ye see the bodie accomplisheth the person of a man the head will not make a man but the bodie ioyned with the head makes vp a man euen so the Church fils vp the whole man Christ made of the head the Lord Iesus himselfe and of the bodie This for the words If this point of the glorie of Christ be weighed that he is the head of the Church it is a high point of glorie The Lord hath greater glorie by this that hee is the head of the Church of the godly and holy ones men and Angels then by that that he is the Dominator ouer all creatures ouer the diuell and all the multitude of reprobates And as it is high so it is in communicable no not the Angels gets this honour to be called the head of the Church Let be stinking flesh wilt thou set vp a Pope and call him the head of the Church A plaine derogation of Christs honour Thou wilt come out with a ministeriall head in the Church Away with thee and thy ministeriall head both there is no such thing Looke the whole Scripture No ministerial head in Scripture through thou shalt reade of a Minister in the Church but thou shalt neuer reade a word of a ministeriall head or Vicar of Christ But would you know how he comes to this glorie Yea to speake it so before hee came to this glorie there was much adoe and great stirre and busines in heauen and earth and a great hardnes The Pope he will start vp to it at the first dash before Christ came to this glorie heauen and earth was moued with a wonderfull motion before hee was exalted to it he was wonderfully humbled If you will make a comparison it was an easie thing to be the image of the inuisible God to haue created all things and to preserue them all was easie but when he comes to this there must be a great change this sonne of God is humbled and his glorie is wonderfully obscured Reade Philip. 2. 6. 7. and there you shall see the whole manner of it Iesus saith he was in the forme of God and hee thought it no robberie to be equall with God yet hee is not the head of the Church what doth he then The Apostle saith he emptieth himselfe of his owne glorie he makes himselfe of no reputation How doth hee that In taking on him the shape of a seruant What an humbling is this to clothe himselfe with the forme of an abiect seruant Thou thinkest it nothing but surelie it a wonderful matter if ye consider it rightly so then there is a wide step a strange step that he steppeth downe from his glorie wherein hee stood equall with the Father Yet he goes another step downward being found in the habite of a man he to whom all other creatures giues obedience of his owne will becomes obedient to his father Wherein stands this obedience not in doing only but in dying What death The death of the Crosse an execrable death the bitterest death that euer was nay neuer man died so bitter a death as Christ died All the death of men and Angels is not comparable to that death of Iesus Christ that he died for the redemption of sinfull man There is his humiliation Looke now to his exaltation Therefore saith the Apostle the father raised him vp to a wonderfull highnes and gaue him a name aboue all names that at his name all knees should bow In the Epistle to the Ephesians 1. 20. 21. the degrees of his glorie are set downe first he raised him from death secondly he hath set him at the right hand of his father that is he hath giuen him all power of heauen and earth and he declares this power Then he turnes to the Church in particular and calles him head of the Church for he could not haue been the head except hee had had flesh and bloud Trowest thou that thou canst come to that honour to bee a member of his bodie before thou bee humbled first No no thou must answere in proportion to him in his humilitie otherwise thou shalt neuer bee partaker of his glorie This for the sixt part of the description of the Lord Iesus in the which marke this as before wee heard many grounds of redemption made by his bloud so in this point of the glorie of Christ there is another ground of our redemption As thy Redeemer is the image of God the creator of all things and so foorth as you heard him defined before so thy Redeemer he is the glorious head of the Church yea he is thy owne head and thou art a member of him so thou seest not onely a glorious Redeemer but a sib a kinsman redeemer Therefore precious must that bloud be and of necessitie if thou beleeue in this bloud thou must be redeemed To goe forward Here followes the seuenth part of his description and the seuenth point of his glorie The beginning and the first begotten of the dead Yee heard he was called the first borne of all creatures because he was before them all and not for that onely was he called so but because he gaue the being to all creatures All creatures were created by vertue of him and by participation of that being that is in him for the first borne in the families of old communicated the speciall blessings to their brethren euen so Christ because he communicates to the rest of his creatures such speciall blessings as pleaseth best his wisedome he is called the first borne of many brethren Now he is called the first borne of the dead because he was the first that rose from the dead for there was neuer man that died that rose before the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 15. 20. He is called the first fruits of them that sleepe because that al y t shall rise they shall rise by vertue of his resurrection Then what will you haue He was the beginning of the creation now he is the beginning of the resurrection of the dead Then all mercie and glorie must come out of him No creation without him no resurrection without him If you will consider this it is a great matter when he had created man man by his fall lost the creation nay by thy fall in Adam thou hast lost thy creation and as thou wast made of nothing so by this fall of Adam thou turnest to nothing and well were that man that is out of Christ if he were turned into nothing No no he shall not be turned to nothing but he shall be turned to worse then nothing So man by his fall lost his creation and death seased vpon him and leaues him not till he turnes him into dust and powder And if Iesus comes not in now after that man hath lost his creation he would neuer be a creature againe Therefore the second benefit which is greater then the first is that my bodie shall rise againe so in comes Iesus Christ and that creature that was brought
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
affirme there was neuer more neede to speake to the affections of men to admonish and rebuke then in these times Now hee insists in the second thing in raising vp the heart of the hearer that is ouer farre cast downe and heauie so that it cannot speake to God To cheere it vp I say the meanes are Psalmes that is the first The second is Hymnes The third is Songs Canticles All stands in singing melodie of the voyce The sad heart that is ouer farre cast downe that it cannot rise to glorifie God requires to be raised vp with the melody of the voyce I will not insist Psalmes are songs in generall of what 1. Psalmes argument or purpose soeuer they bee Hymnes are songs of 2. Hymnes praises a speciall kinde of Psalme Canticles or Odes are a 3. Canticles certaine kinde of Hymnes composed and made after a more artificiall manner as the song of Salomon The Lord recommends these as meanes to raise vp the heart of man to God that is ouer sad Then the lesson is this Among all the rest of the meanes whereby the heart is wakened and raised vp to God singing is one This melodie this sweete harmonie whether it be naturall or artificiall Musicke serues to raise vp the heart to glorifie God And therefore the melodie of the voyce it should be applied to the edifying of others Looke how ye vse your voyce ye that haue it the Lord giues it to thee for the edifying of thy brother If any haue a Canticle vse it to the edifying of thy brother the greatest part vse it to the destroying of the hearer and feeding of their foule affections to vanitie Well take heede you who haue voyces to sing for thou shalt giue an account if it be not to the edifying of the hearer In the words following hee insists in a large description of these three First for the matter as concerning it it should be spirituall and heauenly All the matter of Psalmes Hymnes and Canticles should be spirituall For why they come from the riches of the word in the heart If thou haue this substance within thee all thy songs will be of Scripture of heauenly things and all to glorifie thy God and to edifie thy brother Well this that Paul speaks condemnes all these songs of vaine and filthie purposes Fie vpon thee who doest abuse thy voyce in foule bawdrie matters to corrupt and infect the affection of the hearer It had bin better thou hadst not gotten a voyce Then he comes to the forme of singing which is it should be gracious that is it should haue such gratiousnes and grauitie as might conuey grace to the heart of the hearer This condemnes all these light and wanton tunes that mistune the affection of the hearer Besides this it condemnes this chirming and chaunting in the Papistical Church This word grace condemnes all because by their broken notes of Musicke they breake the words of the Scripture and so they darken the sentence that the words cannot be vnderstood and feede not the heart with the words and sentences of the Scripture but feed the eare with a vaine tune and so it condemnes all their singing for al is gracelesse because this singing which the Apostle requires should be such as should not breake the words of the Scripture but should make them more plaine and distinct In the third place he comes on to the chiefe Organ that is the instrument wherewith they should sing It is not with the Organs of the Papists no not with thy tongue but it is with the heart and with the affection of a well ruled heart Therefore as a fidler or any that playes on an Instrument tempers his Simile Instrument that a sweete harmonie may be heard of it Euen so before thou sing temper thou thy heart and let thy song rise not from thy throte but from the depth of thine heart that is from thine affections set vpon God Lastly he sets downe to whom we be to make this musicke and whose eare we be to please in singing He saith it is to the Lord then it is the Lord Iesus Christ to whom thou shouldst direct thy song and whose eare thou shouldest please So that he or she that sings either Psalmes Hymnes and Canticles should set themselues to please the eare of Iesus Christ You see these vaine singers set themselues to please the eares of men but thou that wouldest sing with grace to edification set thy selfe to please Christ Iesus that hath pleased thee O woe to thee that will not endeuour thy selfe to pleasure Whom not flesh but him who hath pleasured thee Fie on thee that shouldest please thy selfe with the displeasure of thy Lord For what hast thou won whē thou hast pleased al the world with displeasing of God When thou singest to the pleasure of God thou giuest grace to the heart of thy neighbour and edifiest the hearer Thus much brethren of the meane whereby these graces are gotten As for the verse that followes taking occasion of the former he sets downe a generall rule of all thine actions to wit that in al Iesus Christ should euer be before thy eye Al should be done to his honour First he saith Whatsoeuer you doe doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus That is by calling vpon his holy name begin with him and looke that thine eye be first on him and say Lord mine eye is vpon thee and all is for thy glorie And in the end of the verse he will not giue thee leaue to thanke the Father without the Sonne for he saith Giuing thankes to God the Father euen by him The lesson is then In all actions and speeches euer respect Iesus Christ his honour and glorie he is a maiestie of maiesties When thou art honoring God the Father misse not Christ by the way otherwise thou shalt haue no accesse to that tribunall of grace and say O my God I thanke thee through my Mediatour Iesus Christ Lord haue mercie on me for my Mediatour the Lord Iesus sake for there is no mercie without Christ The ground of this doing is let be that he is God he hath also a Lordship ouer thee Read Rom. 14. 8. 9. For this end hath hee died and risen againe that hee might be Lord both of the dead and of the quicke So honour him as thy Lord. As Paul 2. Cor. 5. 15. Christ hath died and risen to that end that he who liues liue no more to himselfe but to him who died for him and rose againe Looke that that life of thine bee to him Let all thy life thy words and thy actions be to his glorie Whereto should I insist to recommend this matter to you experience teacheth it What ioy hath a man in any action be it neuer so faire what sweetnes hath any man except in the meane time his eye be vpon the Mediatour the Lord Iesus except his conscience tels him hee speakes to the honour of the
