothing that the Iewes had but in effect Christians haue the same Wilt thou speake of Circumcision The Church of Iesus Christ hath it in a farre better sort then euer they had It is true that they had more Ceremonies Sacraments figures and outward rites in their religion then we haue but we haue no losse by the want of them but rather a plaine aduantage They had the shadow wee haue the bodie Haue you not a greater aduantage by the body thē by the shadow They followed the shadow going before the bodie but thou laiest hold vpon the bodie following the shadow Oh would to God the Church of Scotland could consider this grace we haue in the bodie that the Iewes nor any els in the old world could get Thou wouldest wonder at that grace of God in Iesus Christ But alas wee esteeme it not in our daies Well to goe forward least they should misconster him hee expoundeth himselfe and sheweth of what circumcision hee meant to wit not of the grosse circumcision of the Iewes He saith Ye are circumcised not with circumcision made with mens hands not of that outward skinne but with an inward circumcision of the hart that is made by the spirit and finger of God there is the meaning In this you see a difference betweene the Iewes religion ours All things among them were outward obiects to the eyes of men their religion for the most part stoode in an outward glorie and shew Things among them were made by the hands of men as their Circumcision and their Tabernacles as appeareth in the Epistle to the Hebrues but the religion that Christ brought to the world when hee was manifest in the flesh abolished all their religion and standeth in spirit and veritie He is not neither will be worshipped in this mountaine and that mountaine but hee will be worshipped in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 21. His religion seeketh not this outward pompe So when I looke to these men that haue brought into Christs Church this outward vanitie I am compelled to say that the deceiuers of the world haue turned Poperie Christianisme into Iudaisme yea into Gentilisme and Paganisme Fie on them I may say to them as Paul said to the Galathians chap. 3. 1. O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you So I say O foolish man when thou hast begun with a spirituall thing wilt thou end in a fleshly thing thou shalt neuer see heauen if thou make such an end The Lord began with an outward thing and ended with a spirituall thing but thou wilt begin with a spirituall thing and wilt end with a fleshly and outward thing O thy end shall be damnable To goe forward he insisteth vpon this circumcision made without hands he defineth it in plaine words that thereby he would make them vnderstand these spirituall things for it is hard to cause a naturall man to vnderstand spirituall and heauenly things he saith it stands Wherein In a putting off in an vncloathing of thee as one would cast off his coate or shirt so the circumcision that is not made with hands standeth in this thou must cast something from thee He maketh it not to stād in the outward cutting off of the outward skin but the inward circumcision of a foule heart the cloathes that it is clad with they are pestiferous and they must be torne and throwne off that thy heart may be circumcised For I tell thee there was neuer any one more surely clad with infected apparell then thy heart is enwrapped with the botchie corruption of thy nature And if thou keepe it on it will infect thee and steale thee to death destruction before thou be aware But to come to this garment the Apostle tels thee what garment and
doe promise thee if thou doe it thou shalt haue the bitternes of thy nature taken away otherwise thou shalt neuer possesse a contented heart What a death this was he expresseth when he saith which were dead in sinnes there is the first cause of this death sinnes and trespasses that is all the actuall sinnes of their life all the foule thoughts of their heart all the prophane words of their mouth all vnruly actions of their hands all these be vnderstood vnder this word sinnes in the plurall number Then brethren this word importeth first the kinde of this death Death in sinne that man lieth in before he be in Christ it is not the death of the bodie In the bodie thou wilt seeme to be quicke enough when as thou art but dead but this death it is the death of the spirit it is the death of the soule for when thou goest on in sinne thou doest nothing else but stick and goare thy soule and besides in the end thou wilt slay the bodie also so as if thou continue in it it shall neuer leaue thee till it slay both soule and bodie for euermore Thou maist be a wanton harlot and a cruell murtherer but yet take thy delights howsoeuer thou wilt promise thy selfe as great assurance of life comfort and ioyes as thou canst imagine yet thy perseuerance in sinne shall slay thee with death in this world and in that to come For the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 28. Then this cause of death importeth not onely that this death is spirituall but also it importeth that it is a death exceeding fore and withall the dissoluing of this very bodie into powder and ashes Death in generall is nothing els but the depriuing of life A mā is said to be dead when he wanteth life Now these sinnes which he speaketh of here doe depriue thee of the quickest and sweetest life that euer was and what a life is it that sinne depriueth thee of euen the life of God the best life that is or can be Woe is thee that euer thou gottest life in the bodie if thou want this life of God that thou maist liue with Iesus Christ for euer Yea woe is thee for euermore that thou sawest either Sunne or Moone if thou want the life of God in Iesus Christ and there is nothing but sinne that can depriue thee of it And further it not onely bereaueth thee of life but it maketh thee guiltie of eternall death both in soule and bodie Thou hast these two Tvvo aduantages sinners haue by sinne aduantages delight in sinne as thou wilt sinne ruling in any man so long as hee liueth without Iesus Christ remission of sinnes and sanctification it excludeth the life of God from him and more then this it holdeth him poore miserable wretch vnder the guiltines of euerlasting death for euer You will aske how can a man be dead in sinnes Is he not liuely in actions is hee not counted the gallantest fellow in all the Realme and the liueliest that is the greatest swaggerer that can commit most euill Is hee not counted the liueliest that is the greatest murtherer I answere thee the quicker hee is in murthering in adulterie and such like the more is hee dead because first he wants the life of God And further all these are but dead actions dead workes comming from a dead man and they are as it were a stinking sauour from a filthie carrion so these men trimme them vp as you wil they are but stinking carrions O thou murtherer thou