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
LECTVRES VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE COLOSSIANS PREACHED BY THAT FAITHFVLL seruant of God Maister ROBERT ROLLOK sometime Rector of the Vniuersitie of Edenburgh COLOS. 3. 16 17. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or deede doe all in the Name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God euen the Father by him AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston dwelling in Pater-noster row ouer against the signe of the Checker 1603. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND MY VERY CHRISTIAN FRIEND Maister William Scot of Ely all goodnesse in this life and in the life to come euerlasting happinesse SIr in many things God hath been pleased to linke vs together as in nature in nation and in honest familiaritie or Christian acquaintance and sundrie such like yet in none of these hath this great grace of his more plainely and plentifully appeared then in the band of the holy Religion which we professe As the thing it selfe hath been is and I trust shall for euer be the greatest glorie and best comfort that God hath affoorded vs in this world so we cannot but make much of the meanes and thinke well of the men by which this and many other graces haue been offered vnto vs 〈◊〉 â—ffected in vs. 〈◊〉 meanes are the Word Sacraments and Prayers of the Church together with many other good helpes and aides both publike and priuate which are good not onely because they proceede from God From whom alone floweth euery good and perfect gift and is all onely goodnes himselfe but also because they tend to our spirituall benefit in generall and in speciall are the strictest band to tye vs together one with another and to hold vs fast in the blessed fellowship of the saints The men are Gâ—â—â— faithfull seruants labouring in the ministerie of Gods holy word and doctrine amongst vs. Who howsoeuer they bee of themselues infirme and weake and haue Gods blessed treasures but in earthen vessels and therefore many times euen in both these respects not onely despised but ill intreated in this euill world yet are they made vnto â—s and the rest that beleeue the sauor of life vnto life 〈◊〉 Christ. Amongst others whom God in this last age hath vouchsafed vnto vs who may we or who mould we more continually remember or more reuerently regard then that worthie Country man of ours Maister ROBERT ROLLOK who what hee was in himselfe I meane for his life and conuersation I suppose verilie you of any man liuing best know and can and will most truely relate as time and occasion shall be offered because you were not onely the longest but most inwardly acquainted with all his cariages And what he was and hath been to the Church his worthy workes left â—â—â—ind him besides his daily labours in the Pulpit and Schooles can more then sufficientlie testifie What to men in the world is manifested by many things But not by any more then this that hitherto enuie it selfe hath not opened her mouth neither euer shall be able so to doe his conuersation was so Christian and his iudgement so sincere This worthie instrument of his glorie God graciouslie offered nay liberally lent a long while to our Church but we 〈◊〉 so reuerentlie esteeming him as we should nor â—â—â—refullie profiting by him as in deede we ought God in great mercie towards him doubtles though in no small iudgement to vs ward hath been pleased to retraite him to himselfe out of this wretched world and to bring him to yea to place him in celestiall heauenlie ioyes Which whatsoeuer he was doing he did hunger and thirst after yea groane and 〈◊〉 and as we may say in another mans speech 〈◊〉 another matter he did eate drinke and 〈◊〉 eternall life euery thing in him in a manner assuredly testifying that here was not his hope but that he looked for a citie eternall in the heauens All which graces God gaue him not onely for his owne consolation but in deed for our imitation if happilie we can striue thereto that he being in some measure both in life and death made conformable to his head and Sauiour Christ we might learne in deed and that by an example in fraile flesh and blood to purge our selues from all filthines of the flesh and the spirit and to finish our sanctification in the feare of God Wherein that the Lord might the better instrucâ—â—s he hath thus farre graciouslie prouided for vs that though he be departed from vs as in regarde of the bodie yet he is present with vs in respect of his spirit yea to say truth he liueth and that not onely with God and innumerable Saints and Angels in the heauenlie places where is the fruition and fulnes of ioy for euermore but euen with men yea holy men vpon earth and speaketh to them though not in a bodily voyce yet in the sound of his Lectures and fame of many excellent things of his prouoking the good euerie day to be better and admonishing the wicked euery where to turne from dead workes vnto the liuing God that so they might repent and be saued And this he doth amongst others euen in these Sermons or Lectures which now I present vnto you as a posthume birth after the Fathers decease or as an Orphane destitute of earthly parents not onely to receiue as it were breath and being from you for that it hath done alreadie as without whose good meanes in deed it could neuer haue beheld this light but all good supportation beside it lying in you not onely for your selfe but with sundrie others by reason of the good credit you haue among all speciallie with the godlie to giue it voge and passage Take it therefore I pray you into your