tenth verse of the last chapter to the end Moreouer as concerning Maister Rollocke and his workes because this is the first fruite of his labours published in the English tongue he was as may appeare by many testimonies a most reuerend and faithfull seruant of Iesus Christ His name is very pretious and great in all reformed Churches and Nations which haue receiued the Gospell of Christ His learned and holy Commentaries on the Prophecie of Daniel on the Gospell of Iohn on the Epistle to the Romans Ephesians Galathians Colossians Thessalonians with his other workes extant in the Latine tongue testifie aboundantly of his gifts and graces And least any should except against my iudgement Epistola in Tractar de vocatione efficac ad D. Iohnston which I confesse is but meane or nothing heare one to speake for all whose wisdome and learning is reuerenced of all the godly Churches I meane Maister BEZA concerning this mans workes He saith That his labours on the Epistle to the Romans and Ephesians be as a rich treasure sent from God to his people Next saith he without all flatterie be it spoken I haue neuer as yet read any thing written in this kinde more briefe more eloquent and more indicious And then he proceedeth saying When I had viewed his workes I could not containe my selfe but as I was bound I gaue God thankes for him reioycing for his blessing on the Churches This part of his workes I meane these Lectures on this Epistle they were first preached in the Scottish tongue not much differing from our speech specially in the North parts of this land but now they are published in the most common and vsuall English phrase for the comfort and edification I trust of all such as vnderstand not the Latine tongue in both kingdomes I could wish in mine heart that all Preachers in both Churches would learne of this man to Preach the Gospell of Christ who wanting neither wit nor learning to set forth his exercises yet respects he as the Apostle taught him neither excellency of words nor humane wisdome nor desires to sauour of any thing but of Iesus Christ and him crucified His continuall care is so to speake as that the spirituall power and grace of the 1. Cor. 2 1 2 3 4 5 6. Gospell might speake onely to the consciences of the hearers to worke in them and not himselfe by any perswasions of his learning and eloquence These workes are now published after his death so that he hath not performed what he could and would haue done if his owne hand had been last vpon them The Christian readers will therefore pardon I doubt not all faults louingly which haue past in this first impression And thus hauing commended this worke vnto thee recommend me and it vnto the protection and blessing of the Almightie in Christ Iesus Thine in Christ Iesus Henry Holland MAISTER ROLLOCKS LECTVRES VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians THE FIRST LECTVRE COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 1 2 3 4 5 6. 1 Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God and Timotheus our brother 2 To them which are at Colosse Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. 3 We giue thankes to God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ alwaies praying for you 4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Iesus and of your loue toward all Saints 5 For the hopes sake which is laid vp for you in heauen whereof ye haue heard before by the word of truth which is the Gospell 6 Which is come vnto you euen as it is vnto all the world and is fruitfull as it is also among you from the day that ye heard and truly knew the grace of God I Haue chosen brethren this Epistle which the Apostle Paul lying in bands at Rome wrote to the Church that was at Colosse euen for this cause chiefly because as you shall see in the deduction it sheweth all grace to be in Christ Iesus our Lord all wisdome knowledge mercy and whatsoeuer a sinfull creature standeth in need of is to be sought and found in Iesus Christ and nothing to be sought without him But to come to the purpose briefly the Colossians were so called of Colosse a towne in Phrygia in Asia the lesse whom Epaphras not an Apostle but an Euangelist inferior in ranke to an Apostle had conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ After him enters in certaine deceiuers to subuert the ground of faith which faithfully and truly Epaphras had laid mingling with the Gospell vaine Philosophie the rites of the Law of Moses voluntarie worshipping as it is called not content with the simplicitie of the Gospell In the meane time the Apostle lyeth at Rome in bandes he had neuer seene them nor been among them because they were not founded by him but by Epaphras who comes to him and communicateth to him the estate of the Church at Colosse how he had founded it and how false teachers had crept in Wherefore he desires the Apostle to write this Epistle to them to exhort them to stand to the true doctrine that Epaphras had taught them and not to beleeue the false teachers And this is the occasion of the writing of this epistle The Principall parts of it are these First the salutation of Parts of the Epistle the Apostle with Timothie to the Church of Colosse Secondly the preface wherein he indeuoureth to purchase the good will and attention of the Colossians Thirdly the doctrine it selfe short but exceeding effectuall of the Lord Iesus and his office as we shall heare hereafter Fourthly after the doctrine he comes to the exhortation exhorting the Colossians to constancie and perseuerance in the faith and doctrine of Iesus Christ Fiftly he admonisheth them to beware of false teachers these things are handled in the first two chapters Sixtly he commeth to certaine precepts partly generall partly particular Seuenthly he endeth his epistle with some salutations As touching this first chapter first we haue to obserue in it the salutation secondly the preface of the Epistle thirdly the doctrine fourthly the exhortation As for the salutation because it is common to the rest of his epistles therefore I shall passe through it briefly The persons that wish health and welfare to the Church of Colosse are first Paul the Apostle sent immediatly by Iesus Christ by the will of the Father first the will of the father goeth before then the sonne the Lord Iesus sendeth out this Apostle for he did nothing without the will of the Father The second person is Timothy a brother so he names him not an Apostle but an Euangelist and fellow labourer following Paul watering where he had planted for the office of euery Euangelist was to water where the Apostles before had planted and to build where they had laid the foundation of the true doctrine of Iesus Christ the Sauiour The persons vnto
of heauenly inheritance of the Saints thou must come creeping to that communion of Saints be ioyned with them here if thou mind to haue any part with them in heauen separate thy selfe from that societie of the Church of God thou shalt be debard from heauen thou shalt neuer get a sight of it Looke the epistle to the Ephesians where he sheweth wherein the riches of the glorie of this inheritance is Where is it he saith it is among the Saints Ephes 1. 18. So then associate thy selfe to the society of the Saints in earth Men may passe their time and what reckon they of a Church It smelles in their nose what should they speake of it it is a stinking word mockage and scorne to them but I say glad shalt thou be to be of that number or else I shall debarre thee from all societie of the Saints in heauen Thou shalt be excommunicated out of heauen if thou excommunicate thy selfe here from the Saints Now where lies it you take heed where your heritage lyes and you will looke to your charters and euidences diligently for that cause you will looke the scituation of it Hee saith that this heritage of the saints is in the light there is the place a lightsome and a ioyful pleasant place The line of pleasant places saith Dauid Psalm 16. 6. is fallen to me It lyeth then in the light it is in heauen as Peter saith in his first Epistle 1. 4. It is kept and laid vp where God dwelleth it may well content thee to dwell where God himselfe dwelles Yet where is it Thy life is hid with God saith he O then thy heritage is in God! what can bee said more A faire heritage lying in so faire a light euen in heauen with God and in God I see then all our life and ioy either in this life or in the life to come is in that light of knowledge in that spirituall knowledge so that a man that hath his minde inlightened to see as the Apostle saith to the Ephesians the hope of his calling the riches of the glorie of the inheritance of the Saints the man that hath this light he liues and enioyes a great inheritance howbeit he hath neuer an ynch in this earth and his ioy is a true ioy And againe a man that is in darknesse not seeing the face of God in no measure knowing nothing that man liuing hee is dead if hee were an Emperor a King and a Lord. This countrie is full of dead stinking carrions because they want this light and they would pull out their eyes that they should not see this light But woe to them in the end when this darknesse shall bring an vtter darknesse when thou shalt be a dead stinking dog in hell Get thou this light if euer thou wouldest see heauen and haue a part of it which is not in darkenesse but in the light of God To whom we giue all honour praise and dominion for euer Amen THE FOVRTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 13 14 15. 13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne 14 In whom we haue redemption through his bloud that is the forgiuenes of sinnes 15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creature THe last day welbeloued brethren the preface of this epistle being ended we entred into the doctrine The Apostle in his doctrine begins at the first grace that a man or woman getteth in this world in Iesus Christ The first grace or blessing of God in time after they are borne into the world for our grace mercie begins before all time ere we be borne our election began before the foundation of the world was laid but the Apostle begins at y e first grace in time the first grace in Iesus Christ for all is in him nothing without him is this christian calling from darkenesse to light frō that foule puddle of sinne wherein we lye by birth and nature nay if thou wert borne a king thou liest in the foule puddle of sinne we are taken out of hell for our birth is in hell and to hell we goe if we haue no more but nature Thou art taken out of hell and put into heauē there is the first grace in time Now to come to the text ye heard y e father he getteth the first glorie of our calling Thanking saith he the father He is the fountaine Then we heard wherein the calling consisteth not in a bare naming as one man would call another but the Lord in calling vs maketh vs meete of vnsufficient for heauen he makes vs sufficient of vnable he makes vs able of dead men he maketh vs liuely that is the effectualnes of our calling Then we heard whereunto we are called Our calling is not in vaine we are called to a lot a fairer heritage then all the kingdomes of the world nay y e poorest soule is called to be an heire of heauē Such as are called are called to the kingdome of heauen all other heritages are but dirt and draffe And who oweth this kingdom It is the kingdom of y e Saints It is distributed among the Saints and if thou be not a holy one and in their societie thou shalt neuer see that heritage laugh at them so much as euer thou wilt Where lieth this heritage To wit in the light of God thou neuer sawest such a light It lieth in God for God is thy light and thy life and if thou be an heire of this kingdome thy life is hid with God in Christ To goe forward yet the Apostle insisteth in this first blessing of our effectuall calling and maketh it more plaine in this verse His words are who hath raught vs out that is the force of the word From whence From the power of darknes What more And he translated vs. Whereto To the kingdome What kingdome Of his sonne the sonne of his loue his deere sonne the Lord Iesus Now brethren it is cleere but I shall briefly insist on the words to let you see the force and power of euery word for they are of weight For the words that speake of heauenly things are not the words of men Then the word he hath puld vs out with a force or strength with a constraining I hold it not a simple deliuerie Then look to thy calling It begins at haling of thee Thou art so fast holdē bound whē thou art called that if thou beest not pulled out with a strong hand thou wilt neuer come out and that Christ himselfe saith No man commeth to me no not one except the father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. Thou wilt neuer see heauen if thou be not drawne So our calling must begin at our drawing all the powers in the earth will not draw thee to heauē if the hand of the Lord draw thee not To goe forward He hath drawne vs out
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