defilest the heauens the earth and the ayre O thou harlot thou defilest all the house and the bed thou liest in Thou oppressour thou defilest all the world though thou werst an Earle a Duke or a King thou art a dead stinking carrion worse then a dead dogge To come to the next words he ascendeth to a higher ground of this death and he saith they were dead not onely in actuall sinnes but they were dead in a sort of sinne that did cleaue faster and neerer to their ribbes You were dead saith he in the vncircumcision of your flesh that is in your originall sinne Hee setteth downe this by an allusion of the foreskinne the Gentiles vncircumcision was a signe of their originall sinne which Originall sinne was inherent in them as circumcision was a signe of the taking away of the same Then the cause of thy death in bodie and soule is not onely these actions that passe away as when thou hast murthered the action goeth away although the guilt remaine for the action that passeth it leaueth vpon thy backe a guilt which shall bring downe damnation vpon thee The cause I say of thy death in bodie and soule is not only in these fleeting actions but the grounded cause of it is original sinne the sinne conceiued in thy mothers wombe Thou art borne in sinne and it sticketh fast to thee and therefore it must follow that seeing the cause is a sticking and biding cause the death must also be abiding death I called it before a sore death now I call it an abiding death that greatly encreaseth the miserie You know that a disease naturall that commeth of any vitiositie of nature as of the birth so many as haue that disease it doth still accompanie their bodie It may wel be that they get it mitigated but they cannot fully clense it They may procure a relenting of it but neuer be able to take it away And therefore this death hauing the ground in that foule feede that thou art conceiued in by the generation of all thy forebeers it will passe the power of the world to get it away No the Angels of heauen will not bee able to relieue thee of it nothing will free thee of it but grace which is contrarie to that corruption of nature You know the prouerbe That which is bred in the bone wil hardly be driuen out of the flesh It therefore thou wouldest be cured of this rooted euill thou must crie for grace and say Lord send thy spirit of grace into my heart to rid me of this corruption of nature It thou crie not for this night and day yea and finde it in some measure working in thee thou shalt neuer be relieued Crie therefore and say Lord I was conceiued dead I was borne dead I A good prayer am euery way dead send thy spirit of free grace and free me of this death that so sore setleth vpon me that I may once enioy that life of Iesus Crie this way night and day and all thy time and then I assure thee thou shalt finde deliuerance and shalt taste how sweet the life of Iesus is And this for their former estate which is miserable being out of Christ Iesus Now followeth the estate in Christ He hath quickened you that is the father hath put life in you It is a quickening when death is expelled and life commeth in his place but what a life is it
aboue these heauens Brethren the presence of Iesus and the loue of that presence should make vs to loue heauen and make vs oftentimes to cast vp not onely the eye of the soule but also the bodily eye to these visible heauens if we loue the presence of Iesus who is aboue these heauens and to striue to pearce through them as to his owne presence For if hee were not there what reckoning is there of these heauens I would not reckon of them more then of the earth which wee tread on and I had rather dwell with Iesus in the earth then in heauen for all the glorie thereof without Iesus for all the pleasure that is either in heauen or earth is in Iesus and without him away with heauen and earth both I will giue nothing for them And therefore the loue of that presence should make vs to loue heauen Ye know if a man loue another entirely he will loue the place where he dwelleth and as we say hee will A note of loue loue the ground hee goeth on so if thou loue thy Lord thou wilt loue the place hee treads on nay thine eye would not be off these visible heauens at the least once in the day for hee is aboue them and shall abide there till his last comming So if thou loue him thine eye would follow him where he is But alas for the lacke of the loue of his presence this loue is not to be found in many mens hearts and of this it commeth to passe that men are so loth to die nay if the loue of thy soule were with him thy soule would say with Paul I groane to be with the Lord it will groane within thee to be out of the bodie And take this for a token where there is not an eye to heauen alas there is no loue of Iesus Christ in thy soule and alas what good thing can possesse thy soule if it be emptie of the loue of Iesus Christ Now followeth in the end of the verse the third argument taken from the estate of Christ in heauen but what is his estate He is sitting at the right hand of God As if hee would say he is in heauē but not there as a seruant or an Angel there are sundrie in heauen but in diuers rankes He is in heauen exalted to that height hee hath such glorie as thou neuer The glorie of Christ in heauen sawest All the Angels bow their knees hee is Lord ouer them all euen as he is man Then as the presence of Iesus and loue of him should draw our heart to heauen so the estate he standeth in presently that passing glorie and that kingdome he is in should draw our hearts vpward to heauen If his glorie were deare to thee thy heart would be where his glorie is and thou wouldest not be content vntill thy heart were lifted vp to him and the eye of thy soule set on him yea this bodily eye would euer pearce to get that presence of Iesus in the heauens glorified in our nature Ye know if a man vpon whom our life and comfort dependeth were in a strange land and promoted A sweete similitude to be a Lord thou wouldst neuer rest vntill thou were with him and thy thought would be euer vpon his glorie Now I would to God wee could haue that affection to Iesus the King of glorie It is true we cannot loue him as we should but I say blessed is that soule that hath any loue towards him pearcing through this bodie of clay Blessed is that heart that can giue once but a sigh either by night or day if it were after neuer so small a measure for the presence of Iesus for be assured that soule shall be glorified with the Lord of glorie Note This for the first exhortation with the three arguments the life whereunto we are risen the presence of Iesus and his glorious estate in heauen al which should make vs set our eye vpward to heauen and bee occupied in seeking of heauenly things meete for the spirituall life Now to goe to the next exhortation and it is to these same things that are aboue Before hee exhorted the Colossians to