good patronage and protection and receiue it as it is in deed yours yea yours I say if not in many good and gracious respects besides yet in a double regarde at the least One in consideration of the author whose things whilest he liued yea and after life and death also were yours as yours again his but all in Christ Another in that it is produced to the view of all by your meanes without which it should haue been as bed-reden notable to moue hand or foote nor to see or speake or should haue perished inter blattas tineas as we say but now commeth forth into the world cloathed as it were with your countenance and to be vpheld by your credit In this holy loue of yours hold on I beseech you and increase with the increasings of God and shew it effectuallie not onely to his which yet remaine amongst vs as you haue bountifullie done and yet doe that so that may be verified in you in the daies of your pilgrimage which was auerred of a right worthie person in former time he
his calling then of the Gospell thou shalt neuer see that life Looke ye euer to the truth how euer it shall please Notes to knowe the true ministerie God either ordinarily or extraordinarily to send it to thee with whatsoeuer man thrust out for that effect The second argument of the commendation of the Gospell is the fructifying of the Gospell and the effectuall working of it in the hearts as if he would say skar not at the Gospell preached by Epaphras I shall giue you an argument that it is the Gospell that I haue preached looke if it brought out fruites in you as it hath done in the world of life and regeneration if it hath done this scar not at it There is another note to knowe the truth of the Gospel if the Gospell taught at this day brings out in some I will not say all for many are called but fewe are chosen whose hearts it pleaseth the Lord to open as he did the heart of Lydia this true regeneration renewing the soule how few soeuer the number of them be as it did in the dayes of the Apostles O this Gospel must be the true Gospell for this is sure false doctrine will neuer regenerate thee The inuentions of men will neuer renew thee Nay further good morall precepts will neuer alter thy hard heart Reade Plato Isocrates Cicero reade them if thou wilt tenne thousand yeares all thy reading and hearing of them will not worke in thee the obedience of the heart to God They may well make thee an Hypocrite What Reading of prophane authors their best morall can not conuers the heart Psal 19. 7. were all the Philosophers as many Hypocrites counterfeiting humilitie and the rest of the vertues This ground shall stand then that there is no renewing doctrine which can change the soule but onely the Gospell of Iesus Christ because it is accompanied with the spirit I shall send to you the comforter saith Christ and he shall giue you my word Iohn 14. Onely this Gospell then hath the priuiledge to make thee a new man Therefore let thy rest bee on this Gospell if thou wouldest be renewed and renewed must thou be or else no life for thee nor sight of Christ and of heauen and of the ioyes thereof Sticke fast I say to this blessed and glorious doctrine of the Gospell that must renewe thee by the spirit of the Lord Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy spirit be all honour praise and glory Amen THE SECOND LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians beginning at the end of the sixt verse COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 6 7 8 9 10. 6 From the day that ye heard and truly knew the grace of God 7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our deare fellow seruant which is for you a faithfull minister of Christ 8 Who hath also declared vnto vs your loue which ye haue by the spirit 9 For this cause wee also since the day wee heard of it cease not to pray for you and to desire that yee might bee fulfilled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding 10 That ye might walke worthie of the Lord and please him in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God THe last day Brethren we intreated of the preface of this epistle of Paul to the Colossians and to the end that his doctrines exhortations and admonitions should be the more effectuall in them he conciliateth to himselfe their fauour and good will and that by two arguments the first shewing that hee thanked God for them the next shewing that hee prayeth continually for them that they should continue perseuere and grow in that grace receiued We entred into the declaration of these two arguments of beneuolence to call them so And first we begun to declare the first argument of his thankesgiuing as it is first in order in the text The thing that moued him to thanke God for them was nothing in this world no no earthly grace or benefit but first their faith in Iesus Christ next their loue to the Saints He setteth downe the cause of their faith and loue They had a respect and to-looke to that euerlasting life glorious in heritance that was laid vp for them and all that beleeue in Iesus and kept to them with Christ in God as the Apostle speaketh teaching vs that except we haue respect to another life and glorie when this life is done it cannot be possible to cleaue to Christ and loue his Saints because there are so many impediments and temptations to drawe vs from him and from the loue of the Saints Then he goes forward and sheweth by what meanes they had this respect and to-looke to this life and glorious inheritance It bred not in their brest first but by hearing and if thou heare not thou shalt not vnderstand that there is another