to nothing he creates him anew againe and raiseth him vp more glorious then euer he was before And if thou be in Christ thou shalt be made more glorious then euer Adam was in the first creation Then would you haue another ground of your redemption Would you now haue the preciousnes of it Thy Redeemer is the first borne amongst the dead All dead bodies shall rise by vertue of him and so that bloud is precious and if thou beleeue in that bloud of necessitie thou must be saued Yet he leaues not of for who can speake enough of the glory of Christ Iesus He subioynes That in all things he should haue the preheminence Euen as he is man he goes before al the Angels of heauen and they are subiects to him This is one dominion and lordship he hath You heard before that hee is the Lord of his Church but in these words is vnderstood a more vniuersall dominion reaching euen to all creatures that euer were created that among all he should be the first and haue the preheminence This is that vniuersall dominion that hee takes to himselfe There is giuen to me saith he all power Matth. 28. 18. And Roman 4. 9. He died and rose againe to the end that he should be Lord ouer both the dead and the quicke Such like to the Ephesians 1. 2. He was placed farre aboue all empire and dominion And in the Epistle to the Philippians 2. 9. Hee was raised vnto a wonderfull height So this is a generall Lordship and it is not onely as he is God but as he is man This is a great glorie to a man to be set aboue al the creatures and to rule them with a fleshy hand The Lord Iesus Christ he rules all creatures euen with a fleshy hand now glorified Whereof comes this dominion so large of his resurrection He rose to be Lord nay be thou sure if Resurrection thou risest from the dead thou shalt rise to be a Lord. For the end of thy rising from the dead is to be a Lord a King greater then Caesar But Iesus Christ he rose not onely to be Lord but to be the Lord of lords because he rose first from the dead Who euer rose or shall rise they rise by vertue of him and his resurrection and it must follow therefore by good consequence that he by whose vertue we rise must be Lord of lords he must be the first and formost in the ranke The Lord Iesus he goes before all creatures that euer were created So wouldest thou haue another ground of thy redemption Thy Redeemer is not only the head of the Church and Lord of it but he is Lord ouer all creatures yea euen ouer the diuell thy very enemie The very hand of the Lord Iesus hales him hither and thither as it were in a rope he carries him he puls him he drawes him here and there as he pleaseth where he will Must not that bloud be precious must not thy redemption be sure Onely beleeue in that bloud and thou shalt be saued Rom. 3. vers 25. God hath set foorth Christ to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Away with merits paltrie fie on thee and thy merits both Thou thinkest thou canst not be saued but by thy merits as though the bloud of Christ were not able to redeeme thee without thy merits away with such vanitie The bloud of Christ is sufficient to redeeme ten thousand worlds yea ten thousand millions of worlds To come to the end In the verse that followes the Apostle insists vpon this dominion vniuersall of Christ and lets thee see by two arguments that the Lord Iesus must be first of all creatures haue the preheminence ouer al. The first argumēt is taken from that faire and glorious personage The second argument is taken frō that excellent office that he beares Neuer creature bare such an office to be the Mediatour and reconciler of God and man In this doing hee meetes with that that might be obiected Is he not a man what office hath he aboue other men and what a large dominion is this He answeres indeede he is a man but a man full of God and as for his office he is the great Mediatour such an office as neuer Angell bare and therefore he is the Lord of Lords Then the first argument prouing the dominion vniuersall is in these words For saith he it hath pleased the father that in him should allfulnes dwell there is the words The ground both of the excellencie of the personage and also of his office is this It hath pleased God the father If you will aske how is it that he is so excellent a personage He answers it is of the good pleasure of God It is a pleasure and a good pleasure that blessed will that decree that hath passed from all eternitie before all time It pleased the father that Iesus Christ should be such a worthie personage and a Mediatour so the person of Christ and his office hath a farre fetch and it comes of a decree as old as God himselfe euen from the eternall good will and pleasure of God from his eternall decree So then wee learne it comes not by chance that Iesus was made such a personage as men think of things in the world but it was ordained from all eternitie Then againe it comes not by chaunce that Christ should be a Mediatour but there is a decree past on it In a word neuer thing fell to him but by a counsaile and plat from all eternitie The crucifying of him past by a decree There was neuer a naile stroken into his hands or feete but all was done by a decree Then not to bee curious to aske why was it that Christ should be filled with God the Apostle will haue thee to leaue thy curiositie and he answers thee that it was the pleasure of the father so this one word cuts away these thorny questions concerning the mysteries of Iesus Christ For there is a thousand things in him that should not be inquired of And it were almes to ding thy teeth in thy throte that curiously wilt goe Curiositie in vaine questions and search out the reasons of all things in Christ and why he did this and that and suffered this or that Maist thou not vaine bodie be content with this answere It hath pleased the father so It hath pleased him that the fulnes of the Godhead should bide still in Iesus Christ for euer for it is said that the fulnes of God dwels in him And ye know that hee that dwels bides still Now what a fulnes this is you shall heare hereafter In him saith he chap. 2. 3. of this same Epistle is all treasure of wisedome and knowledge And againe vers 9. In him is the whole fulnes of the Godhead bodily dwelling Then the fulnes that is in Christ it stands not onely in these graces with the which the man Iesus Christ is indued aboue
the father to the world and that in loue There is nothing in this new band but mercie vpon mercie mercie in the beginning mercie in the progresse and mercie in the end Indeede it is not without iustice and wrath but thou art spared and the iustice and wrath it strikes on the Mediatour so that that is iustice and wrath in the Mediatour it is mercie and grace to thee Nay he hath not spared his owne sonne yet he hath spared the stinking sinner Wilt not thou be thankfull for this benefit Well if there be not a sense of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ looke not for heauen I warne thee that art a King an Earle a Lord a Baron a subiect man wife lasse and lad if ye haue not a sense of this mercie of God in Iesus Christ ye shall neuer see heauen Now to come to the last circumstance after what manner is this reconciliation made with sinfull man The manner is set downe in these words making peace by his bloud shed on the crosse The father reconciles vs to himselfe after this manner by making peace with vs in the bloud of Christ Brethren when two men are at variance the third man will step in and intreate the person that is at variance with the other to be friends with him and he will obtaine it especially if he be an intire man But O that sonne of God! that deere and that welbeloued when he comes in it is not faire words it is not supplications that will doe the turne but him it behooued to go to suffer death and that dead stroke of hell that should haue lighted on me and thee and should haue brused vs euerlastingly he casts in his head and that stroke lights on him It cannot be holdē off thee by no other buckler but by his head and bloud shedding without bloud no remission Heb. 9. nay nay either shall thy bloud passe for it or els the bloud of the Mediatour O it is a terrible thing to haue to doe with the wrath of an infinite God! there is nothing can satisfie him but the precious bloud of his own deere sonne and no other death can satisfie him but a cursed death the death of the crosse a painfull death to be nailed quicke to a crosse It was the figure of the death of hell He was pained vpon the crosse with the paines of hell If he could not escape such a death who was an innocent how wilt thou who art a sinner escape that terrible death O what death shall abide thee if thou be not in him These words then teach vs two things first the greatnes of the enmitie that could not be remoued but by the bloud and execrable death of the Mediatour For if this enmitie had bin but a sillie and small feude what needed all this that the sonne of God should dye such a death Wherefore should all this adoe haue been wherefore should he haue suffered such extremitie So if there were no more to tell thee the greatnes of sin the death and the bloud of Iesus Christ shed on the crosse tels thee O sinne is great and yet the world will not heare it but the soule stinking sinner will wallow in it more and more O sinner sinne is foule and fearefull An euill thought is a great and terrible mountaine The first world had experience of this greatnes of sinne being without Christ Our Gentles in Scotland with the rest felt it I tell thee before this bloud came and the full time came there was nothing to hold off the dint of the wrath and stroke of God that that world found before the comming of Christ What was it a small matter to be an enemie to God was it a light thing to sinne No no for all that time before Christs comming for the greatest part God was doing no other thing but striking and hashing on sinners slaying her and slaying him Sinne raigned all the time to death saith Paul Rom. 5. in the end all perished and went to hell for the most part except some very few And I tell you this world thinkes there is no hell and very few get this grace for so long as that olde Tabernacle stoode few got entrie to grace So they miserable soules that lie now in torment they testifie and crie the horriblenes of sinne and O the preciousnes of the bloud that hath freed now the soules of men from sinne Now when he came into the world I put it out of question The calling of the Gentiles increased the number whereas one was saued before hundreds were saued after For Christ saith for once the bloud was shed men and women thronged into heauen Matth. 11. So all tels thee the blessednes of thy estate that hath fallen in this time If thou hadst any sense if thou wert sent out naked to begge thy meate thou art happie considering this time wherein thou art borne O the happines of this time when the bloud of Christ runnes abroad as a riuer to saue sinners but wee are blinded and as I said before that number is drawne in and beginning to be abridged and the force of the bloud is drawne in and begun to bee lessened and the force of faith is nothing now in respect of the former time of the Primitiue Church and daies of the Apostles and therefore as it began with a handfull so it shall end with a very handfull and blessed is that man that can striue to throng into heauen through this bloud of Iesus Now the Lord worke this in our hearts that as wee seeke for the kingdome of heauen so we may throng in at it through this bloud of Iesus To whom be praise and honour Amen THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 21 22. 21 And you which were in times past strangers and enemies because your mindes were set in euill workes hath he now also reconciled 22 In that bodie of his flesh through death to make you holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight THese daies past beloued in Iesus Christ wee haue heard a high description of the Sonne of God the Lord Iesus in the which he is painted out in a marueilous glorie In the last part of this description ye heard it was said that by him as the Mediatour it pleased the Father to reconcile to himselfe all things both in heauen and earth making the peace by the bloud of his crosse In the which words the Apostle turnes ouer vpon the whole Church that hee hath spoken of the sonne of God For all his glorie tends to the weale of his Church all to the reconciling of the Church with God the head in him as the Mediatour Now brethren in this text that we haue read vers 21. he applies this blessing of reconciliation to the Church of the Colossians in speciall And you also saith he hath he reconciled In the which words as before he turneth ouer
the whole glorie of Iesus Christ vpon the vniuersall Church so now he turnes it ouer vpon this particular Church of Colosse For the glorie of Iesus Christ the sonne of God as it is the glorie of the whole Church so it is the glorie of euery particular Church and in so doing no question hee applies it to euery particular person in the Church so that the glorie of the sonne of God is mine and thine Beleeuest thou in him All this glorie is thine There is no point of it in him but thou shalt haue the vse of it so that no man or woman that is in the Church needs to enuie this glory in Iesus Christ It is naturall to men and women to enuie the glorie that others haue aboue them yea subiects will enuie the honour and glorie of Princes aboue them But thou who art a subiect in Christs Church thou needes not to enuie Christs glorie All his glorie is thine yea thou oughtest to haue no pleasure but when thou lookest vpon his glorie and exaltation But to come to the words We see then in these words there is a particular application of this benefit of reconciliation to the Church of the Colossians The text first offers vs to be considered who is the reconciler Now saith the Apostle he hath The Reconciler reconciled Who is this that hath reconciled the Colossians to God Before speaking of the reconciliation in generall with the whole Church he said It hath pleased the Father to reconcile all things to himselfe in him but now plainly in the text the Reconciler is changed It was the father before now the sonne of God the second person of that glorious Trinitie hee is the Reconciler Wherein the Apostle lets vs see that in this worke of reconciliation this sonne of God is not onely a patient not onely a Mediatour to suffer for our sinnes but he is an agent a doer a reconciler As he is the Mediatour of the reconciliation he is not onely a sacrifice in the which the reconciliation is made but he is a sacrificer offering himselfe in a sacrifice to God for our sinnes For looke how willingly the father offered him a sacrifice for vs as willingly gladly and ioyfully offered hee himselfe for vs for if hee had not died willingly and gladly in the nature of man but against his will as men will dye his death would neuer haue done men good nor ransomed their sinnes So this is a point of our beleefe that as wee beleeue hee died so wee beleeue hee died willingly and that Christ died willingly they who crucified him were not so willing to crucifie him as he was willing to offer himselfe to be crucified If thou hast not this faith thou hast no good of the death of Christ So the person reconciler is Christ Then to amplifie this benefit of reconciliation he cals them to remembrance of their miserable estate before they were reconciled What were they before Who were in times past saith he strangers and enemies meaning to God and where was this enmitie In the inward mind And why Because their mindes were set onely vpon euill workes Hee will not speake to them of this benefit of reconciliation before hee aduertiseth them of that estate they stood in before they were reconciled Marke it there is no sight of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ no presence of mercy and grace except The miserie of man without Christ in the mirrour to say it so of the past miserie wee were in so that except thou looke to that thou shalt neuer see as thou shouldest see the benefit of mercie and grace in Iesus Christ There is no sinfull creature that is able to ponder and weigh aright in the heart the greatnes of the blessing of God in Iesus Christ except hee take the blessing and mercie and put in a ballance with the miserie and see which of them weigheth downe otherwise thou shalt neuer know the weight of mercie and glorie if thou take it not from the miserie of that stinking nature and filthines of thine neither shalt thou euer be touched with that sound ioy except the sense of miserie goe before He that hath neuer found himselfe in hell hath neuer found himselfe in heauen for all the sense of heauen breakes out of hell Now to weigh the words The first word wherein hee sets down their miserable estate is this Sometime saith he ye were strangers farre off From whom From him who should haue bin their greatest friend whose domesticks they should haue bin from God and so from the Common-wealth of Israel from his Church If thou be a straunger from God and then from his Church there is no life in thee thou art but a dead rotten member in sinnes and offences Ephes 2. 