seeke them now he exhorteth them to be wise in them to fill themselues with them to * Or to desire that they may affect all their senses sent them with all their senses to see them with their eyes and to feele them sensibly as it were with their hands This exhortation is grounded vpon the first argument If ye be risen with Christ c. Then be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wise in the things that are aboue that is a common ground to both This is so ioyned with the first that there can be no seeking without wisedome How canst thou seeke that that thou knowest not If thou haue no knowledge of heauen heauenly things how canst thou seeke them what desire canst thou haue of them for the prouerbe is true Ignoti nulla cupido there is no desire of that wee know not Then as before he exhorteth to seeke so now hee exhorteth to know and knowledge goeth Knowledge before seeking And therefore thou that wouldest seeke heauen and for heauenly things know them first and when thou hast gotten a knowledge of them then let thy affection come after for if thou seeke without knowledge thou shalt neuer finde them Therefore euer seeke the knowledge of Iesus and of that fulnes of grace that is in him and thinke not that thou hast enough of knowledge alreadie No crie euer Lord open the eye of my soule to see thee and the things that are with thee that I may see the things I haue not seene and that I should see Heare the word of the Gospell for knowledge is gotten by the word of the Gospell Seeke that thy mind may be instructed but to the purpose Bewise As seeking is an action so wisedome is an action There is no action without some sense and knowledge The life of a beast is not without some sense take it away the beast perisheth The life of a man cannot be without some sense and knowledge therefore thou canst not haue the life of God except thou haue a sense and smelling of God and of heauenly things It is a thing impossible that thou that hast no taste of things aboue canst either seek or see them and if thou thinkest otherwise thou art deceiued Can the life of Iesus be in thee without a knowledge of heauenly things No no deceiue not thy soule it is vnpossible for Iesus liueth not in the soules of men altogether ignorant So that if thou get not a portion of this knowledge of this heauenly life and of things aboue thou shalt neuer seeke for them nor haue a desire of them no I say to thee if thou want knowledge thou shalt neuer get them Come forward Let vs see of what things must this knowledge be He answereth of things aboue that
because of these members the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience The third argument was from that former life of theirs they were in life no better then the children of disobedience Now certainely thou that hast been a sinner and hast liued as wickedly as any other when thou lookest ouer thy shoulder and seest that life thou liuedst in it should be a motiue to thee to mortifie thy members and foule affections for if thou doe it not thou shalt goe backe againe Wast thou an harlot thou shalt goe backe againe to thy harlotrie Wast thou a murtherer thou shalt fall to thy murther againe Wast thou an auaritious person thou wilt to thy auarice againe and be worse in these sinnes then euer thou wast before if thou mortifie not still these thy foule affections thou shalt backe againe to these sinnes and many more Now to come to the text vpon this last argument he concludeth his exhortation therefore put now away all these things wherein ye haue liued ouer long thinke ye haue liued ouer long in sinne as it is said 1. Pet. 4. 3. an houre in sinne is ouer long Alas if thou couldest abhor thy sinne there was neuer so great a stinke as the stinke of sinne thou thinkest thy The pollution of sin dirt to be something to thee alas thou wilt perish and drowne thy selfe in it if thou take not vp thy selfe Briefly these words containe the same in effect that was said before Put away ye also now There is neuer a word here without force and for your better vnderstanding I will note foure things in them to be considered The first is what this putting away meaneth The second is what things they should put away The third is the manner of putting them away The fourth is the time when this should be To come to the first The word that he vseth put away it signifieth as much as to mortifie to slay for in other places also he vseth these words indifferently The words are borrowed The first word of mortifying from things that are subiect to the slaughter and the word of putting away is borrowed from 1 Put ye away cloathing that is put away off a man so brethren as sinne is an old man as Paul saith hauing life it hath life as euery thing hath life and therefore is slaine euen so thy sinne is a botched cloathing a cloute and a filthy garment where with we are cloathed naturally and therefore must now be put away off vs we must shake it off as we would see that life of heauen or else it will bring thee to destruction Further the word importeth more then a bare putting off it importeth also a putting Put off sin so as you neuer put it on again off of it from thee that thou see it no more Thou must not play with sinne as thou doest with thy coate No cast it not off now and then put it on thee in the morning nay rather hold it still and thou that art a harlot cast not thy harlotrie from thee this day and then put it vpon thee to morrow no but continue a harlot still for if thou put it now off and now on the Lord shall make thee finde it to sticke faster to thee then thy skinne doth to thy backe Goe not then to thy custome againe but if thou once put off or away sinne put it away foreuer meddle neuer with that sinne againe This is the first thing here to be considered The next thing to be noted in this place is the things to be 2 All these things put away not one thing onely manifold are the pleites or foldings of sinne Lord if it be not a thick cloathing for if thou be cloathed with sinne thou hast a thicke coate vpon thy backe there is such a varietic of sinne in thee And therefore he biddeth thee not put away one of them and keepe another as to put away thy adulterie and keepe murther to put away theft and keepe couetousnes No play not so with sinne say not I will shake off that sinne and keepe this but the Apostle biddeth thee put all away yea the least sinne that can be as well as the greatest Iames in his second chapter and tenth verse saith he that faileth in one is guiltie of all If murther raigne in thee thou art gone keepe temperance as thou wilt if one sin raigne in thee thou art a lost man for I say if one sinne raigne in thee there is no mortification in thee and so there is nothing in thee that pleaseth God And ye know as ye see a man will die of many maladies euen so ye shal see a mā die of one Simile maladie Euen so supposing that you were cleane of many