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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18073	A commentary vpon the epistle of Saint Paule written to the Colossians. Preached by Thomas Cartwright, and now published for the further vse of the Church of God	Cartwright, Thomas, 1535-1603.	1612 (1612)	STC 4708; ESTC S117383	138,468	342

beginning Eph. 1. 4. of the world but that was in regard of CHRIST in regard of our selues he hated vs we were his enemies And had it not been for the loue in CHRIST Eph. 2. 1. 3. 12. we should not haue abidden in his presence but had been consumed and therefore we haue to praise God that in loue he spared vs so long till he called vs and sent meanes of calling vs. It followeth Mind We were enemies therein which is the principall part of the soule and therefore we were much more enemies in the inseriour faculties in our grosse affections of feare anger and in regard of loue and also of our bodie Doctrine Doctrine We learne that seing we are thus enemies there is nothing in vs but corruption and enm●ties in our thoughts words and deeds Which is contrary to the Papists which will make vs that we can merit at the hand of God by our good works But if the tree be corrupt what shall the fruite be For the reconciliation by CHRIST we haue heard Verse 22. of it before The end of our reconciliation is in the Luk. 1. 74. 75. next words expressed which is sanctification which is the end we why are redeemed This the Apostle setteth out by the three words The first word signifieth that which is not earthly Hagios holy not earthly of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. that our minds should be caried from earthly things to heauenly The second is without spot viz. not a man that is not charged with blame but which being blamed is not truly nor iustly blamed The third word signifieth a man that cannot be iustly brought into iudgemēt before the magistrate or before the Church Signifying that a man not onely may befree frō great crimes but euen from all that may be reprehended by other inferiour men And here is ment not onely to walke vnblamable before men but euen before God to walke vprightly and sincerely So that sanctification is the end of our redemption That the Gospell should not be euill spoken of Doctrine Here is confuted Iustification by good works For seeing good works are the end and the effects of our saluation and come after our redemption they cannot then be the causes of the same and as the fruite commeth after the trees so doe good works after from righteousnesse which is as the Tree that beareth Phil. VII them The end of the tenth Sermon The eleuenth Sermon COLOSS. 1. V. 24. to the end 23 If yee continue grounded and established in the faith and bee not moued away from the hope of the Gospell whereof ye have heard and which hath bene Preached to euery creature which is vnder heauen whereof I Paul am a Minister 24 Now reioyce I in my sufferings for you and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of CHRIST in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church 25 Whereof I am a Minister according to the dispensation of God which is giuen me vnto you-ward to fulfill the word of God 26 Which is the mystery hid since the world beganne 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 glory 28 Whom we preach admonishing euery man and teaching euery man in all wisedome that wee may present euery man perfect in CHRIST IESVS 29 Whereunto I also labour and striue according to his working which worketh in me mightily THe Apostle hauing set forth the redemption brought vnto vs by our Sauiour and hauing shewed that the Colossians had a part in that redemption hee commeth to set forth vnto vs a condition Whereupon his grace and mercy of God is bestowed vpon them viz. no other but this If ye continue grounded and setled in the faith and be not moued away from the hope of the Gospell yee haue heard of c. The sense hath bene before metaphrastically set downe The summe containes an earnest exhortation and effectuall vnto constancy and abiding in the truth they haue receiued First consider the exhortation which Saint Paul giueth to the Colossians and in them to all the children of God to abide in the true faith Secondly the reason and grounds whereon this exhortation is laid many sundry and strong First for the exhortation to continue in the truth Reasons of constancy to which men are perswaded by many reasons for otherwise they haue no part in CHRIST no part in the reconciliation or sanctification by CHRIST for this is necessary to all the children of God to continue vnto the end Therefore Math. 24. our Sauiour speaking of the great troubles which should come saith he that continueth to the end shall be saued We see Math. 23. 13. example of those that hauing professed go backe leese their hope and the comforts of Gods children L●ts wife though she went not backe but desired to Gen. 19. 26. go to Sodom in regard of wealth riches therefore our Sauiour saith Remember Lott wife Luke 17. 32. Thus wee see the children of Israel in Exod. that though they went out of Aegypt with ioy and gladnesse yet feeling after want of meate in the wildernesse Exod. 16. 3. Heb. 3. 17. 18. wished to returne into Aegypt and therefore it is said they should not enter into the Lords rest viz the spirituall Cannan Let vs beware therefore of Apostacy and that wee runne not in vaine For it were better wee had neuer professed at all then hauing once professed the truth afterward to fall away 2. Pet. 2. 21. 22. and to returne like a dogge to his vomite It is a great matter to enter into the profession of CHRIST and if wee doe not continue but depart from it it had bene better we had neuer knowne nor professed it Therefore wee reade in the Actes that Barnabas admonish'd the brethren of Antioch to continue in the grace of God Acts 13. 43. One notable degree of contiuance is to haue a Note purpose to continue and therefore those that haue not this purpose to abide in the truth come life come death but rather purpose if an other time should come they are as ready for that as for this they are nothing but hypocrites and haue a witnesse in their owne heart of their condemnation And we must not onely haue a purpose but wee must labour to bee strong and vse all meanes for the confirming of vs calling on the name of God for it For Peter had a purpose indeed not to deny CHRIST but to stand for him but yet he denied him grosly because he did not call earnestly vnto the Lord for strenght neither did vse the meanes of absteyning himselfe from danger before hee was called but would needs runne into danger to the high Priests house and leane too much vpon himselfe Doctrine Againe we learne