1. Liue as thou wilt breathe as thou wilt haue thy senses as quicke as thou wilt fling here and there and leape as lightly as thou pleasest thou art but dead and more then dead and dye shalt thou euerlastingly Yet marke the words hee cals not them simplie strangers and aliants but he saith they were made strangers to let vs see that all this strangenes from God is not by our creation we were created friendly with him and his domesticks but by our owne defection we haue made our selues of domestickes and household children strangers And therefore it is said in Esai 59. 2. Your sinnes haue diuided betweene me and you So it is thy sinne it is not that naturall substance of thy soule and bodie but it is the corruption of the substance that makes thee a stranger from God Yet marke the words hee saith not that God was estranged from them but that they were estranged from him No no the Lord is not the beginner of this strangenes hee turnes neuer first vpon thee but thou turnest thy backe first vpon him he neuer drawes from thee that sweete countenance of his first but thou drawest thy countenance from him For brethren to speake the trueth when thou hast turned thy backe vpon him and estranged thy selfe from him yet if thou be one of his elect his loue toward thee shall neuer leaue thee nor turne from thee O that loue of God! he loues a sinner that is as it were spitting vpon Gods loue him for the loue of God is inalterable And when thou hast played thee with thy owne counsell serued thy lusts in thy owne time the Lord vtters that loue towards thee and calles thee home againe So there is the first degree of their miserie Yet it is not all said he comes on with another degree and higher then the first Sometime ye were strangers yet more enemies One man may be a straunger to another and yet not his enemie but saith he ye were not onely strangers but you were enemies also The words import not onely a secret hatred but a plaine and open hostilitie they fought against him there was neuer so hot a battell betwixt man and man
were Paul himselfe let him be Anathema This for the commendation of the Gospell preached by Epaphras I shall end Paul at this time lay in Rome in bands and was vnder an heauie affliction Now hee considering his bands might bee offensiue to them in the next verse hee meetes with this slaunder Now saith he I reioyce of those things which I suffer for you As if he would say my afflictions that I lie in let them not offend you It is a marueilous thing how ready men are to offend and to take a slander when it is not giuen These men were before offended with Epaphras because hee was not an Apostle now they are offended with Paul the Apostle himselfe because he is lying in bands O there is neuer a thing but the diuell can make it an offence to the Gospel he knowes how stumbling a heart thou hast and all to hold thee backe from the Gospell Blessed is he that hath not been offended at any thing as Christ saith Matth. 11. 6. How takes he away the offence of his bands The first argument to reuoke it he saith I reioyce for these things Vers 24. which I suffer for you or for your sake as if he would say be not offended at my bands because they are for you If I had not comen out at the commaund of my Lord to preach Christ what needed me to be lying in these fetters and if I had not loued my Lord Iesus and his Church what needed I to be in The afflictions of the Martyrs do serue for the confirmation of the faithfull in all ages these bands Well he suffers for the Colossians and he neuer saw them Epaphras taught them I tell thee looke whatsoeuer Paul suffereth or any of the Apostles or godly Martyrs who suffered count it all for thee It was all to hold in this light which is thy life and if it had not been kept and entertained and holden vp by their preaching and sealed by their bloud thou shouldest neuer haue gotten light And without this Gospell thou shouldest neuer see life This world is blinded they know not this darknes they lie in If the light of this Gospell slide from thee thou blind ignorant that lies now in darknes thou shalt be cast into hell for the end of darknes here is that blacke darknes in hell So hee saith All that I suffer is for you Well if men thought that the sufferings of the seruants of God which they suffer whether it be bands banishment or whatsoeuer it be if they could thinke that all was for them to hold in that light of the Gospell alas they would be so farre from that that the bands and these things should be offensiue to them and so be offended at the Gospell that by the contrarie they would kisse their sufferings and would take as great pleasure in their bands as in their preaching for they serue as well to thy weale as their preaching For by their bands they seale vp in thy heart all that they haue preached to thee O if thou couldst thinke of this well The time will come that these who now preach shall be afflicted and Lord giue them ioy in their affliction Be ye therefore prepared not to be offended at it You shall see some steale downe closely from the Minister when he is caught by the necke howbeit now they will accompanie him Well then be readie to take part of his affliction as Paul saith 2. Tim. 1. 8. Yet to recommend his affliction more I reioyce saith he he suffereth for a good cause for the safetie of the Colossians Besides this hee suffered with ioy 1. Pet. 4. 15. Let no man saith hee suffer as a murtherer a theefe or an euill doer which is now the pleasure of men but let vs make vs readie to suffer for a good cause if thou suffer see thou suffer for Gods cause for this light the best cause that euer thou suffered for Let euery man be prepared to suffer for it otherwise thou shalt haue no good of it It is not the paine will make thee a Martyr but it is the quarrell the good cause that will make thee a Martyr And againe he saith if thou suffer as Christ suffered reioyce As if he would say when thou Ioy in godly afflictions sufferest for a good cause looke thou haue ioy and willingnes No let not the enemie haue greater will to draw thee to the shambles then thou shalt be willing with ioy to suffer So there is another condition requisite in suffering we must not onely be content to suffer for a good cause but wee must be Note willing and ioyfully willing Otherwise the good cause will not make thee a Martyr Thou must haue ioy and patience and willingnes glorifying God Looke how the Martyrs suffered and follow them and then thou shalt dye like a Martyr and blessed shalt thou be The Lord prepare vs for it that we may passe from this miserie to ioy through the Lord Iesus To whom be praise and honour for euer Amen THE TENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 24. 25. 24 Now reioyce I in my suffrings for you and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body sake which is the Church 25 Wherof I am a minister according to the dispensation of God which is giuen me vnto you ward to fulfill the word of God YOu heard the last day beloued brethren how the Apostle hauing ended his doctrine he comes to his exhortation and exhorts the Colossians to perseuer in the faith of Iesus Christ Secondly he exhorts them to perscuere in hope The argument he vseth is from that benefit of their reconciliation with God Now saith he ye are reconciled and hee hath reconciled you but with this condition and restraint if so be that you abide in the faith grounded and stablished and be not moued from the hope of the Gospell Then they might haue said what Gospell meanes thou of is it that gospell that Epaphras hath taught countest thou so much of it This he meetes with and saith yea I meane of that same gospell that you haue heard of that man Epaphras Then he falles out into a cōmendation of that gospell of his And the first argument is taken from this That it is no other gospel but that Coherence that hath been preached to euery creature The second argument is hee hath preached nought at all but that that I haue preached Then they might haue said what haue wee to doe with thee we see nought of thee but a man in bands at Rome The Apostle answeres Now saith he I reioyce in my afflictions for you Well it is true I am afflicted but vnderstand this that my affliction is for you it appertaines to you to esteeme of my affliction I reioyce that I am afflicted for the Gentiles because I am appointed their Apostle You are a part of
Christians worse then Pagans and in seueritie and crueltie against Christ and his Church more fierce and malicious and more exquisit tormentors of Christ in his members then Popish persecution euer a Pagan or a Turke would be The truth of this is euident in the example of the Martyrs who finde none more malicious against Christs Church then these who would bee counted Christians Well Pagans and Turkes shall finde greater case and lesse iudgement at the comming of the Lord Iesus then false Christians O their paines shall be vnspeakable To goe forward in the next verse hee sets downe another cause wherefore hee suffered Of the which Church saith he I am made a minister as if hee would say I fill out the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my bodie because I am bound and obliged thereto I am made a minister to it there is the meaning Marke the words I am made He saith not I was borne a minister nay no man is borne a minister howbeit euery man thinkes he may be a minister out of hand I am made a minister would he say of a very crooked wood as he testifies of himself 1. Tim. 1. 12. 13. He placed me in his ministerie when I was a blasphemer and a persecutor Looke what stuffe I had and whereof I consisted before I was made a minister And if this was good stuffe and a way to make a minister of me iudge ye I was of al sinners the first in persecuting Christ and his members and blaspheming of him But saith he God had pitie on me Euen this Christ whom before I blasphemed and persecuted hee shewed mercie and put me in his ministerie The Lord can make a minister of a blasphemer I am made a minister that is a seruant to serue the Church to stand and fill the cup and cary it to the Church Peter and Paul were none other 1. Cor. 3. 22. 23. All is yours saith he whether it be Paul or Apollo or Cephas ye are our masters and we are your seruants and ye are Christs So he is but a seruant to the Church and not a Lord ouer it It followes that Paul when he suffered hee suffered not The sufferings of the Apostles and Martyrs were not for the redemption of man as a Lord of the bodie but as a seruant neuer any suffered as a Lord but Christ onely Paul and Peter and the rest suffered as seruants Ye see a faithfull seruant will die for his master so the Apostle suffered for his master the Church what were the Apostles but the friends of the Bridegroome Of this it followes that Pauls suffrings was not for the redemption of man no but for his ministerie and dispensation of the grace committed to him It is a lye to say hee suffered for the redemption of man so it was neuer for the redemption and remission of sins to any y t Paul or any of the Apostles suffered For no man Christ Iesus excepted was able to abide a lot of y t suffring for redemption no not all the men and Angels in heauen and earth were not nor are not able to abide one assault of that suffring That fierce wrath shuld haue so seazed vpon thē that it should haue consumed and destroyed them He must bee an excellent personage God and man in one person as Christ was that will beare out that suffring otherwise hee shall not be able to abide one point of it Well not to passe by this I see a Minister is bound to dye for the Church Wilt thou be a Minister The Minister is boūd to dye for the Church if neede so require prepare thee to dye for the Church otherwise thou art but an hireling a false deceitfull seruant So art thou made a Minister thou art made a seruant to the Queene the Church she is greater then any Princesse in the earth Count thou of a Minister as thou wilt the faithfull Minister is in greater glory honor then al the seruants of Kings Princes in the world yea he shall be preferd to the great Monarches of the world themselues Call ye them vaine fellowes They are the Lords stewards the King of kings Chambermen and Counsellors But to speake to the Ministerie Art thou called to be a Minister thou must prepare thee for suffering yea there is no calling in the Church of Iesus Christ which is not to suffering Thou maist bee called to a politicall gouernment yet not to suffering but to take thy pastime and to be in honour but if thou be called to be a member to Christ thou art called to suffer as it were a sheepe to the shambles Set not thy head within this fold except thou think thou must suffer Peter saith We are called yea appointed to suffer 1. Pet. 2. 