life And what a hearing whereof Of a word What word not of lyes and vanities of the inuentions of men nay heare till the day of doome these vanities thou shalt neuer get by it the hope of another life and of glorie hereafter What a hearing then is this the hearing of the word of veritie which he calleth the Gospell of the blessed God which for the excellencie thereof for it excelles all the words of the Philosophers yea the lawe of Moyses it selfe it is called the word of truth Then he recommendeth this Gospell which they heard by the ministerie of Epaphras least the person of the man should make them to despise the doctrine As for the Gospell which ye haue heard doubt not of it it is the true Gospell and I shall giue you a token confer it with the Gospell that hath past through the world if it be the same Gospell that hath past through the world let not the person of the minister scar you from receiuing it Then hee giues another argument of this commendation of the Gospell looke if it fructifye in you and bringeth forth such fruites as sanctification humilitie charitie and such fruits of the spirit as it doth in the rest of the world doubt not of it for it is the true Gospell of Iesus Christ And therefore let not the person of the minister scar you Then he commeth to the last argument whereat we left you the last day and he calleth them to the remembrance of the sudden effectualnes of the Gospell preached by Epaphras amongst them of the continuance which it had with them and saith from the day that ye heard and truely knew the grace of God Vers 6. remember you not that the first day ye heard of it it begun to fructifie in you and euer since it fructifies in you Therefore if you will looke to the suddennesse of the effect and the continuance of it amongst you it argueth plainely that it is the truth of God Vpon this last argument learne this beside the fruite
see so much as a iot of glorie without Christ Therefore when thou hearest speaking of glorie and riches call it all Christs and then sticke not here but when thou hast drawne all to Christ then take him to thy selfe What auailes me all the glorie of God and of Christ if I haue no part of it for it is the greater damnation to thee if thou haue no part of it The more power he hath the greater terror is it to thee the greater mercie the greater sadnes to thee So take him and put him in thy heart and trowest thou not that God will dwell in thy heart The Scripture saith he dwels in the heart Eph. 3. 17. Well then take him and put him in thy heart and thou shalt get the fulnes of glorie and all his glorie shall be in euery one So getting Christ thou shalt get all glorie It is a small matter to know that in Christ is all glorie except thou get Christ applied to the heart him applied to thy heart O the consolation that will be in the heart that hath Christ and without him fie on thee and thy stinking heart both All the things vnder heauen shall not minister ioy to thy soule if thou want Christ in thy heart Alas all other ioy is but vanitie and from the teeth forward Now in the last words when hee falles out in speaking of Christ hee cannot leaue him Would to God wee could finde Christ as powerfull as Paul did Alas wee haue nought but a castlesse word of him and away with him If he were in thee as he was in Paul thou wouldest not speake of him so slenderly but thy mouth would euer speak of him in great aboundance and thou wouldest thinke that thou couldest neuer speake enough of him And why should wee not learne of Paul and such holy men to speake as they spake of Christ Then I say he falles out and calles him that hope of glorie as if he would say that glorie that is hoped for Iesus Christ is that glorie that is reuealed in mysterie Iesus is the riches of that glorie and is that same thing that wee looke for Hee is glorie here in this life and he is that glorie we hope for in the life to come Think not that thou shalt see another glorie in substance but that thou seest now in the Gospell as in the mirrour of all glorie Seest thou not this glorie of Iesus Christ in the reuelation of the mysterie thou shalt neuer see this glorie after this life Looke if this be a streight band it bindes thee with life and death As euer then thou wilt see Christs glorie after this life looke that thou see his glorie in the mirrour of the Gospell We must see Christs glorie in the Gospell if we will see him after this life O vaine foole wilt thou take pleasure to looke in a mirrour to see thy vaine foule face and wilt thou take no pleasure to looke in the mirrour of the Gospell to see the sweete face of Iesus that casts his beames not to thy face onely but downe to thy heart also and makes it light and illuminates thy blinde minde and makes a faire soule Well is the man that hath a lightsome soule O foole thou wilt be carefull to haue an eye in thy head but it had bin good if thou neuer hadst had one if thy soule abide blind It is y e light of Iesus that makes a soule a soule When he shall come in his owne person thou shalt see him no more in a mirrour thou shalt heare no more of the Gospell but in steede of it the Lord Iesus shall stand vp in proper person and the beames of his glorie shall transforme thy face and all the parts of thy bodie shall begin to bee more glorious then the Sunne in the noone day Thou shalt be made conformable to his glorious bodie Phil. 3. 