sinnes yet if there be one in thee that one sinne will cause thee die Yet the word is to be marked He biddeth not onely generally all put away all sinne but the direction is giuen to euery one in particular of the which it must follow that there are none that are borne but they are cloathed with all sinnes vnder the heauen for howbeit a man burst not out in euery sin an open murtherer an open adulterer a theefe an auaricious person yet he hath the seed of euery one of these by nature in his heart thou art a murtherer by nature a drunkard c. Therefore I say to euery one of you put away all these things put away murther out of thy heart put harlotric out of thy heart and in a word put all sin away slay all The third that is to be marked here is the manner of the putting away of these affections And it is set downe in this word also That is as the rest of the world that is faithfull hath done if ye would be accounted Christians be ye like them as they haue mortified in themselues these affections and slaine the earthly members so doe ye likewise as if he would say ye stroue before with the children of disobedience who might be first in euill euen so striue now with the children of light the faithfull who may be first in mortification of sinne and in banishing sinne from you for this compensation must bee by thee that art called to y e light of the Gospel or else thou shewest thy selfe neuer to haue been called Hast thou striuen with the wicked before in wickednes striue now with the godly in godlines Sawest thou euer the broad gate thou wentest in go now and see the streight gate and thrust in with the faithfull that way For if thou be a counterfaite and say thou art a Christian and walkest not as a Christian but after thy old manner of life in wickednes like to the Infidels I say thou shalt finde greater iudgement and damnation in that day against thee then against an open infidell Hee setteth then before them the faithfull and all to worke this mortification For as the Lord mortifieth by his word when
there is not such a property in substance and riches as this For the riches cannot say to the man thou art my propertie Indeede there are many niggard Couetousnes hearted bodies and to these men their goods may say thou art mine as well as I am thine O woe is thee thou forgettest thy dutie For what coniunction can there be betwixt thee and thy goods There is not a coniunction like this betwixt man and woman so that either is others property and euery one of them may say to others thou art my propertie There is no such coniunction except that coniunction which is betwixt the head and the bodie and that coniunction that is betweene Christ and his Church which is greater then both the other coniunctions This coniunction betweene Christ and his Church is the greatest coniunction that is for all other coniunctions will seuer but this betwixt Christ and his Church seuers neuer A man may be separated from his wife by adultery or death a man may haue his head chopt off him and a man may lose his goods but once conioyned with Christ thou shalt neuer be seuered from him nor he from thee What shall separate vs saith Paul from the loue of Christ Rom. 8. 35. The second coniunction is of the head with the body the third Our coniunction with Christ inseparable coniunction is of the man with the wife euery one of these may claime other as their proper goods so streight is the knot and bond that bindes them vp together Now we haue in the end of the verse the thing forbidden and it is that that is contrarie to loue to wit bitternes Loue and sweetnes is commended bitternes rigorousnes and crueltie is forbidden There are many husbands who are tyrants ouer their wiues that should not be they ought not to vse tyrannie though it were ouer a dog or cat Brethren we know all this that there is nothing more naturall to man then the desire and seeking of preferment and the poorest body would be a King And yet notwithstanding this sinfull body cannot beare it it cannot vse it the sinfull man cannot beare preferment though it were but ouer his owne wife the father ouer the child the master ouer the seruant if ye set him ouer beasts dogs and sheepe make him a sheepe keeper he shall vtter the bitternes of his heart for giue him ouer to his owne nature he shall degenerate into tyrannie This is the tyrannie of man Note well What is the cause of all this The higher he be lifted vp aboue others the higher is his foule affection lifted vp aboue himselfe so the honour of this world doth no good to men except the wicked affection be sanctified by the spirit of Christ Woe be to thee that art a King if thy affection be not sanctified Wo be to thee that art a husband if thy affection be not sanctified in thy preferment And therfore the spirit of God inioynes that they seeke not preferment who haue not gotten their affection sanctified Thou that hast not gotten a sanctified affection seeke not to be a King seeke not to be a husband seeke not to be a Parent seeke not to raigne ouer a country to be a Peere in a Land a Magistrate for thou shalt abuse it to thy damnation Why should men whom the Lord hath cast downe be raised vp and put in preferment shame shall betide them who seeke to set them vp againe if they repent not Wilt thou set vp a man with a heart like a Viper O sie on thee thou shalt feele the dint of this iniquitie Yet to come againe to the word Bitternes looke that your loue turne not into gall Bitternes There be many who haue bin louing in the beginning but incontinent they haue turned their loue to gall This bitternes must either be in the hart or els in the behauiour if it be in the hart then fare ye well he becomes a monster to his wife Is it lawful for a man to strike his own flesh wil not euery one that The husband not to smite his own wife heares or sees that say the man is mad and worse then a brute beast For this doing comes of the bitternes of the heart against the wife and thou shewest that thy heart is alienated from her when that thou sets not by what becomes of her and so thou art a monster to her without affection either to loue thy wife or care for her Bitternes in the behauiour is either in word or deede Indeede it is true this bitternes in the behauiour it wil oftentimes proceed of the infirmities that are in you women therefore you should take heed to your infirmities and stir not vp that gall But yet there is an euil ground in thee who art the man This bitternes of thine in behauiour proceedes of wanting of wit It would beseeme many a man better to be a wife then a man Who will count of them that cannot beare the infirmities of women but they are degenerate men Wisedome and discretion requires that they bee borne withall Beares not Christ with thy infirmities Hath he euer broken the brused reede Wilt thou not follow him and beare with the infirmities of them who are conioyned with thee Yet this