21. Then when thou art clapt on the shoulder to be burned hanged headed yea and the skinne to be flaied off thee goe to it cheerefully for thou art bound thereto Well if euery common Christian be thus waies bound how is a Minister bound I say the more degrees thou gettest of Christ the greater preferment thou hast in Christs Church the more art thou obliged to die for Christ and his members Hee is a vaine man that thinkes when he is a minister that he is preferd to ease to greater pleasure The Ministerie no place of ease but of labour then the people no no. Is thine honour double first a Christian and then a Minister to serue the Lord Iesus Thou art bound doublie to suffer and to vndergoe the greater crosse for his sake and the Church I say if thou couldest be slaine a thousand times thou art bound to suffer more then a common Christian And if gladly thou be content to suffer thou gettest double honour first as a Christian and then as a Minister and thirdly as a Martyr Many haue been Ministers but few haue gotten this honor that the Apostles got Acts 5. 41. when they were persecuted they departed with such ioy with a song that they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ I speake this to make vs ready to suffer that with ioy It is no ignominie or shame to thee to suffer if it were the most vile death for Christs sake and thy Creator sake Immediatly after that thou shalt suffer thou shalt be translated from paine and miserie to euerlasting ioy yea and in the chiefe time of thy suffring thou shalt Ioy vnder the crosse finde exceeding great ioy as the holy Apostles and Martyrs found When he hath spoken of his Ministerie he fals out into a description of it and that to this end that we may see the worthines of this Gospell First he calles it a dispensation and stewardship then there must be a familie if he be a steward it must be a great calling Ye thinke to be the master of the Kings household is a great office but to be a Minister a steward in the house of the King of kings
and the master of his household of Ministerie what a high calling all offices of honour it is the greatest and he surpasseth all the honour of office-bearers in the world and he shall haue the fulnes of his honour in heauen and he were a foole to seeke for it here Secondly would yee know of whom he hath this dispensation Of whom but of the Lord of the familie Who dares make a steward but the Lord of the house Euen so who dare make a steward in Christs house but Christ himselfe So that he that hath not his calling of God of Iesus Christ he is but a hireling and worthie to be hanged Then let euery one haue this warrant in his conscience that he is called by Christ either ordinarily conformed to the rule of the Word and discipline of the Church of Christ or els extraordinarily as were the Prophets and Apostles Now what foode is this that hee ministers It is called the word of God Vaine man thinkes it is but words that hee ministers as many say this day that a Minister what doth he for his liuing but goes vp to the pulpit and speakes a few words but I say to thee they are such words that if thou be not fedde with them thou shalt dye and that euerlastingly though thou wert a King A man saith Christ liues not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedes out of the mouth of God Matth. 4. 4. But who thinks that the words of a Minister be the words of God I say to thee esteeme the words of a Minister as thou wilt if he speake the word of God as I am perswaded all true Ministers doe if thou take it not as the word of Gods mouth thou shalt die like a miscreant and wretch for he that heares you saith Christ heares me and he that contemnes you contemnes me Luk. 10. 16. Look to that part of the Epistle to the Hebrues where it is spoken of the iudgement that lighted on them that contemned Moses and his testimonie Heb. 10. 28. and you shall finde it not a light matter to contemne the messenger and Ambassadour of Christ euen the voyce of a sillie Minister Then he sheweth the manner how he receiued it he saith it was giuen him he merited it not No not one of them notwithstanding all their graces merited such a glorious calling as the Ministerie not a man can merit ought in his house But the Apostles they are called to the Apostleship onely of the free grace and loue of God and in such sort all the faithfull preachers of the word none of them were euer called to the Ministerie because either of their Nobilitie as there is few of that sort or for their gifts of cunning and vtterance or any such like thing but onely of the free grace of Iesus Christ and his spirit that called them they were elected and put apart to the Ministerie and the worke thereof therefore it is a free gift 1. Tim. 1. 12. Paul confesseth the same of himselfe I thanke God saith he that he found me faithfull and placed me in his ministerie or seruice O the thanks which he giues for so free a grace I say thou art called to a Ministerie wherein if thou respect him that calles thee and the office that thou art called to for what art thou vnworthy of the smallest roome in his Church thou art neuer able to thanke him enough for it all the daies thou liuest Well to whom got he this Ministerie got he it to himselfe to put his hand euer in the Ambrie to feede himselfe The Ministers of Christ feed not themselues only No no he is a hireling worthie to be hanged like a theefe that respects himselfe onely being not carefull to feede the familie of Iesus Christ So then he gets not this office of Ministerie for himselfe no no thou that art a Minister gettest not this gift that thou shouldest take it and locke it vp in thy chest but thou gettest it to giue it to others and I say to thee by distributing it it shall not be impaired yea the more thou distributest the more thou shalt haue The goods of this Ministerie are not like the gifts of these earthly stewards as they themselues in office are not alike The more these earthly stewards giue the lesse is behinde but the more the Minister giues of Faithfulnes and diligence in the worke of the Ministerie how gainfull the grace of God giuen to him the more hath he for it growes exceedingly Lastly the end of this stewardship is set downe to fulfill the word of God He is a Minister of the word To what end To fulfill the word of God not onely to fill the familie and euery person man and woman but that they may leaue behind to fulfill the word to amplifie the food it selfe Marke it well for the more he giues out the more it growes the more the word is ministred the more it is increased and the growth of the word is by the ministration of it Who doth not finde this that euer God hath called to that office but that the more that hee hath giuen of it out the more it grew the more was behinde Therefore let him neuer goe out of the pantrie stand euer at the doore and be euer giuing out and so it shall swell and grow and thou who receiuest it shall grow to thy saluation and to the glorie of God whose foode it is To this God be all honor and glory Amen THE ELEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 26. 27. 26 Which is the mysterie hid since the world began and from all ages but now is made manifest to his Saints 27 To whom God would make knowne what is the riches of his glorious mysterie among the Gentiles which riches is Christ in you the hope of glorie WE heard brethren that the Apostle when he had entred into the exhortation which he subioyneth vnto this doctrine exhorting the Colossians to perseuere and to abide in faith and hope immediatly he falles out againe into a speech concerning his owne person And first he remoues the offence and slanders that might haue been taken at his bands and suffrings which he suffered at that present in Rome Then he fals out into a recommendation of his Ministerie calling it a dispensation or stewardship in the familie of God which was giuen to him as a free gift without deseruing yea and contrarie to his deseruing giuen to him by God the Coherence and summe of the former Sermō Lord and master of the familie and giuen to him not that he should keepe it to himselfe and not communicate it to others but giuen to him to dispense it to the Gentiles and amongst the rest to the Colossians who were a part of the Gentiles To this end that that word of God giuen to him to dispense it should be filled out and accomplished for euer the more
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
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
if faith ioyne them not if thou wert all my kinne if thou haue not one faith with me we cannot be ioyned together And therefore considering this whatsoeuer thou bee that wouldest labour to conioyne a bodie with the Church striue day and night to bring that person to the faith of the Church For he will neuer be conioyned with the body that hath not this faith of the body But let vs marke the words All riches a high word of the full assurance of vnderstanding To begin at this hee calles faith Faith is an vnderstanding The wofull state of such as be ignorant of the Gospell an vnderstanding Faith is not ignorance and blindnes but it is an vnderstanding and thou that art altogether ignorant of God and of Iesus Christ thou hast no more faith then a dogge Bragge as thou wilt of it ignorant men will begin to crake of faith as though they knew it Faith is an eye that seeth more cleerely then all the eyes of the world It is a light Faith is an eye and vnderstanding the eye of the soule whereby we see God and his sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour yea faith is more then an vnderstanding it is a certaintie of the whole truth of God especially of the promises in Iesus Christ When thou art sure that euery word of the Gospell is true that is the assurance of faith and with this there is conioyned a heartie imbracing of the heart for when thou art sure of the promises O how the heart wil fold about y e promises of God! Haue you not assaied it yet Whē the heart hath assurance of the truth O how it wil cleaue to it For as it is said A true saying is worthie to be imbraced Now faith is not onely this full assurance but it is a riches The beleeuer most rich and most ioyfull Ye that would be rich take heede faith is not a poore thing a beggerly thing A faithfull bodie is no begger but he is rich But yet more he calles it not only riches but he calles it all riches So there is no riches without it thou that hast not faith hast no riches for howbeit thy hand be full yet if thou want faith thy hand is emptie He that hath not faith is euer poore and the beggerliest creature that is but he that hath faith giue him but a coate on his backe he is rich enough and he is the ioyfullest body that euer was ioyfuller by ten thousand times then these worldlings that gruntle on this pelfe of this world Well well then get faith and thinke that without it thou art not rich for if thou haue an emptie bag in thy hart thou art but a poore miserable creature Brethren ye heard how Paul speaking of this mysterie of the Gospel he called it the riches of God hid now speaking of faith he calles it riches also and all riches So I see all is riches Iesus is riches all things concerning Iesus be riches That mysterie of him is the riches of glorie This faith and full perswasion is riches And therefore wilt thou be rich seeke to Christ seeke to this Gospell swallow it vp seeke to faith And be not content till thou hast got a heartfull of this faith of Iesus Christ and then I promise thee thou shalt be rich and more ioyfull then if thou hadst all the world howbeit thou leaue not a peny behind thee Now to come to the rest of the words that I haue read they tend to the declaration of that that is spoken especially of the riches of faith Defining first the riches of faith hee cals it the knowledge that was hid vp in a mysterie and at last reuealed to the world to the euerlasting consolation of the world Then I see this faith is a relatiue to the mysterie that is to the Gospel and to speake it so the obiect of faith which faith seeth and vnderstandeth is the Gospell Now concerning this mysterie you heard before it was the riches of glorie Well if the obiect of faith bee the riches of glorie of necessitie thy faith must be glorious rich For a rich obiect makes a rich knowledge The Gospel the obiect of faith Knowest thou all the Sciences in the world all is but beggerly knowledge if thou want the knowledge of faith Therefore thou who wouldest know striue to know this rich mysterie for it shall giue theefull riches Now in the words God the subiect of the Gospel following he insists vpon this subiect of faith It is the mysterie of God then the subiect of it is God O that is a faire science that speakes