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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17389	An exposition vpon the Epistle to the Colossians Wherein, not onely the text is methodically analysed, and the sence of the words, by the help of vvriters, both ancient and moderne is explayned: but also, by doctrine and vse, the intent of the holy Ghost is in euery place more fully vnfolded and vrged. ... Being, the substance of neare seauen yeeres vveeke-dayes sermons, of N. Byfield, late one of the preachers for the citie of Chester.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.	1615 (1615)	STC 4216; ESTC S120678	703,664	509

and quickned in Iesus Christ godlinesse in generall hath the promises of this life and the life to come In speciall first great is the honor of their birth greater then if they were borne of the greatest blouds of men These prolong the daies of Christ vpon earth being gotten by the trauell of his soule 2. They are sweetely comforted and tenderly vsed in the healing of all their sorrowes Ier. 31.25 Hos. 14.5 Esay 57.15.16 61.1.2.3 Micha 7.18 Ezec. 11.19 Esay 50.4 Act. 3.19 3. All their sinnes are forgiuen as the coherence shewes and these scriptures further confirme Esay 44 22. Ephes. 1 7 6. Rom. 3.25 1. Cor. 6.11 Heb. 8.12 1. Ioh. 1.7 4. They are in great account with God 5. They are deliuered from this present euill world euen from bondage vnder the custome of it from the practise of the vices of it from the fellowship with the men of it and from the plagues that belong vnto it 6. They are blessed with the seedes of all spirituall blessings in heauenly things 7. They are happie in their heauenly relations to God to Iesus the mediator to the Angels of God to the spirits of the iust and to the faithfull euery where 8. They are assured of the successe of all the meanes of saluation Esay 12.3 65.15.23 56. 1. Cor. 3.21.22.23 Esay 55.6 9. They haue great promises of comfort audience protection and deliuerance out of all their troubles Esay 4.5.6 Rom. 8.17 c. 2. Cor. 1.3.4 Esay 41.12 42.13 49.14 10. The spirit of God is powred vpon them to assure them of Gods louing presence To bring them forth into libertie To enlighten them To sanctifie them To make intercession and that by making them pray And by producing mightie successe in praier And to make them fruitfull both in graces and duties And to be their seale and earnest of the inheritance purchased Lastly they haue an assurance of a most glorious inheritance reserued from them in heauen prepared from the foundation of the world Now if any enamoured with these priuiledges aske how we may know whether we be conuerted and quickned or not I answere it may be knowne by diuers signes of these signes some ageee to the weake Christian and some to the strong Christian. The first signe that vsually breaks out in a conuert is affliction of conscience which is such an inward pricking in the heart as causeth him voluntarily to remember his euill waies and iudge himselfe daily for it mourning for his sinful life confounded in himselfe for his waies which were not good The second is affection to the word such an affection it is as esteemeth the word aboue all treasure and longs daily after it it makes them flie as the doue to Gods house and as doues to the windowes yea their affections to it are such as heauen suffers violence They feele a sauor of life in the word Christs words to them are spirit and life Yea such is their affection to the word they can be content to receiue it with patience and much afflictions And if they obtaine a sanctuarie of God they will endeauour their owne daily sanctification by it They will practise the word and be exercised by it The third signe that discouers it selfe in them is their loue to such as feare God which they shew by their admiration of them and by their delight in their fellowship and by a willing communicating to them in all readie seruice and well-doing The fourth signe is their ceasing from sinne euen their daily endeauor to subdue and forsake all sorts of sinnes inward aswell as outward secret aswell as open lesser aswell as greater yea not sparing their most pleasing gainfull or beloued sinnes The fift signe is a holy constant desire after Gods fauour and remission of sinnes as the greatest happinesse reioicing in all the hopes and signes of it The sixt is that they can loue and forgiue their enemiese. Now there are other signes in stronger Christians such as these 1. A full assurance of faith in Iesus Christ. 2. A longing and constant desire of death and loue to the appearing of Iesus Christ in a sensible and ardent measure and that in prosperitie 3. A great conquest and victorie in ouercomming the world and the flesh 4. The spirit of praier and such like The vse of this point concerning the quickning of the godly by true conuersion to God is diuers First since this is the first and common worke without which we can neuer get out of our naturall miserie here may the cursed and damnable waiwardnesse of the most be reproued who liue snorting in sinne as if they needed no conuersion to God How hath a very spirit of spirituall fornication intoxicated men and besotted them that they cannot minde to returne Three sorts of men greiuously trangresse against this doctrine 1. The carelesse that freeze in their dregges and consider not whether God will doe good or euill 2. The inconstant whose righteousnesse is as the morning dew that by flashes and fits only thinke of turning to God 3. The profane scoffer that speakes euill of the good way of God and reprocheth by consequent the very bloud