is not so spoken that we should let you go away altogether but wee should so beare with them that wee should goe about to amend them in lenitie as Iesus Christ beares with his spouse the Church And this is that honour Peter speakes of in his first Epistle chap. 3. vers 7. giuing honour vnto your wiues as the weaker vessels I will not insist in this In al this dutie of the wife to the husband and the husband to the wife I see not a better way to discharge it then to haue thine eye vpon Christ and his Church Follow Iesus as he behaued himselfe to his Church so behaue thy selfe to thy wife Therefore as euer thou wouldest bee partaker with Iesus and his Church conforme thy selfe to Christ and his Church for if thou wilt not doe this thou knowest not Christ nor his Church Thou bitter husband thou knowest not Christ nor his Church Thou who art an euill wife knowes not Christ thou keepest not faith to Iesus Christ and not doing that how canst thou be safe So brethren and sisters be wise the Lord giue the man wisedome the Lord giue the woman wisedome for there is an account that abides euery one of them Therefore liue in feare and mutuall dutie euery one to another that yee may bee glorified with Christ your head and spouse To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise and honour Amen THE XXXIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 20. 21. 20 Children obey your parents in all things for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord. 21 Fathers prouoke not your children to anger least they be discouraged HAuing ended the generall
them do but increase their sinne and their condemnation by meanes therof But the other sort as not sinning in so high degree must be otherwise melt withall namely admonished in the spirit of loue to leaue that sinne though it might be as deare and precious to them as their right hand or their right eye and to striue by godly communication words both to strengthen them that do stand and to help the weak hearted and to gain others with whom they haue to deale And if this belongs to euery Christian as his common dutie then how much more doth it concerne the publike Minister not onely as in regard that he is Gods substitute on earth who propoundeth nothing saue that which is good to edifie all but also in respect that he speaketh or should speake Gods word onely according as S. Peter saith Let him that speaketh speake as the words of God And yet the more is the pitie nothing more trifling nothing more vnsound then that which some take vpon them either as Gods ministers or in steed of them to deliuer in the chaire or pulpit But wee will leaue them and proceede in the text The second thing that hee requireth in our speech is that it should be poudred with salt These are metaphors or borrowed kinds of speeches and therefore had need of a good interpretation both for the cleering and doctrine of them That the speech should be gracious which the Apostle had required before it must of necessity be seasoned with salt because in a hearers heart there cannot bee effected any grace but by such speech as is poudred or seasoned And wherewith must it be seasoned The Apostle answereth it must bee with salt The salt wherewith our words must be seasoned is true sanctitie or holines Of necessitie there must be holines in the heart before there can bee any salt or sauour in the mouth or words Nay I will say more that sanctitie must possesse all the affections of the heart or else there wil not there cannot flow from it seasoned speech Yea this holines must spread and stretch it selfe vnto all the outward parts and members and to all the outward actions and operations of the parts and peeces of mens bodies or else there can bee no salt or seasoning of any thing that is said or done For if the heart be holy and all the affections thereof sanctified then the hand shall worke the foote shall walke the eye shall see and the tongue shall speake holily For if the heart be it that setteth the whole man and euery seuerall part of him on worke as that is so sure and certaine as no man that knoweth no more then the light of nature can affoord him will or can denie it then it must needes follow that according to the frame and disposition thereof all in the whole and euery part of it must be ordered and if euery part follow the disposition of the minde then doth the mouth also Which also our Sauiour himselfe signifieth when he saith that out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and S. Iames expresseth it likewise by a similitude when he telleth vs that no fountaine can send out at one and the selfe same place or hole sweete and bitter waters But yet for the cleering of this point we must a little looke into the nature of salt It hath two special or chiefe vses One to make meat that is sauourie more sweete to be eaten and better pleasing the palate or taste The other to preserue euery thing almost from stinking and corruption So that first sanctitie is it that maketh speech gracious delightfull and fit to edification and therefore meete also and fit to bee directed to the eares yea to the vnderstanding of the hearer Secondly it purgeth the very speeches themselues and preserueth them from all impuritie stinch rottennes corruption c. whereas otherwise without this sanctitie the speech it selfe will be in it selfe filthie and corrupt indeed and as it were with a certaine kinde of putrifaction corrupt the minds of the hearers which the Apostle expressely forbiddeth Ephes 4. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouth By which we may learne one singular poynt and that is this that as filthie and foolish speech bewraieth want of true sanctitie in him that vseth it or taketh delight in the speaking or hearing of it so it is one speciall meane I meane lack of true holines which neither good speeches of good things are so powerfull in him that speaketh them nor so profitable in them to whom they are directed as otherwise they might be if there were true sanctitie and holines in the hearers and speakers as there ought to be And that therfore no man should speak to himself or to others or heare others speake of good things but that they should striue first to purge themselues from all filthines of the flesh and the spirit and then to fit and fill themselues with all puritie and pietie that so there being an analogie and proportion betweene inward holines and outward holy things propounded the holy and good things of God might be more profitable then they haue been And so wee may see one speciall cause why good things spoken either in publike or in priuate profit so smally no man neither speaker nor hearer hath conscience or care to cleanse their hands or to purge their hearts but as though that they were cleane enough alreadie if not too cleane or as though their impuritie could stand with the holines of good things so do we goe on But