of the least sinnes that wee be able to discerne them to be sinnes this discerning spirit must be in vs And we must discerne betweene good and good also which is more good which lesse And in euill to see the least euill that can bee which euery Christian ought to do Indeed the world vsually doth not discerne of euill things c. but Gods children do for they looke into the sinne as a man into a Christal glasse wherein a man may see the least moate Euen as well as a man can by his tast discerne meates and drinkes Indeed in matter of meate and drinke wee can soone feele whether it be sweete or sower salt or ill-sauory and yet in sinnes though as great as Mountaines wee cannot discerne them This of the first point the next is that they walke worthy of God this is another point of Christianity and a farre greater for knowledge indeed is necessary but with it must bee ioined practise without which knowledge is vnprofitable nay rather hurtful And it may be said that a man knowes so much in Christianity Ephe. 4. as he practiseth if yee bee learned any whit in the schoole of CHRIST yee haue learned this to lay downe the old man the flesh and ragges of the old corruption and put on the new roabes of holinesse shewing that nothing is learned without practize for when men see you practise nothing they say you haue learned nothing of the Minister The Prophet speaking of Sion set on a Mountaine in the Esay 2. time of the Gospell saith they shall exhort one another to go vp why To heare and to what end to walke in the way we are taught So that we are in Christianity to know how we may practize Indeed in some knowledge as of the Artes c. knowledge may bee profitable without practise but in matters of God and godlinesse it is nothing without practise The practise of a Christian is set out In Generall and Particular In generall to walke worthy of God what meaneth the Apostle by this we shall consider better of it by comparing it with other places The Apostle to the Ephesians saith Euery man is to walke worthy of the calling Ephe. 4. 1. 2. whereunto he is called and he exhorts the Phillipians to walke worthy of the Gospell So that this is set downe in three sorts to walke worthy of our calling to Phil. 1. 27. walke worthy of the Gospell and to walke worthy of God First to walke according to the Gospell signifieth to be spirituall and holy as the Gospell is holy and spirituall Secondly to walke according to our calling is spoken by a similitude taken from men because in that calling a man is he will carry himselfe according to his place A Gentleman will not walke basely as others doe And a Magistrate will doe according to his estate and a Prince likewise And shall not the children of God being called to be children of God and the sonnes of the most Highest walke as the children of God And therefore wee see it marked on Dauid as a reproach that he did carry himselfe like 2. Sam. 21. 13. a mad-man in Achish his Court. And is it not a shame for a Christian to carry himselfe so basely in sinne For sinne is the vilest thing that can be it is a most base thing to bee a slaue to sinne there is no drudgery so loathsome which can bee compared to it Thirdly to walke worthy of God here the Apostle declareth that hee that maketh light of the Gospell maketh light of God himselfe and walketh vnworthy of God It may bee asked what that worthinesse is It is set forth to bee a walking in all manner of pleasing of God if we study to please God in euery thing which is a very notable thing 1 To please God then to please him in all things which wee know to do that which wee know may please God and to set our selues against any thing that wee know may displease God for men vsually doe naturally take delight to please themselues and to seeke for those things which may be most according to their owne heartes pleasant to their owne eyes And therefore Salomon in Ecclesiastes saith to the yong man mocking him Go to Reioyce ô yong man in thy youth and Eccle. 11. 9. walke in the wayes of thyne heart Another sort of men walke to please the world and care not what they may doe so they may please those whose fauour they desire but if I should please Gal. 1. 10. men I should not bee the seruant of God saith the Apostle And as wee are to please God so in all things wee ought to doe it at the least to wrestle and striue with our selues to the obedience of Gods will in all things And if in doing the will of God the world bee displeased wee need not to care but to goe forward For al-be-it the Apostle saith as much as wee can with pleasing God wee are to please all men yet Rom. 15. if wee cannot please men but displease God wee are not to care for mens displeasure in regard of Gods for Saint Paul saith I care not for mans 1. Cor. 4. iudgement Examine our selues therefore we ought whether wee please our selues or the world more then God or no. It followeth Being fruitfull in all good workes that Verse 10. is bringing forth euery good fruite this is the same with the former but it explaineth the other by a Metaphor if we bring forth good fruite in euery good worke where hee compareth men to fruitfull creatures as sheepe especially bringing forth two lambes or to trees bringing forth good fruite The children of God are in Esay called Okes of righteousnesse Esay 61. 3. in that they are strong and stand against all temptations and tempests And like Okes in steadinesse of profession So also in regard of the excellent fruite they are compared to the Vin● which is accounted in the Scripture of all trees a most excellent tree and most profitable sweete and pleasant as also plentifull and therefore in regard of the goodnesse and aboundance we are to like of it And therefore our Sauiour saith I am the Vine and my Ioh. 15. 2. Father the Husbandman to dresse the Vine And the Vine is singular and most excellent in regard of the Ezek. 15. fruite for else it is good for nothing not for to make a pin but for the fire so Christians which professe God and the Gospell if they bring forth no fruite and please not God they are the worst of all men worse then the Iewes Turkes and heathen let them brag what they will of the word and Sacraments c. And they must bring forth much fruite viz. in euery good worke and therefore it is said the Father doth trimme that Vine to make it bring forth more fruite It was required alwaies that the children Iohn 15. 2. Zach. 12. 8. of God