21. Hold on therefore To looke on Christs face in the Gospell till we see him face to face in looking on the mirrour till hee come He is comming behinde he is at thy backe he is at thy hand the mirrour will away and then he shall shine on thy face Hold on therefore and looke in the mirrour till he come and fill thy soule with glorie and honour for euer Now to this Iesus with the Father and the holy spirit be euerlasting praise Amen THE TWELFTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 28. 29. 28 Whom we preach admonishing euery man and teaching euery man in all wisdome that we may present euery man perfect in Christ Iesus 29 Whereunto I also labour and striue according to his working which worketh in me mightily I Shewed you brethren the Apostle in the end of this chapter he speakes especially of his owne person to the end he might gaine authoritie and reuerence to his doctrine and exhortation First ye heard he spake of his sufferings The sum of the last Sermon remouing the offence which the Colossians might haue taken at them Secondly he speakes of his ministery that he was a Minister of the Church according to the dispensation giuen to him from God for the Colossians in speciall to this end to fulfill the word of God After this he speakes of that hid mysterie for he defines the word which he preached to be that mysterie so long time hid and at last reuealed to the saints and he interprets it to be of Iesus Christ who is said to be the riches of the glory of this hid mysterie Thus far we haue heard When he hath spoken of the mystery he returnes and speakes of his owne person And in the first part of these words to speake of them word by word as they lye he saith whom we preach that is the which Iesus Christ that hope of glorie as he tearmed him before we preach that is I and the rest of my fellow laborers So no question in these words he endeuours to purchase authoritie to his ministry from the subiect of his preaching All his preaching was of the most glorious things that euer were or shall be in this world All his preaching was of Christ the riches of that glorie that so long was hid and at the last was reuealed Briefly we see of these words of Paul a Minister of the Gospell of Christ hath gotten in trust committed to him a faire and precious thing He hath vnder his hand The word of reconciliation committed to the Ministers of the Gospell the riches of the glorie of God to wit Iesus Christ He is a treasurer to speake of it so and hath in his custodie a treasure but such as is the richest that euer was is or shall be in the world And he hath a commission not to keepe it close but to giue it out and deale it to the world that euery one should haue their portion of it And therefore what is the glory of the Minister
the Preacher what is his estimation All his glorie 2. Cor. 5. 19. 20. and his estimation all his honour is in this treasure Iesus Christ that he hath in custodie Marke it And in what thing consists his honour and glorie and estimation As it is his honor to distribute this rich treasure to thee and to the world so here is all thy glory to put out thy hand and take in these riches to thy selfe Thou hast more honour to doe this then if thou wert aduanced and promoted to the highest honor and dignitie vnder the sunne then if thou wert made a King of all the world for when thou art made a King if thou haue no part with Iesus thy end will be miserable and woe is thee for euermore To goe forward in the next words he laies down his preaching in the parts of it admonishing and instructing euery man there be the parts admonishing them that were out of the way instructing them that had entred in the right way It is Admonition and instruction how they differ not enough to tell a man that he is in the way but to counsell and instruct him to hold on which if he doe to assure him of life euerlasting Then briefly all the preaching of Christ stands in these two points in admonishing the sinner and telling him his fault that he is in the wrong way if he were a King admonish him of his error either in manners or doctrine And then tell him the high way of his manners and doctrine wherein he should walke If the Minister cannot doe this yea if it were to a King if he cannot admonish instruct and teach him he cannot preach Christ let him therefore be silent and neuer speake a word of Iesus Christ And what euer they be of the people that will not suffer admonition and will not receiue instruction they shall neuer be rich in Christ if they had all the riches in the world they are but beggers and shall dye like beggers Who are these that he admonisheth and who are these whom he instructs and teacheth Marke euery word he saith not one man two men this sort or that sort of men onely but euery man and al sorts of them Iew Gentile Grecian and Barbarian wise vnwise Kings subiects poore rich There is neuer a one exempted from admonition neuer a soule exempted from instruction Wherein brethren you may see that vniuersall dominion and lordship that Christ Iesus hath ouer euery man and euery estate of them ouer Kings and subiects rich and poore ouer them that be in honour and dishonour Whatsoeuer ranke thou be of thou maist well exempt thy selfe from his dominion but thou art not exempted in deede though thou wert a King or a Monarch the Gospell hath a Lordship ouer thy head If thou draw out thy necke from vnder the yoke of the Gospell thou shalt one day vndergoe the heauie yoke euen of Gods vengeance and fearefull wrath so then we see the vniuersalitie of the Gospell of Iesus Christ ouer man and how this ministry that seemes so contemptible to all men is extended to all And if thou wert a King thou art vnder the ministry of the word thou must suffer of the Minister admonition and thou must receiue instruction If thou wert neuer so learned in thy owne conceit thou art but a scholler to this ministry and oughtst to sit with reuerence and to heare And lastly ye see the common miserie that all stands in in this world all is out of the way thou art out of the way by nature Euery man by nature in the high way to damnation and in the high way to damnation And therefore if thou lay not hold on admonition thou shalt goe to damnation By nature thou art ignorant like an Asse and therefore perish shalt thou if thou receiue not instruction by this ministry of the Gospell All haue sinned saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 23. and fallen Ephes 2. 