beware brethren of this conceit for a net is spread by Satans malice and our own corruption to catch our feete fast and to hold vs in sin at their pleasure But we will passe from this and proceed in the text wherein yet one word contained in this sentence of framing and fashioning our speech is worthie of animaduersion and that is the aduerbe alwaies By which hee giueth vs plainly to vnderstand that it is not sufficient for vs now and then or sometimes as we say to haue our talke communication and speech holy and gracious for that will but make vs more and more without excuse as hauing a light raised vp in vs to testifie against vs that we haue seene and affected for a while the best things but haue in a daily course followed the worst But wee must continually looke to our selues in so much that when we are to speake wee must either speake holily and vnto the benefit and edification of others or else speake not at all For euen in this sinne there are these degrees To speake wickedly or filthily is to corrupt other men because as the Apostle saith out of the Poet Euillwords marre good manners and this is properly indeed to destroy men But if we be silent we sinne not against them that way though wee must answere this to God and men that wee aduaunce not in them the worke of grace
vnto Rome If you would see these things more at large look Act. 19. 28. 20. 4. 27. 2. Mention also is made of him in Pauls Epistle to Philemon where among others named in that place hee is said to be Pauls helper as in this text hee is counted and called his prison fellow All tending to this end not onely to shew the manifold graces that God had vouchsafed to shew to Aristarchus which were manifested by sound fruits euen from the time of his conuersion to that present houre and particularly his zeale and constancie in the truth that by no tumults or trials did shrinke from it and his care and loue towards the Apostle with whom he stood foorth and abode euen in bonds but the better to moue the Colossians with godly ioy and loue to receiue a man of such worthie parts and to credit him in what he should say or in any thing they should send by him And this teacheth vs whom wee should best esteeme like of or credit euen those that haue bin most faithfull and fast to God his trueth and ministers For as we most mislike or should mislike them that are most wicked as the Prophet saith Psal 139. Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee yea I hate them right sore as though they were mine enemies so should we most dearely esteeme and carefully commend the most godly and faithfull that so we might say of our selues as the Prophet Dauid doth Psal 16. My goodnes reacheth not vnto thee O God but to the Saints that are on the earth all my delight is in them The second mentioned here is named Marke whom some interpreters make the second amongst them that were circumcised and are mentioned in this place I will not greatly contend about this though I haue before expressed my minde touching the same To me it seemeth that because Aristarchus was a Gentile and we reade nothing of his circumcision that it is manifest to thinke Marke to be the first of them who as it should seeme was a Iew or at leastwise descended of some Iewish parents and kinred and therefore likely yea certaine that he was circumcised Who this man was and what he was the holie historie will sufficiently declare and particularly wee may reade of him Act. 12. 12. and 13. 5. 13. and 15. 27. and in other places It should seeme he had two names Iohn Mark but this latter being his surname as appeareth Acts 12. 12. where also it appeareth that he was the sonne of one Mary a godly woman which likewise is manifested by this that the Church met in her house and that Peter after hee was deliuered out of prison came to the same place This man when Paul and Barnabas returned from Ierusalem was taken into their companie and ministred vnto them all their iourney euen vntill they came to Perga a citie of Pamphilia where departing from them he returned to Ierusalem by meanes whereof there arose that great controuersie betweene Paul and Barnabas mentioned in the Acts and that after they came from the Synod or Councell held at Ieruselem Act. 15. through which contention Paul and Barnabas were seuered and Barnabas tooke Marke who went with him into Cyprus But these iars and diuisions notwithstanding Mark was reconciled to Paul and was with him when he was prisoner at Rome and ministred vnto him in his bands as appeareth both in this place and also in the epistle to Philemon vers 24. and 2. Timot. 4. 11. where hee saith Take Marke and bring him with thee for he is profitable vnto me to minister And hee is described here by two adiuncts as I may say the first is his affinitie with Barnabas whose cousin he is said to be From whence we learne that affinitie amongst great men in the Church specially if they be godly and faithfull indeed should make them more esteemed among the Saints and should worke a greater estimation of them in our hearts euen for their kinreds sake by whom the Lord hath inlarged the glorie of his name amongst vs. Otherwise wee should shew our selues to be such as would not be moued neither by the graces of God in their callings nor by the gift of nature in their kinred flesh God hauing ioyned both together as it were in one person that by all meanes wee might learne to draw nigh vnto him and to say indeede amongst our selues O how beautifull are the feete of them that bring glad tidings euen the glad tidings of the Gospell Secondly he is set foorth as a man furnished with commandements from Paul and others in these words concerning whom ye haue receiued commaundements These commandements touching him were directed vnto diuers Churches and amongst the rest to that of Colosse The tenour or effect of the commaund was that if he came vnto them they should receiue him reuerently intertaine him kindly and pursue him with due honour as we would say as the true and faithfull seruant of Christ Iesus There might be many causes of this commaund but two especially worthie to be considered Men are backward to good workes generally and particularly to religious intertainment of the Saints This iniquitie Paul laboureth to preuent in the Colossians by this good caueat Againe because Paul had before refused to take him with him and that for this reason because he departed from Paul and Barnabas in Pamphilia and refused to be their companion in that worke and labour of the Lord and thereupon men might suppose that Paul caried that hard conceit of him still and particularly the Colossians might happily deeme that if hee should come vnto them hee was not meete to be admitted But the Apostle hauing proued his repentance and seene his syncere care to promote the Gospell did againe commend him to the Church And from hence we should learne that no former offences