of God! All other sciences that speake of the creatures it is but of dirt they speake of in respect of him who made them all One will come of and speake of the earth of fishes and paint out a faire storie of this King or that King of cornes of lands and that will be his subiect Another will goe vpward and speake of the heauen and starres but what is all that in respect of that glorious Creator but dirt So this Gospell of Iesus Christ is onely the eminent science that mounts The Gospel the science of sciences vp aboue all sciences And therefore this mysterie and this Gospell that speakes of this subiect must be glorious albeit the coate of it be but sober and simple howbeit it be preached by simple men and therefore our great men thinke nothing of it But if thou saw the glorie and riches that is in this Gospell O thou wouldest seeke it before all riches and all glorie It would be thy ioy day night teach it who will Well then take the Lord Iesus who is offred to thee in this base clothing as thou wouldest be partaker of him in glorie when this coate shall be shaken off The Apostle hauing made mention of God he leaues not off so but laies him out in two glorious personages and saith God euen the father and of Christ. God saith he that stands in these two personages glorious and equall in glorie the Father and the Sonne So what place would ye haue to know the Christ proued very God Godhead of the Lord our Sauiour if this place will not tell you For when hee hath set downe the Father to be the onely true God he sets down his sone Iesus Christ to be God equall with him in all things euery way So that Iesus thy redeemer he is so man that he is God glorious for euer I see againe there is no true vnderstanding of God but that whereby hee is knowne distinct in persons It is not enough to know that he The true knowledge of God is one in essence but if thou know him well thou must know him distinguished in three persons the Father Sonne and holy Spirit all eternall all equall in power glorie and maiestie onely one true and euerliuing God If this brethren be the true knowledge of God as
they had depriued themselues Ah woe to all false teachers and woe to them that doe depriue themselues of such an head and make the Pope their head But to come to the words he saith He holdeth not the head that is the false Apostle Then he subioynes whereof that is out of the which head the Lord Iesus through ioynts and bands the whole bodie is knit and compacted together and furnished Whereof it importeth not onely that Christ the head is the efficient and worker of all grace that comes to the bodie but more Christ the head of the Church that out of him as out of a storehouse and not elsewhere all grace and vertue doe flow vnto man So the word hath a great force for as out of the head of a man flow all the vertues mouing life and sense that is in the bodie take the head away no vertue is in the bodie euen so from this head the Lord Iesus to his mysticall bodie flow all power and mouing that the bodie that is his Church and euery member thereof hath Thou hast nothing but that that floweth from him Therefore the Apostle saith in him dwelleth all fulnes and againe in him are all treasures and againe in him dwelleth the Godhead bodily and againe in him wee are compleate To let you see that Iesus Christ is the storehouse of graces Goe thy way to heauen thou shalt not finde one iot out of thy head the Lord Iesus Thou shalt seeke all thy time and thou shalt not get a droppe without him Then he saith that by ioynts and bands the whole bodie is furnished not a part but the whole bodie and euery member neuer a one being excepted neither rich nor poore But to insist in the comparison euen as the whole bodie of a man and euery member of the bodie to the finger and toe sucketh vertue from the head and the head is powerfull to cause euery ioynt to liue it is euen so with this mysticall bodie There is neuer a member of this bodie but it receiueth some vertue from the head the Lord Iesus yea the silliest bodie of them all receiueth it owne grace and Iesus Christ is effectuall in euery one from the highest to the lowest If it be in the bodie it cannot want grace It is impossible that any that are in Christ Iesus can want grace but the Lord must be powerfull in them Runne then and ioyne thee with the bodie for if thou be not of this bodie I giue thee this doome thou Ioyne thy selfe with the Church if thou wilt be in Christ shalt neuer see grace nor get the spirit of Iesus which is the worker of this grace in Iesus 1. Cor. chap. 12. 7. he saith To euery one is giuen the manifestation of the spirit to profit withall And Ephes 4. 7. likewise he saith To euery one is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift This importeth that Iesus Christ is not onely full of grace but that there is such a varietie of grace in him that there is not onely one or two graces in him but he is full of varietie of graces There is not a member but he hath gotten a different grace I haue gotten mine thou hast gotten thine and euery one hath gotten his owne different grace So looke what varietie there is of the faces of men Varietie of graces in Christ. as great varietie there is of the graces of Christ and so there is no grace out of Christ seeke grace in him or els thou wilt neuer finde it To goe forward the first thing that euer commeth downe from the head to the bodie what thinke ye it to bee What is the first thing that commeth downe from the head of a man It is yee know the sinewes as the first thing for the head by them is bound to the bodie euen so the first thing that commeth from Christ he calleth it bands or ligaments that goe downe from him as from the head So that there is not a member of the bodie of Christ but there is a sinew a band comming from Iesus Christ the head to it Ye will aske what The bands which knit vs vnto Christ are these mysticall sinewes The first of them is the spirit of Iesus Christ God himselfe is the master sinew without that sinew thou shalt neuer bee conioyned with the head The second band is faith for when that spirit commeth he is not idle in the person in whom he is but hee worketh faith in him There is the other sinew whereby thou takest hold of him he taketh hold first of thee and then thou takest hold of him The third and last band is loue to thy neighbour a branch as it were striken out from faith where faith is loue will strike out from it as a branch striking out from the master sinew so these are the three bands The spirit entring into vs faith rising from vs and our loue rising from our faith whereby we mutually embrace one another I neede not to insist to proue by the Scriptures these points ye see in this Epistle chap. 3. 14. Loue is called the band of perfection Now brethren ye must know this moreouer euery one of these bands must extend to euery member There is not a member of Christs bodie but first he must haue the spirit of Iesus next faith and thirdly loue otherwise thou canst not be a member of Iesus Christ For if thou want but this loue which is the last thou canst not be one of Christs I say and affirme thou hast not the spirit nor faith and so art not conioyned with the head It is true that euery one hath his particular gift different from other but I assure you a man may not want one of these three Thou maist want the gift of tongues miracles and such others but thou must not want the spirit faith nor charitie Want what thou wilt and if thou haue not these three thou canst not stand in the bodie thou hast not to doe neither with Christ nor with his bodie therefore if thou hast the spirit faith and charitie and doest find thy selfe to haue them then thou maist be ioyfull Now to goe thorow after he hath set downe the bands he sets downe three effects that proceede from Christ by these Three effects proceed from Christ to euery member bands downe to the bodie The first effect is a furnishing of the bodie wherewith not with earthly furniture but with spirituall furniture otherwise it cannot stand For as when the bodie is knit with the head by sinewes and then downe through these sinewes as thorough certaine conduits doe flow vertue and power to the bodie cut off thy head thy bodie nor no member thereof hath any power to moue or stirre euen so this mysticall bodie being ioyned to Christ by these spirituall meanes the spirit faith and loue there commeth downe through these conduits to vs that water of life and that is
before the faces of men Now the Lord heare vs for his sonnes sake Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and holie Ghost be ascribed as most due is all power and praise for euer and euer Amen THE XXXVII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 6. 6 Let your speech be gracious alwaies and poudred with salt that ye may know how to answere euery man THis is another generall sentence or exhortation brethren pertaining as the former to all sorts and degrees of men women in the world none being so great or so high that they are to be exempted frō it nor any being so meane or small as that they can be freed frō it for as God is the cōmon God of al but specially of thē that beleeue so doe the doctrines that he deliuereth commonly concerne all but chiefly his Saints and seruants in this world So that men may as well reiect and cast off God himselfe as refuse the doctrines that are deliuered in this and such like places His purpose and drift is to teach mē to take heed to their tongues And this is not vnfitly ioyned to the former sentence or verse wherein he admonished them to walke warily generally towards all but specially towards them that are without as well because they knew not how to beare with incircumspectiō in others as not hauing learned that dutie of charitie as also because more regard is to be had of gaining them then of those that be ranged into the Church And in as much as by the speech or tongue men bewray their retchlesnes and indiscretion as well as by acts or deeds he therefore prouoketh them euen in that respect to haue a speciall eye to their words as well as to their works So that it may seeme in some sort to to be an illustration of the generall by some particulars Whatsoeuer it be this is certaine he would haue vs to be warie that we giue no offence to others nor bewray inconsideratiō in our selues by our words but rather that we should manifest much goodnes in our selues and set it out vnto others for their good and Gods glorie Now two things are to be considered in this verse the one is a precept or commaund in these words Let your speech be gracious alwaies and poudred with salt by which he giueth vs to vnderstand that it is no arbitrarie matter such as we may doe or leaue vndone as we list but that it is profitable yea necessarie The second is the end that hee aimeth at in their obedience in these words that ye may know how to answere euery man which is the good of others as well as their owne comfort in the graces they had receiued because whatsoeuer wee haue receiued wee haue receiued it for other mens benefit as well as for our owne and therefore should referre it to the fame ends In the speech that hee commendeth vnto vs he requireth two properties first that it should be gracious or with a grace as we say Secondly that it should be poudred or seasoned with salt That speech is or may be iustly called gracious which as in respect of the speaker proceedeth from some grace that God hath vouchsafed vnto him for howsoeuer to speake be a naturall thing as reason hath yeelded vs conceits to speake of so nature hath affoorded vs instruments to speake by as the tongue the teeth the lips and such like yet to speake the speech that the Apostle commendeth and commaundeth vnto vs in this place cannot be but by grace from God And as in regard of the hearer bringeth with it some grace to them to whom it is directed which thing the Apostle plainly expresseth Ephes 4. vers 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the vse of edifying that it may minister grace to the bearers By which wee learne that it is no easie thing to speak well nor easie matter to heare good things and to profit by them Our nature is backward both to the one and the other for as it is a burthen to heare a foole speake meaning by foole a wicked man because he speaketh nothing but that which is euill so a naturall man that is to say a wicked man can deliuer nothing but speake like to himselfe because out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And therefore me thinketh that the speaker in this case should pray as the Prophet Dauid doth that God would set a doore before his lips and guide the tongue of his mouth And this hee ought to doe if hee be but a common Christian and speake to his euen Christian because there is matter of corruption in him that may cause him to ouershoote himselfe or ere he beware both as in regard of the naughtines of his mind and mouth generally and as in respect of the blindnes of his heart particularly yea and that many times when we deliuer good things because in the multitude of words or speech there is transgression as Salomon saith And the hearer also should intreate God to boare his eares and to open his vnderstanding yea and to incline his heart that nothing might steale away his affection from that which so directly concerneth other mens good Gods glorie and his owne spirituall comfort which dutie of inuocation and praier whilest men as in other respect so in this behalfe regard not it falleth out that both God is robbed of his glorie men of their spirituall good and themselues of Christian comfort Nay I will say more whilest they doe not onely neglect this good dutie but imagine as the wicked did in Dauids time that their tongues are their owne they will speake who is Lord ouer them or who shall controule them they doe not onely lose their labour as water spilt vpon the ground which is pitifull but increase their disobedience to God and manifest their want of charitie towards men which is vngodly And if this be the state of them that speak not of good things with an honest hart to godly edification what must their condition be that deliuer lewd and wicked things bewraying not onely the vncleannes of their owne mindes but at the least intising if not corrupting others to runneriot with them to the selfesame excesse of sinne And of this sort are those ribaulds and filthie persons who can neuer be merrie or thinke themselues well occupied till they blaspheme God with their mouthes and strike or curse mē with their tongues I meane the bitter and lewd words they doe deliuer But these are to be sharply reproued and must needes haue the dung of their filthines and corruption cast into their faces And this must we doe brethren if either we reuerence God or loue his glorie or hate euill or desire their saluation and they themselues must bee contented to heare it with patience and to beare it with profit or else the meanes vsed vnto