1 2. 3. Psal 32. from the glorie of God and therefore admonition and instruction extends to all men But I would aske who is he that can admonish teach and instruct effectually Paul saith We teach Christ admonishing and instructing all men I answere then Who can admonisis none can admonish but hee that can teach Christ Will you say that a prophane Philosopher could euer admonish or instruct any to frame their life aright howbeit he will take it vpon him No no onely the man that can speake of Iesus Christ that man can admonish and teach others because he onely can speake to thy heart For brethren it is the word of Psal 19. 7. God that is able onely to reforme the heart All the words vnder the sunne will not doe it For this word of the Gospell hath onely the concurrence of the holy spirit of Iesus that causeth this word to goe downe to thy heart Now what doctrine is this he teacheth Instructing saith he euery man in wisdome so wisdome is his doctrine O but in what measure in all wisdome saith he It is perfect wisdome there is no lacke or want in that wisdome that he teacheth He teacheth euery man and euery ranke and sort of men wisdome and a perfect wisdome whole wisdome and full wisdome euen that fulnes of wisdome that was in Christ O the treasure of wisedome and knowledge that is in him In the second chapter of this epistle vers 3. it is said he is full of wisdome and knowledge Neuer any had all wisdome except Christ no not all the Philosophers onely Iesus hath this prerogatiue This wisdome this full wisdome I say is giuen to the Apostlés and to Paul in a high measure but so that they haue it of Christ and not of themselues And therefore Christ as I haue said hath onely this prerogatiue to haue all wisdome in himselfe Looke next who teacheth this wisdome Paul an infirme weake man he teacheth all wisdome Then marke Iesus Christ he hath put these treasures in earthen vessels as it is said 2. Cor. 4. 7. In a weake brittle bodie so that if thou take it not out of this vessell Ministery thou shalt neuer get it out of Christ if thou contemne this treasure for the frailtie ignominie of the vessell wherein it lies thou shalt neuer get this riches of God For the Lord hath ordained that thou shalt take it out of the hand of a silly man Againe you see the blessednes of the schollers of Christ O blessed is the soule that is a scholler to Christ It was counted a blessed thing to be a scholler in Platoes schoole or Aristotles schoole by reason of the wisdome they taught but Plato nor Aristotle neuer taught all wisdome nor true wisdome but Wisdome thou who art a scholler in Christs schoole thou hast the true wisdome and that not in a measure but thou hast all wisdome to make thee perfect in knowledge that is thy blessednes Alas this miserable world knowes not
is of such things as are proper for such a life I tell you this earth and all the things in it your siluer gold drinke and all the rest the knowledge of these things serueth not for the life of heauen but if thou wilt haue such a life thy knowledge must reach to heauen and howbeit thy knowledge be finite yet it will compasse things infinite if thou haue the spirit of Iesus saith the Apostle it compasseth the breadth and depth of him Ephes chap. 3. verse 18. 19. Knowledge of heauenly things necessarie if we be in Christ So this heauenly life requires wisedome in heauenly things Iesus Christ when hee rose the eye of him went vp to heauen he knew no more these carnall things all went away and the minde of him was occupied vpon heauenly things so if thou rise with him thy minde will to heauen and in some measure thou wilt vnderstand things and thou wilt be wise in God If thou haue not this I say thou hast not risen with Iesus but art yet filthie wallowing in thy owne bloud to thy eternall damnation Now he is not content to exhort them that they be wise in these things aboue but hee excludeth things of this earth to teach thee that thou canst not be wise in these heauēly things in case thou be wise in these things beneath yea these heauenly things shall bee but foolishnes to a wise man in earthly things for they shall be but as a dreame and imagination to such the speech of the Gospell shall be follie to him So think not to take both in thy armes when thou art looking downe how canst thou looke vp Thinke not to compasse heauen and earth both together for in compassing the one thou shalt lose the other Therefore the Apostle sundreth them This seemeth to be hard for how can we cast all care of this world away we must eate drinke and be cloathed and haue some care of these things so long as we abide in the earth The Apostle answereth in the first Epistle to the Corinth chap. 7. vers 29. for hauing spoken of mariage he saith the time is shortned As if hee would say ye will not be long in this life Therefore ye that haue wiues be as though ye had them not By the which he meaneth not that we should cast all care away of this world but that we should take the things of this earth by the way as it were that is to say let not thy chief care be on them but so farre as they serue for heauen Doe euen as though thou were going on a pilgrimage yee will take meate drinke gold siluer and such other things to helpe you forward in your iourney yet your care will not bee on them but your care will bee chiefly on your iourney euer hauing your eye vpon the end of it Thou wilt not sit downe vpon thy riches vpon thy meate and the rest Simile while thou art in iourneying but wilt be euer going forward in thy iourney vsing these things by the way euen so the Lord in this our iourneying to heauen hee will not haue vs to sit downe and set our care chiefly on these things in the earth but to take them as it were by the way hauing thy chiefe care Matth. 