should be remembred or thought vpon after the heart is truly touched for them and men are mutually reconciled but that as God forgetteth and forgiueth whatsoeuer is past when men haue No vpbraiding with past transgressions after repentance vnfainedly repented so should his Saints and seruants doe vpon earth neuer remembring other mens past iniquities much lesse vpbrayding them with them specially when they haue shewed sure signes of amendment And therefore wee may see how much they are out of the way and mislead by Satans malice and their owne corrupt heart that will vpon euery light occasion hit men in the teeth with their former falles plainly manifesting by this that they neuer felt sin in themselues nor vnfainedly remitted the same in others for had they done so these and such like corruptions could not haue caried sway in them as we see it doth It followeth in the text And Iesus which is called Iustus Of this man being the second I take it of the circumcised mentioned here as we haue said before I finde no mention in any other place of the New Testament but in
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
And againe you see no man needes to enuie the glorie that Christ hath in him for he communicates that glorie to vs you see we enuie the glorie of earthly Princes This wee haue by nature we would haue it all our selues and the seed of ambition is in the beastliest bodie that is vpon earth which Ambition raiseth all these seditions tumults warres and vprores that is now adaies and hath been from the beginning Such is the enuie that euery man hath against another mans preferment his honour and estimation that hee cannot away with it except he haue all in himselfe And therefore hee leaues nothing vndone if it were to cut his throte so be it he may get his glory and renowne But thou that beleeuest needs not in such wise to enuie the glorie of Iesus Christ A King will not communicate his glorie with thee no not a iot of it but Iesus Christ communicates all his glorie with thee and therefore thou shouldest loue him the more yea and the faithfull man the more he sees God glorified the more is his ioy but a reprobate wil enuie the glorie of God Nay there was neuer such a subiect that enuied the glorie and honour of a Prince or of his master as a reprobate will enuie the glorie of Iesus Hee would if he might plucke him from his glorie such is the malice of his heart against Iesus Christ Yea the reprobate would The reprobate if it were possible bereaue the Saints of their glorie and whē this glorie of the Saints shall be reuealed the reprobate shall fret and fume they desire not to heare tell of the glorie of Christ and of his Saints And when they heare of it for they shall heare of it in despite of their teeth they heare it with the sadnes of their heart it is no comfort nor consolation to them to heare of it And by the contrary the faithfull one reioyceth when he heares of it it makes his hart to leape for ioy as Iohns did in his mothers belly when Mary the mother of Christ A sure token of election spake to Elizabeth Luk. 1. 41. Therefore if thou canst reioyce when thou hearest of Gods glorie in Iesus Christ it is a good and sure token of thy election And againe seeing that in Iesus there is this fulnes thou needes neuer to be emptie or feare to want Thou that findest any wastnes or emptines put out thy hand to the ambrie of the Gospel wherein this fulnes of grace The Gospel is the meane whereby Christ communicates his fulnes vnto vs. and glorie is to be had A contemner of the Gospell if he were a King he shall not taste of this fulnes and of this glorie of Iesus for there is no way to be partaker of this fulnes but by the Gospell It is the ambrie wherein it is contained And if thou misse it thou shalt neuer get a cheekefull or morfell of any fulnes in thy soule When hee hath said And in him ye are filled he subioynes a glorious description of him who is the head of all principalitie and power He cannot leaue of to speake of that glorious maiestie he said before In him are hid all treasures of wisedome and knowledge and againe in him dwelleth the Godhead bodily and so foorth as you haue heard now againe when he hath cast in a word of him he leaues him not so but hee will yet paint him out in his glorie Then learne to speake fully of Christ Alas this hungry speaking of Christ testifies the emptines and voidnes To speake fully of Christ of God in our hearts It is a true saying Of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh If thy heart were full of him as I haue said thy mouth would be full and thou wouldest speak fully of him but thy heart being so emptie what marueile is it to heare thee speake coldly of this Lord full of glorie Well there is no question but by this description wherein he makes him Lord ouer all both in heauen and earth hee meanes this that he is not onely Lord aboue them all but that also they are cast downe vnder his feete hee is mounted aboue them all Now there be two things that will make vs chiefly to account of this gloriousnes that is in Christ Iesus The one Two things do cause vs to thinke highly of Christ thing is his highnes a maiestie about all maiesties There is not a maiestie but that maiestie The other thing is thy lowlines and thy basenes thou art but a worme on earth hee is aboue all heauens Is not this a great goodnes that he that is so high should so lowly humble himselfe so that he should abase himselfe as it were to become a worme Men would wonder that euer the God of glorie should so haue humbled himself yea the Angels wonder at this that euer sinfull man should haue gotten a share or portion of that grace of God So this is my counsell if thou feele a smacke of grace of consolation or A speciall consolatiō of faith if it were but as a mustard seede count more of it then of all the kingdomes of the earth For it will weigh downe all keepe it well in thy heart and lose thy life and all before thou wilt lose it I counsell thee to looke vp to heauen first and say yet this Lord will giue me more of his grace and glorie when I shall see him with this eye of the bodie then the Lord will fill me with glorie and I will hope and be content to lose all before I should lose this Keepe this earnest peny for it is the ioy of the creature to keepe this earnest peny for one day thou shalt get the full summe and fulnes of ioy If thou keepe it not and haue no regard of it and hold not vp thy eye by night and by day by looking to Iesus in this Gospell thou shalt neuer get the full summe and entire payment The sucking of the hearts of the faithfull and the drinking in this milke of the word is the way to get Iesus to The way to get Iesus into the heart thy heart and to keepe him night and day yea it is the way appointed from all eternitie Abraham sought for him and got faith in him by the word of promise which is the Gospell Therefore it is said that he sawe him and reioyced Ioh. 8. 56. Nay Abraham neuer suffered himselfe to be seuered from that grace that was in him So the Gospel is the way to bring Christ out of heauen to thee and to fill the elect with all ioy and glorie To him therefore be euerlasting glorie praise and dominion for euer Amen THE SIXTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 11. 12. 11 In whom also yee are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull bodie of the flesh through the circumcision