of Christ without which he can neuer be saued 2. Here is an excellent comfort to weake Christians note that the text saith quickned nor borne to assure the weake that though their strength be but as the childs when it lieth in the wombe and is first quickened and not so much as the strength of a childe new borne yet they are accepted with God The first springings in the wombe of grace is precious before God ●hough euery thing be not yet so cleerely performed yet if grace be but conceiued in them God knowes them and owes them and will not denie his owne workes but annexeth here forgiuenesse of sinnes euen to this first sprouting and forming of true grace 3 How should the consideration of this worke and the glorious priuiledges belonging to it euen compell all men to awake and stand vp from the dead 〈◊〉 neuer giue ouer till Christ be formed in them labouring aboue all things to be made new creatures resoluing to begge this quickning at Gods hands till by his word he be pleased to beget it in them Lastly how should they walke in newnesse of life that are borne againe of God there is a path and it is called holy and they must walke in it seeing this grace hath appeared how should they deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts for euer resoluing to liue soberly and godly and righteously in this present world And they should giue all diligence to make vp their assurance of their holy calling and election Girding vp the loines of their mindes that they might trust perfectly on the grace that

sorts eyther Faith to heale or Faith to be healed this Faith may be in such as are reprobates as Mat. 7. some shall say Haue wee not cast out Diuels by thy name to whom Christ shall answere Depart I know you not Fourthly but that Faith in the enioying of which is comfort for euermore is iustifying Faith The nature of this Faith will appeare if wee consider The Obiects of it The Parts of it The Degrees of it First of the Obiects this Faith may be perceiued by that which it carryeth the minde vnto and from which it seeketh the comfort of the chiefe good and thus the Obiect is three-fold The Merits of Christ. The Promises of God The Prouidence of God So that wouldest thou trie thy Faith consider then what it is that thou makest thy refuge and the foundation of thy comfort What is it that thou most labourest after is it the assurance of Gods fauour by the application of Christ is it the distinct applying of such and such promises of life in Scripture dost thou liue by thy Faith in the course of life if so thou hast met with the right Faith without Christ it is not possible to attaine the chiefe good neyther is it enough to beleeue that Christ dyed for sinners c. vnlesse we labour in the day of our visitation for the certaine and particular apprehension of the efficacie and merit of Christs righteousnesse for the particular assurance of Gods fauour in remitting such and such our transgressions And because it is not easie at all times to discerne by the working of the Spirit of Adoption the imputation of righteousnesse from Christ therefore hath the Lord discussed the cases of conscience so comfortable in Scripture that if men examine themselues before the conditions of God promises they may finde in diuers of them the cleare determining of their estate Here may be iustly taxed the grosse ouer-sight and securitie of many otherwise the deare Seruants of God that are no better acquainted with the promises of life vpon the truth of which depends their happinesse and both present and future comfort And lastly by the same Faith whereby the iust are saued by the selfe-same they liue in the course of life in this world the ground of his Faith for his preseruation is the prouidence of his God whiles the men of this world wonderfully please themselues in sacrificing to their nets ascribing in their affections the stay of their maintenance vnto their labour friends inheritance c. Secondly that the nature of this Faith may yet be further opened the Parts of it must be considered Faith is eyther in the minde or in the heart and by the change of both it may be discerned In the minde it shewes it selfe in two things Knowledge Iudgement There is something in the very illumination of the Vnderstanding of the Saints which is of the nature of Faith Hence it is that the Prophet Isay saith of Christ By his knowledge he shall iustifie many that is make iust Iudgement is eyther of truth or of goodnesse Iudgement of truth is when we giue glory so farre forth to the way of life and the meanes of Reconciliation that our hearts being conuinced our vnderstandings doe clearely resolue that this is the way to be happy and no other Iudgement of goodnesse is when wee doe not onely beleeue the Doctrine of happinesse to be true as before but to be the onely good tidings our hearts can rest vpon Faith as it shewes it selfe in the heart stands in three things Desires Fiduce or Confidence Perswasion or Apprehension and Application It may not be dissembled that there are in the world many definitiues or descriptions of Faith such as doe not comprehend in them that onely thing which is the chiefe stay of thousands of the deare Seruants of God and that is Desires which may not be denyed to be of the nature of Faith I expresse my meaning thus that when a man or woman is so farre exercised in the spirituall seeking of the Lord his God that he would be willing to part with the world and all the things thereof if hee had them in his owne possession so that by the Spirit and Promises of God he might be assured that the sinnes of his former life or such