6. on him and the things with him therefore sit not down vpon any thing in this earth if thou doe thou shalt neuer come to thy iourneys end yea thou shalt lose the remembrance of it Now to goe forward in the words following There are two arguments to this purpose set downe by the Apostle the first is to disswade them from earthly things ye are dead The next is to seeke heauenly things your life is hid with Christ in God To speake then of the first argumēt which is ye are dead to the earth therfore striue not to be wise in y e earth Ye knowe that a mā that is dead supposing that he had neuer so great care of this world and could neuer get a fill of the things in it so long as he liued yet when life is gone the bodie lieth still and will not giue a peny for all the world all pleasure goeth away and Simile as a man dieth he will begin to spit at the world yea a man full of the honour of it he will at his dying day spit at it Euen so brethren the soule dying with Iesus spiritually as the bodie dieth naturally to sinne to the earth and to all earthly things to what end should it care for these earthly things Nay if thou didst finde that death of Iesus thou wouldest loath these things In deede it is vnpossible to be altogether voyde of the care of these things of the earth as long as we are in the bodie here but if thou be buried with him certainly thou wilt loath all these things beneath and despise the wisdome of them and begin by little and little to seeke the things of heauen And if thou be thus wise dead it is a sure argument thy soule is mortified lying as it were in the buriall of Iesus vntill the time thou rise glorious in that great day As by the contrarie if thou be not buried with Iesus in thy soule and bodie thou art liuing to sinne thou wantest the life of God and hast nothing but a sinfull life Brethren ye heard before he sayd they were liuing now he saith they are dead How can these two stand Obiection Answere together I answere a spirituall death in the soule when it dieth to sinne to foule affections and to earthly things such a death as that standeth very well with a spirituall life yea this death is so ioyned with the spirituall life that except the spirituall death precede the life of Iesus will not enter into thee Thinke not to enioy both together at once the life of sinne and the life of God but ere thou get the life of God the eye thou hadst to earthly things must be closed no thinke not to looke vp and downe together at once No no be dead to the world ere euer thou minde to open an eye to heauen So then the death to the world and the life to heauen standeth well together The last argument followeth perswading to the things aboue your life is hid aboue with Christ. There are the words and why should ye not follow him and set your heart and your eye vpon him where your life is Brethren I see there are many things to moue vs to seeke heauen and to be wise in heanenly things Now I would to God one of them could moue vs but alas as for a stonie heart speake and reason with it as ye will and conuince it as ye please it will abide hard and will not be moued Wouldst thou goe downe to the things of this life that death that thou diest forceth thee vp to heauen it giueth thee wings to flie vpward and closeth thine eyes from the world
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
the Redeemer more highly then you doe Fie on these miscreants that know it not Mark it there was neuer thing done in time nor out of time but all was done for him and for the honour and glorie of the Lord Iesus thy Redeemer And not for him and his glorie as he is the sonne of God onely but I tell thee more all was done for the man Christ for thy flesh and bloud Thy predestination that is before all eternitie this election of men and women to life euerlasting as Paul Rom. 8 29. saith tels thee it was all for him and his glorie as man There is the end of it then that he might be the first borne among many brethren Will you come to that that was done in time the creation of all creatures All was done for the man Iesus Christ The fall of man was suffered for the glorie and honour of Christ the man that thou mightest bee redeemed with his precious bloud so that the redemption of man is for the glorie of y e man Christ I shal tell you the ground of it That incōprehensible God in his vnsearchable wisedome hath laid this plot that he would be glorified in his sonne man and therefore he would haue all to be done for the honour of that man Iesus Christ Our predestination our election our creation redemption and all hee would haue so done that they might serue for the honour of his sonne clad with our nature Therefore thinke thou that the end of all is his owne glorie Nay we know not the glorie of Christ wee know not how