the kingdome of God It is peace and ioy in the holie Ghost Rom. 14. 17. So if thou be one of that kingdome thou wilt be a peaceable bodie Then the man that cannot liue in peace but is full of variance euer troubling and renting the members of the Common-weale who will not say that that man is not to bee suffered in the towne hee is not worthie to dwell in it much more a restles spirit in the kingdome of Iesus Christ Disturbers of the peace of Church and Common wealth should bee driuen out of the towne Looke if our text speakes not this These restles spirits that trouble not only the Common-weale this whole kingdom and haue studied to the subuersion of the whole land but haue by their meanes gone about to trouble the whole kingdome of Christ they should haue no place neither in Church nor Common-weale they are vnworthie of any calling either in Church or policie they haue pulled themselues asunder from both The second argument is from the body wherein we are vnited Were it not a monstrous thing to see the hand strike the face if thou hadst spiritual eyes it would seeme as monstrous a thing to thee to see a member of that body of Christ to strike another Then briefly as the ioyning of men in a citie requires a peaceable life and that they should liue in peace much more this vnion of the members not in a citie and Common-weale onely but in a body so that some of them are the hand some the eye some the foot and so foorth This vnion requires peace and quietnes they should not be restles spirits nor full of variance and therefore thou that art a restles spirit in the Church of God and yet saist thou art of the Church and wilt say thou beleeuest I say to thee thou shewest plainly thou hast nought to doe with the bodie And as I said before these troublesome men full of debate I will affirme it againe they neuer wist what that vnion with Christ is for if they had that vnion with Christ that grace of Christ would come downe from the head and bind them with the bodie So thou shewest Such as loue not peace haue nothing to doe with Christ nor his Church plainly that thou hast not to doe neither with the bodie nor with the head O murtherers your hearts are full of dissension ye shall perish in that great day I giue you this doome ye shall not escape Thus much for the eight peece of this garment of regeneration and sanctification In the end of this verse wee haue the ninth grace and peece of this garment and it is this Be thankefull that is the force of The ninth part of the garment of the nevv man the word so it is thankfulnes that he requires All the rest before are offices and graces that preuent a good deede done As when a man begins to bee mercifull to any or mercie bee shewen to him of that person that is a good deede done and so the former graces stand in doing But this grace of thankfulnes VVhat thankefulnes is it is such as stands in recompencing a good deede done In rendring good for good If thou wilt compare this grace with them that went before it is lesse then any of them for it is a greater matter to be the beginner of any good deede then to recompence a good deede done to thee And thou art a wretched bodie that neither canst doe good nor when good is done to thee canst not render thankes for it There be three Three sorts of good mē sorts of good men First he is a good man that can begin to do any good to another not prouoked by any thing that is done to him which for Gods cause can bee beneficiall to his neighbour Secondly he is a good man that can render good for good and recompence the good done to him but there can no true recompencing come without the spirit of grace Lastly he is the best man that can render good for euill that can finde in his heart to meete an euill deede with any good There be as many sorts of euill men he is an euill man that cannot shew mercie to another nor begin to doe any good but hath Three sorts of euill mē his heart locked vp Againe hee is farre worse that when hee hath gotten good cannot recompence it with good againe especially to them to whom he hath been most indebted as to his parents This countrie is full of such this man is a wretch he is worse then an Infidell An Ethnick can render good for good thou shamest thy parents What if this ingratitude were to common men but it is to them to whom they are most bound to and it is an argument that thou art vngratefull to the Lord. But the worst of all is he that for good repaies euill and this land is full of such also yea they who haue done them most good they will meete them with an euill turne All these are vngratefull men and when thou hast called a man an vngratefull man thou hast called him all the euill in the world for such a one is vnworthie to liue Therefore studie to be thankfull and thou that gettest any good done to thee by any man at the least meete him with thankfulnes It is meruaile how a man can lie downe without this consideration for if thou suffer thy selfe to be opprest with ingratitude thou shalt perish If the time would serue I would goe forward I will marke onely this All these graces are grounded vpon the word of Iesus Christ vpon this Gospell Wouldest thou be mercifull let the word dwell in thee Wouldest thou be kind wouldest thou be humblie minded and so foorth of the rest of the graces let the word of Iesus Christ raigne in thee This is the meane that ingenders these graces and keepes them in thy heart to wit the word of Iesus So thou who wouldest be gracious The Gospell is Gods hand to fill vs vvith graces and full of grace be full of the Gospell For it is that word that purifieth the heart neuer rest til thou get thy heart full of the Gospell Thou thinkest that nothing can fill thee but a bodily foode no no the word of Iesus is as effectuall to fill the heart as sensible as euer thou foundest thy stomacke fed with foode But consider this this fulnes of the heart is not gotten so long as we liue here Therefore let our pleasure bee euer in filling of our hearts with the Gospel as thou hast pleasure to fill thy stomacke with meate and drinke so fill thy Simile heart thine emptie heart that is full of nothing but winde fill it with the Gospell Alas if we could get an hunger of the word for the soule that hungers for the foode of the word it shall be filled and it shall feele the sweetnes of the word But the heart is so filled
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