Tychicus vnto them and together with him Onesimus whom notwithstanding hee might haue detained with him the better to minister vnto him in the bands that he indured for the Gospell And all this he doth that by them hee might the better declare vnto the Church his own particular estate and be the better informed in the knowledge of their affaires All which he doth not in a loose minde as in regard of himselfe babling out his owne matters he careth not how nor where nor to whom nor with a curious minde as in respect of their businesses being as too many are now adaies too much occupied in other mens affaires and carelesly neglect their owne but of a very carefull heart for them and their good Which care of his amplified as you see and being so great as it was indeede for the Churches of Christ whose benefit and good edification in Christ neglecting as it were his owne life and health hee had alwaies before his eyes should teach vs what we should doe Which yet that he might the better perswade vs vnto he mentioneth it yea hee discourseth vpon it in many places and namely 2. Cor. 11. vers 28. 29. where hee saith Besides those things that come from without that feare and trouble that daily riseth vp in me forceth me still I meane care for all Churches Who is afflicted and I am not afflicted who is offended and I burne not But what shall we say sinne and Satan and the intisements of this present wicked world haue daseled mens eyes and besotted their vnderstandings and plainly doe expresse the palpable yea the deplorable calamitie of these naughty daies and bad times in which a man shall hardly find any man amongst the members of the Church that hath conscience or care of the performance of this dutie And can we maruaile at it that the poore people know it not or feele it not sith you shall hardly find one amongst many thousand of the ministers preachers of Gods holy word who doth not more care for his own health and welfare then for the incolumitie of any other yea of the whole Church besides And is it not manifest by this that if a man be brought into some perill and hazard hee will with the neglect of the Church prouide for one and imagineth that if it goeth well with him it goeth well withall So strongly doth the world and worldly things and selfe loue and all other corruption beare sway and so truly may wee say as the Apostle Paul doth 2. Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath forsaken me and hath imbraced this present world But indeed if there were at this day such fidelitie and zeale in the hearts of them that exercise and execute the ministerie of God as there was in Paul and in other of Gods faithfull seruants in his time they would esteeme as nothing all the dangers of this life and they would account as durt and dung all worldly pleasures and profits in comparison of Christs glorie and the Churches good And of this let vs assure our selues that till men yea ministers be come so farre they are but the shadowes of Christians and vizards or counterfeits in comparison of Gods faithfull seruants and ministers To amend this geere is not in vs howsoeuer we may speake of it and wish it God onely must work it To him therefore let vs goe with cheerefulnes and earnestnes and beseech him to worke this care in the hearts of all faithfull ministers that belong to him and are imployed in his Church Which he graunt for Christ Iesus sake to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be giuen all praise and power both now and at all times of vs and all people Amen THE XXXIX LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 10. 11. 10 Aristarchus my prison fellow saluteth you and Marcus Barnab as cousin concerning whom yee haue receiued commaundements If he come vnto you receiue him 11 And Iesus which is called Iustus who are of the Circumcision These only being helpers with me in the kingdome of God haue been comfort vnto me IF you remember brethren the things that haue been spoken before you may perceiue that in these verses and the rest following there is contained as wee may say the seuenth part of the whole Epistle and the fourth part of this particular chapter And consisteth principally of salutations or greetings which some that were with Paul whē he wrote this Epistle sent to the Church of Colosse and with commendatiōs also which the said Church was in Pauls name and it may be in the name of diuers that were present with him to do to another Church some particular members of it The first sort of these two salutations are comprehended in these verses that we haue read and so on in the 12. 13. and 14. The other is contained in the fifteenth verse And wee are to mark for the more cleere vnderstanding of the text that these greetings are sent from two kinds of people according as the world it self was diuided and as God was pleased out of them to gather a Church vnto himselfe that is to say they were sent partly from the circumcised meaning thereby the Iewes because that signe was in some vse among them at that time and partly from the vncircumcised that is from the Gentiles who were not clogged or to be clogged with that ceremonie Of theis latter he speaketh vers 12. 13. 14. and of the former in these two verses yet so as we must vnderstand that one of thē also was a Gentile namely Aristarchus as we shal better perceiue anone And this I would haue further to be marked that hauing begun in some of the foregoing verses to treate of priuate and particular affaires hee holdeth on here in these and the rest following that so all and euery one of the Church might vnderstand that he was both carefull for and mindfull of the whole and euery one of them and of al their good specially spirituall which should cause thē likewise to affect him Those three persons that are mentioned in these two verses are after a double manner described here For either he doth by some particular description commend them to the Colossians and of this sort are my fellow in bands attributed to Aristarchus Barnabas kinsman attributed to Marke Iustus attributed to Iesus with some cōmon title common I meane either to two of them and that is that they were of the Circumcision or els to all three together that they onely helpe him in Gods kingdome and were singular comforts vnto him The first of these is named here Aristarchus He was of Thessalonica in Macedonia and was conuerted by Pauls ministerie and preaching and accompanying him in most of his iourneys he was taken with him as also was Gaius in the tumult that was made at Ephesus against him which being pacified hee accompanied Paul going into Asia and was caried prisoner together with Paul
this and therefore cannot say much Euen here he hath two names the one Hebrue that is Iesus the other Latin that is Iustus Both his names imply and signifie good things by which also it should seeme he was a good man But because we haue no more certaintie of his life and qualities this shall be sufficient that hath been generally spoken Now it followeth to see what the Apostle saith of all these together These onely are my workefellowes vnto the kingdome of God which haue been vnto my consolation This is a general commendation of them and in it concerning them he affirmeth two things The first that they were fellow-labourers or workmen with him in aduauncing the kingdome of God they all ioyning hearts and hands together in setting forward that excellent A good thing when faithfull men ioyne together in well doing worke The second and it doth in part proceed from the former namely that they were no small comfort vnto him meaning thereby not onely as in regard of aduauncing the worke of the ministerie but also yeelding him sound consolation in his imprisonment and bands and that made me to say before in part proceeding from the former By the kingdome of God in this place omitting the diuers acceptions of the word in the Scriptures specially of the New Testament is meant the glorious Gospell of Christ by which as it were by What is meant by the kingdome of God a standerd lifted vp God gathereth a Church vnto himselfe and thereby manifesteth to men a meanes whereby they may haue entrance into the said Church yea by which he guideth and gouerneth both the Church it selfe and all those that are gathered thereinto the Gospell seruing not onely to begin and beget faith and a good conscience but to hold men on in the same and to cause them to grow therein And yet this double commendation of them is amplified by these words in the text that these were they alone of the Circumcision who holpe him in promoting Christs kingdome at Rome and did much comfort him as before hath bin shewed And that word onely would be marked because that from it we may probably conclude either that Peter was neuer at Rome at all or else that if he were there he was not so good and faithfull a head to Peter not at Rome the Church nor so comfortable a companion to his fellow Apostle as the Romane Catholikes do make him For if he were at any time at Rome I would faine know what time we should rather thinke him to haue been at Rome then a little before that time which they themselues assigne to his passion or suffering there which in their owne opinion is the very selfesame time in which this Epistle was written they affirming that both Peter and Paul suffered and were crucified at Rome in one and the selfesame yeere But it appeareth by this which is said here that Peter was not then at Rome when from thence he wrote this Epistle And besides how can it be credible that if hee had been then at Rome hee should not haue furthered Paul in aduauncing Christs kingdome or should not haue yeelded him comfort in his bands To say or thinke the first is at the least to make him a dissembler of his religion or a denier of Christ as once he had done before but they hold that after he had receiued the holie Ghost he was freed from all error specially in faith though they forget his fall mentioned in the Galathians remember not that if that intituled him into not erring the rest of the Apostles had as great a priuiledge that way as he because they al equally receiued the spirit And to affirme the other is to make him vncharitable and to note him to be a forsaker of the brethren and not a fellow sufferer with them in their bands and afflictions So that whilest they goe about to bring him to Rome they haue spunne a fayre threed in that they pull vpon him and by consequent vpon themselues these inconueniences at the least But the truth is hee was not there And for the further strongthening of vs therein we are to be perswaded that if he had been there the Apostle who is so carefull yea so curious as it were both in this and other Epistles of his written from Rome mentioning so many men of meane note in the Church and the names of so many faithfull teachers also as then were present with him there and yet maketh no mention at all of Peter whom yet notwithstanding in another place he calleth the Pillar of the Church Galath 2. vers 9. But to leaue this and to proceed to another point In that the Apostle is so carefull to giue charge and order touching Marke and the receiuing of him we may see first that Marke was a good man and so learne by that who should be deare and precious vnto vs euen the Saints that are vpon the Whom Gods people should most affect earth as the Prophet saith Psal 16. and find in our selues thereby the true note that wee are sound members of the Church militant and therfore shall be gathered to the Church triumphant in that a vile person is despised in our eyes but wee make much of them that feare the Lord Psal 15. But the world is quite and cleane contrarie for it loueth her owne and hateth the godly So that wee may say as the Prophet saith He that frameth himselfe vnto righteousnesse maketh himselfe a pray And surely if it bee a great sinne to condemne the generation of the iust then it cannot but be a transgression also not to commend and esteeme the godly for besides that God accounteth the fauours done to them as done to himselfe and on the other side reckoneth the indignities offered them as accomplished against his own Maiesty the very graces y t he hath shed abroad into their hearts should make vs to esteeme thē So that if we would not behold their persons yet we shuld acknowledge his mercies graces in thē and accordingly reuerence and regard thē Secondly in this act of Paul what great care diligence the Primitiue Church had in giuing testimonies vnto men No doubt the cause mouing them thereto was many seducers and false brethren went abroad and they To whom the Church should veeld testimonie would not willingly haue had the godly and faithfull deceiued by them which sinne no doubt they might the more easily haue fallen into if the Church had not kept this good course in yeelding faithfull testimonie to the holie professors yea preachers it may bee of Christs Gospell It there were at this day the like diligence and care amongst such Christians as dwell in diuers regions and parts of the world or amongst them that liue in one and the selfesame kingdome countrey and Church these vagrant men that so much runne vp and downe from place to place and from countrey to countrey and trauaile so sore