all things serues for his glorie and therefore we count so little of all things Then againe hee repeates that part of the description from the eternitie And he was before all things as he said All things were made by him so he saith he was before al things This cannot goe out of his minde few words cannot content him would to God wee could follow him and the men of God in this point They tire not to speake of him and of his glorie in his creatures so deepe is their apprehension which they haue of him O it is for fault of apprehension that we let the praises of our Redeemer Iesus Christ goe by vs so lightly Well well Loue to meditate of the excellencie of Iesus Christ and to speake of his praises I tell thee O man if thou findest Iesus Christ at thy heart and saw his glorie in the creatures thou wouldest not so lightly passe ouer his praises No certainly but men they neuer felt Iesus nor neuer apprehended him as the men of God of old did Therefore what is Christ to them but a word that pearces the eare and no more But woe is me for thee that in this wise esteemes of thy Redeemer I pray you all in his name as yee would be saued seeke to apprehend Christ neuer rest while you finde him in a manner sensible in your heart and then I assure thee thou shalt neuer rest to speake of his praise and to glorifie him in his creatures Now after this followes the other part of his description Before he hath described him from his essence eternitie creation and from the end of things created now in the fift roome he describes him from that that he sustaines the creatures The The fift part hand that made them holds them vp A man that builds a house as soone as he hath builded it he takes away his hand In like manner a man that builds a ship when he hath built her he holds her not vp but incontinently he takes away his hand from it It is not so with our Lord Iesus who hath made all things nay the Lords hand is still with the worke that he hath made and hee holds it vp continually For if hee take his hand from thee and hold thee not vp thou wouldest fall down in y e dust and turne to nothing Nay the hand of his maiestie is euen with thee when thou art dead his hand shall keepe the dust of his owne And if thou shouldest cast it in the ayre in the water and where thou wilt yet he shall gather it together and shall keepe the least picke of dust that thou shalt be resolued into Then there is the fift ground of thy redemption As it is builded vpon a Creator so it is built vpon a preseruer and keeper Thy Redeemer being such an high personage the bloud must be precious wherewith thou art redeemed and thy redemption must stand fast and sure Thou maist well shatter and shake but thou shalt neuer fall from it for if once thou haue griped it by a liuely faith thy redemption shall stand euer sure and immoueable You see here then a passing maiestie in our Redeemer He is a God an eternall God a Creator the end of all creatures and the preseruer of all creatures Whereunto should I tell this The maiestie of Iesus Christ passeth in glorie and excellencie The fulnes of God is in him yea euen in thy nature The eternall God is in him what is it that thou wouldest haue that thou shalt not finde in him Seeke nothing without him and thy redemptiō behooued to be wrought by such a person and the price of thy redemptiō behooued to be by the bloud of such a person otherwise thou wouldest neuer haue been redeemed Alas fie on their mouthes that speake so lightly of this bloud Seeing then it behooued to be such a maiestie and such a bloud that Swearers should redeeme thee it tels thee two things It speakes as the Apostle saith Heb. 12. the first thing that it speakes is of sinne O sinne is a great thing that procured such a bloud if it were no more then a foule motion in thine heart it is so great that Vse of the former doctrine it cannot be taken away without this bloud Must it not then be a great thing that cannot be forgiuen except thou get such a bloud so if there were no more this one thing is sufficient to tell thee of the heauines of thy sinne Then againe it speakes to thee of the greatnes of that infinite iustice that strikes vpon sinne Must not that be great that could not be ransomed but by that bloud of God in the nature of man the preseruer of all the creatures Nay and thou wouldest shed all the bloud of men or Angels all could not ransome one sinne So if there were no more to tell the greatnes of that iustice and wrath that abides sinne this bloud of Iesus Christ thy Redeemer that was shed for it tels thee sufficiently Well look to that bloud and let no man dallie with God after the sight of that bloud Now would to God wee could consider the thousand part of sin and of that wrath of God for sinne for then there would follow a feare of iudgement and a detestation of sinne And then no question we should get remission of sinne and should
be freed from the wrath of God and that onely in that bloud of Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the blessed spirit be all honour Amen THE SIXT LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 18 19. 18 And he is the head of the bodie that is of the Church he is the beginning and first begotten of the dead that in all things he might haue the preheminence 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnes dwell YOu haue heard welbeloued in Iesus Christ the Apostle when hee had spoken of the benefit of our redemption and remission of our sinnes in the bloud of Iesus Christ he falles out into a faire and glorious description of him and all to this end to let vs see the pretiousnes of that bloud wherewith we are redeemed that thereby consequently wee might see the surenes of our redemption by that bloud It being of such value of necessitie wee must be redeemed by that bloud and our redemption must stand fast and stable for euer You heard in the description of Christ first he called him the image the essentiall image of the inuisible God then he stiles him the first borne of all creatures then he cals him such a one by whom all things were created next the end for whom and for whose honour all things were created that are created and lastly he cals him the preseruer vpholder and keeper of all things created So will you compare him with that inuisible God he is equall in glorie with him the image of the inuisible God equall with God whom he represents Will you compare him with the creature there is no comparison for hee is the Creator of all creatures in heauen and in earth and he infinitly passeth in glorie all the creatures both visible and inuisible Now when hee hath set him out in these points of glorie and maiestie hee staies not here for as yet he hath not told all of him and he hath not set out all his glorie but in this text he goes forward and setteth him out further in more points of his glorie This is the difference betwixt the points counted alreadie and the points of his glorie that follow in the text Before he hath described him as he is God the sonne of God from all eternitie for as hee is God properly he is the image of the inuisible God whom he represents as the liuely character of his person so that the points Heb. 1. 2. passed are the points of his glorie as hee is God The points which follow are of his glorie not onely as he is God but as he is man also clad with our flesh and nature There haue past alreadie fiue points of his glorie as he is the sonne of God there follow other fiue points of his glorie as Fiue points of glorie of Christ manifested in the flesh he is God and man in that personall vnion These are they briefly He is the head of the bodie of the Church there is one Secondly he is the beginning and the first borne of the dead Thirdly he hath preheminence among all creatures that euer were or shall be in the world Fourthly he is a man full of God Fiftly in office he is the Mediatour the midman betwixt God and man by whose bloud the reconciliation of man is made with God his father To goe forward in that order as they are here set downe first he is the head of the bodie of his Church these are the words Brethren euery word would furnish great matter of speaking but I am not minded to digresse into a common place Onely I purpose to speake so much for the present as the words will furnish He is called the head The word head that is giuen to him imports sundrie things in him first it imports that Iesus Christ is the Lord and the superiour ouer the bodie which is the Church and that worthily because he is full of grace and excellencie and in him is all matter of Lordship and dominion Of what reckoning is a Lord if there bee no matter of Lordship in him Of what value is an head if there bee not Iesus Christ head of his Church greater graces in it then in the bodie so the word imports a superioritie full of grace and honour Euen as you see the head of a man because of the excellencie of it it is a Lord and a superiour and a commaunder to the bodie Then againe the word that this Lord Iesus the head of the bodie he is not like the common sort of Lords and rulers but a Lord and a superiour who is most streightly conioyned with his subiects the bodie his Church Euen as you see the head most streightly ioyned with the bodie of a man euen so the Lord Iesus is most streightly ioyned with the bodie his Church yea he is more strickly ioyned with his Church then the head of a man is with the bodie for the head of a man may be soone seuered frō the bodie of a man but if Christ thy head be ioyned with thee all the powers in heauen and earth shall neuer seuer thee from thy head Iesus Christ Thou shalt neuer be separated from him as Paul to the Romanes saith Who shall separate vs from the loue of God in Iesus Christ As though he would say not any thing Nay if Iesus Christ become once thy head be assured he will neuer part with thee Yet more the word imports that as he is most strictly conioyned with his Church and euery member of the same as the head of a man with his bodie so he is most louing and tender affected towards it Will not the head of a man loue the bodie well will it not tender it most deerely and intirely will it not minister all graces it hath to the bodie giue life and mouing to the bodie otherwise it were no head to the bodie Euen so the Lord Iesus he loues his bodie the Church better then any head can doe the naturall bodie and in loue ministers a life to his bodie better then the life of this naturall bodie He ministers to his Church a spirituall life he ministers a mouing a doing and a growing and in these respects he is called the head of the Church Now when he hath called him the head of the bodie he turnes to the bodie and hee defines this bodie to be the Church Then there must be a great likenes betwixt the Church of Christ The Church and the bodie of man otherwise it cannot be called a bodie The bodie of man is subiect to the head euen so the Church of Iesus Christ is subiect to her Lord Eph. 5. 23. She is his subiect and he is her Lord. The bodie is streightly ioyned with the head the Church is more streightly ioyned with Christ The head giues life to the bodie euen so the Church of Christ is dead without the head the Lord Iesus Lastly