ministers they ought to honour and esteeme as sent from God vnto them for their good For if that rule of the Apostle 1. Tim. 5. 1. Rebuke not an Elder but exhort him as a father hold and be true still towards them that be of great yeers then must it in proportion be true in the Ministers and Elders of the Church in whom their place and calling this way foorth is as much to be respected as yeeres in others And the Pastor himselfe should not in regard of his great place and excellent graces aboue others contemne or lightly esteem these admonitions as the manner of some is but should set them to heart and be prouoked by them the more faithfully to execute the charge and function that God and the Church haue imposed vpon him which what it is the Apostle sheweth by the words following when he saith Looke to this that thou fulfill the ministerie which thou hast receiued from the Lord. This is a very graue and yet withall a very modest forme that the Apostle would haue the Church to vse in admonishing their pastor And it seemeth to stand vpon two speciall points or to containe two things which hee would haue the Church to admonish their pastor of The first that hee should well consider and regard the ministerie which God had committed vnto him both Two things principally required in a faithfull pastor or minister what manner office it is and of what great weight and also how graue laborious and excellent the vocation is looking into it generally and carefully considering all the parts of it and omitting nothing that is of necessitie required to the faithfull full performance of his pastoral dutie The second that after he doth once exactly know his office and charge he faithfully fulfill the same that is diligently accomplish and faithfully execute all the parts of that his office so that nothing may be found defectiue or wanting in him which appertaineth to the full discharge of his dutie and office And these two things must of necessitie be ioyned together not onely in doing ministeriall duties but in euery other calling whatsoeuer I meane the knowledge of an office and the execution thereof for this is not sufficient that a man know what his dutie is vnlesse he also execute and performe the same A very strong reason because as the Apostle saith to him that knoweth how to doe well and doth it not to him it is sinne And againe wee know that no man can execute his office and discharge it in faith and a good conscience vnlesse he first vnderstand what he is bound by the vertue and power of his calling to accomplish because that experience teacheth vs that as of an vnknowne thing there is no desire so there cannot be any accomplishment no man being able to doe that which he knoweth not or vnderstandeth not Now though out of these words we may learne many good lessons yet for the time and because wee are to hasten to an end wee will obserue onely two The first that for the better stirring vp of Archippus to fulfill his ministerie he taketh an argument drawne from God the author of the ministerie saying which thou hast receiued from the Lord. From whence wee may learne that the conscience of our callings specially then when we are sure they are from God should be no smal spurre Conscience that the ministerie is from God shall make men to walke faithfully in it to prouoke vs to faithfull execution of them in the place wherein God hath put vs whether it be Magistracie Ministerie or any other specially the ministerie of the Church So Paul when he exhorted the Elders of the Church of Ephesus to looke to themselues and to the whole flocke and so to feed the Church of God draweth and taketh his argument from the holie Ghost who had called them to the ouersight of the Church of Ephesus In which saith he the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers thereby declaring that nothing can more effectually moue and stirre vp men to the doing of their duties then to consider that wee haue receiued our ministerie from God before whom wee as other men must render an account of all things that we haue done in the flesh before whom also the minister must stand as an approued workman that neede not be ashamed 2. Tim. 2. 15. Which whilest good men haue seriously thought of and carefully practised as became them they haue had the peace of a good conscience in themselues and great approbation before God and men Whereas others either not knowing this or not walking in the obedience of it haue runne riot to much excesse and drawne many after them and with them into perdition And I would to God that we here in our land had not tasted of the smacke of this yea I wish with all my heart that wee could learne by that which is past to be wiser for that which is to come or at the latter end as we say then should we see God more honoured the ministerie more faithfully discharged the people better instructed and all good fruites abound Whereas now through ignorance and carelesnes of this sinne and superstition ouerfloweth all and nothing but a floud of iudgement readie to ouerwhelme But we will leaue this point and proceed on to the other The second point is this that if a man will well and faithfully execute his office in the ministerie it is not enough that he trauaile in one part of it alone as for example that he teach The ministerie is not performed when some one point or dutie of it is accomplished onely exhort onely or so foorth but he must of necessitie diligently execute all and euery part thereof that so hee may be found faithfull in all the house of God as Moses was Hebr. 3. 2. and in all the parts of his calling too keeping backe from them none of Gods counsels that so he may be free from the bloud of all as the Apostle was Acts 20 for that indeede is to fulfill the ministerie And great reason indeede of this and that as well because the whole and euery part of the ministeriall function is from God and wee know that no imperfect or defectiue thing will either please him or be good to our selues sith he commaundeth vs to doe all that he enioyneth vs and not to goe aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left Deuter. 12. as also because it is so prescribed in the word of truth For the Apostle writing vnto Timothie in his second Epistle and in the end of the third chapter and reckoning vp the principall vses of the Scripture and namely that it is profitable to instruct to reprooue to correct and to teach euen vnto righteousnes which are as it were so many parts and peeces of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and in which indeede consisteth that same right diuiding of the word whereof he speaketh in the same
crie for it or els thou shalt die and apprehend the death of Christ for it is the death of Christ that slayeth the flesh and takes away the corruption of thy nature Now to come againe to the false teacher I gaue you a mark Markes of false teachers of him before hee is pert hee is shamelesse and hath a brasen face otherwise hee durst not affirme such points of doctrine Another marke of a false teacher he is proud as proud as the diuell as wee say what were it if hee had matter but hee is proud with the winde of false doctrine for as humble as hee will seeme to thee yet beware of him his heart is blowne vp with pride There is not a false teacher but hee is proud a proud heart in a poore breast he is a poore diuell I remember a sentence of Augustine to Paulinus It is a wonderfull thing that a man should be more proud of humilitie then if he were openly proud and I will assure thee a deceiuer will be prouder in his counterfeit humilitie then he that is openly proud A simple man cannot doe it and of all the proud men in the world the deceiuer is greatest Another thing I marke false doctrine and pride are companions together so that if thou say there is false doctrine I will say there is pride also If thou wilt say there is false doctrine in this heart I will say there is a proud bodie as a man of a foule stomacke will giue a foule belch So a blast of false doctrine is a puffe of pride wherewith the heart is filled vp Therefore it is no marueile though I say a false Doctor is a proud man Be not deceiued with a Iesuite when hee commeth with his side long cloake and his broad brimbd hat who is so humble as hee but I say hee is full of pride and thou shalt bewaile the time that thou sawest him Keepe him in thy chambers as thou wilt hee shall sting thee to death The last argument of the condemning of this false doctrine is in these words he saith He hath not to doe with the head Iesus Christ The third argument of false doctrine He vttereth plainly he neuer wist what Christ was and that hee neuer tasted of that power and vertue which descendeth from the head to the bodie for if hee had tasted of it O for all the world hee would not haue put an Angell betwixt him and Christ VVilt thou put one betweene thee and thy head An Angell is but a stranger to thee in respect of Iesus Is not a mans head the most familiar and best thing that a man hath will he not haue recourse to his head O would the deceiuer put thee from thy head Iesus Christ he plainly testifieth that Iesus Christ thy head stood neuer vpon his necke Iesus stood neuer vpon the necke of a Papist speake of him what he will for if he were thy head O Papist and haddest tasted the vertue that descended from him thou wouldest neuer seeke to Angels and Saints to bid them open their mouth to pray for thee But thou that followest after Saints and huntest after Angels thou shewest that thou neuer tastedst of the head Iesus Christ And therefore thou testifiest that thou art a false teacher and thou that followest such a teacher thou art a false professor of Iesus Christ Here I end onely I request you sticke to Iesus once get him to be thy head and I shall promise thee thou shalt neuer long for Angell nor Saint For thou shalt finde such a power and vertue of life to flow out of him to thee and such a sweetnes as therewith thy soule shall be contented and as thou continuest with him thou shalt finde thy selfe more and more liuely and ioyfull in thy heart thou shalt sucke continually life and ioy out of him till at the last thou shalt see him in his Iob. 21. 22 glorie and be filled fully in him for in his countenance is the sacietie and fulnes of ioy And thou shalt not seeke to Angels and bid one of them goe betwixt thee and him at that day O then acquaint you with him for the Angels are but ministering spirits at his commaund I say O acquaint you with him and sticke by him immutably and thou shalt finde the ioy of thy heart vnspeakable To Iesus Christ with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise Amen THE XXI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 19. 20. 19 And holdeth not the head whereof all the bodie furnished and knit together by ioynts and bands encreaseth with the encreasing of God 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though ye liued in the world are ye burdened with traditions YE heard brethren the admonition of the Apostle that the Colossians should not suffer themselues to be abused by false Apostles especially with the rites and ceremonies that sometimes were giuen to the people of the Iewes and after abolished by Christs comming Secondly that they should not suffer themselues to be abused by no other kinde of traditions which God neuer gaue to any people as the worshipping of Angels whereon wee insisted the last day This kinde of tradition it came in vnder the pretence of Coherence humilitie and it was refuted and condemned by the Apostle as ye heard by three arguments first it comes of shamelesse pertnes of men pretending to haue a knowledge of that they neuer saw nor heard Where sawe they the Angels and their intercession they make in heauen where heard they of it and so it is a false doctrine to propound any thing whereof they haue no warrant The second argument is taken from the pride that is in them for this doctrine concerning the worshipping of Angels it commeth of pride without any cause or knowledge and so it is no more but a blast of a foule proud stinking heart The third argument which is in the beginning of this verse is from the want of Christ the head These doctors neuer tasted that Christ was their head for if they had they would neuer haue sought nor bidden seeke to Angels to bee mediatours betwixt them and God So briefly there be these three arguments whereby this false doctrine is refuted and taken away Yet the Papist defendeth it by the same arguments that the false Apostles defended it It commeth of humilitie to vse them as mediatours that are most familiar and conuersant with God Alas a new heretike is wondrous like to an old heretike So it is but a damned doctrine that they haue raised vp in these daies Now the Apostle hauing spoken of the head Iesus Christ hee falleth out into a description of him from the relation to the bodie and from the effects of the bodie which is the Church all to this end to shew the false teachers and their followers of how great a good