as presently doe burthen his Soule were forgiuen him and that hee might beleeue that God were now become his God in Christ I would not doubt to pronounce that this person thus prising remission of sinnes at this rate that he would sell all to buy this Pearle did vndoubtedly beleeue not onely because it is a truth though a Paradoxe that the Desire to beleeue is Faith but also because our Sauiour Christ doth not doubt to affirme that they are blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse because they shall be satisfied And to him that is a thirst I will giue to drinke of the water of life freely And Dauid doubteth not to say The Lord heareth the desires of his poore Fiduce or Confidence in the hart is a part of Faith and shewes it selfe in this when the Soule resteth vpon Christ and the Promises of God as the onely ground of all that happinesse which he must euer get vnto himselfe Perswasion or an apprehending application is the last thing in Faith and that in the beginnings of Faith is more in the power of the Spirit then in the sence and feeling of the conscience yet herein it appeares that though the Soule be tost with many temptations and feares and terrors yet more or lesse one time or other they are much refreshed with a sweet ioy arising they know not how from the very perswasion that they belong to God in and for Christ. So that if wee would try our Faith we must examine what Knowledge we haue gotten what Iudgement of the way of life what Desires wee haue of remission of sinnes how our hearts are setled and what it is that supports vs. There are two Degrees of Faith a weake Faith and a strong Faith a weake Faith is described before for all the former parts of Faith are found in the weakest Faith that is a strong Faith hath in it a certaine and full assurance of Gods fauour in remission of sinnes so as doubts and feares are stilled and ouer-come and such was the Faith of Abraham commended Rom. 4.18.19 20.21 and this Faith may be attained vnto by all sorts of the Seruants of God if they liue and may vse the benefit of the ordinances of God yet a grosse fault in the definition of Faith as it is made by many must be carefully shunned and that is that they make the Genus to be a full assurance which is onely proper to a strong Faith and is not vsually found in the weake Faith and yet that Faith is such as doth iustifie for the present and will saue for euer And that we may be affected with an

insnared with euill opinions either in doctrine and so errour of life is the scourge of errour in opinion or else about practise as that such strictnesse is not required or it is impossible or none doe liue so 4. Many know not what order to appoint vnto themselues 5. Many are confirmed in a heart accustomed to euill and they loue some one sinne wherein they especially breake order 6. Satan striues aboue all things to keepe men in a dead sleepe that they might not awake to liue righteously or expresse the power of godlinesse 7. Many are so set in the way of the vngodly that their very euill societie chains them downe to a necessitie of dissolutenesse 8. Many are put out of all order by their daily distempers and disorders in their families Lastly some faile and fall through very discouragement receiued either from opposition or contempt or scandall Now if any be desirous to know in generall what he should doe to bring his life into order I shall profitably aduise fiue things First that hee doe resolutely withdraw himselfe from the sinnes of the times and keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world in respect of them Now the sinnes of the times are apparant pride of life contempt of the Gospell coldnesse in faith and religion swearing profanation of the holy Sabbath domesticall irreligiousnesse contention vsurie whordome drunkennesse and drinkings oppression and speaking euill of the good way Secondly that hee obserue the more vsuall corruptions of the calling of life he liues in and with all heedfulnesse shunne them whether he be Magistrate Minister or priuate person Thirdly that he especially striue against and subdue the euils that by nature he is most prone vnto Fourthly he shall doe wonderfully profitably if hee would get a catalogue of duties out of the whole law that directly concerne himselfe in particular which is very easie especially by the helpe of some that are experienced to bedistinctly gathered labouring to shew all good faithfulnesse in duties of pietie as well as righteousnesse and to striue for inward pietie as well as outward resoluing to continue as well as once to begin Hence it is if wee marke it that the holy Ghost in diuers Scriptures drawes for the people of those times diuers catalogues either of grace which specially tended to their praise or of duties that most fitted their state or of sinnes that they must most carefully auoid as being most commonly committed yea it could not but be of excellent vse if we did taske our selues to the more strict obseruation of some of those catalogues either of grace or sinnes or duties as wee might perceiue they most fitted vs. But if euer we would goe about the order of our liues wee must in generall 1. labour to weaken the loue of earthly things 2. We must resolue to keepe our hearts with all diligence I meane we must with all care and conscience striue against inward sinnes 3. We must put on a minde to liue by faith whatsoeuer befall vs. 4. If we fall we would speedily recouer our selues by confession and praier and not accustome our selues to sinnes either of omission or commission Vpon the consideration of all this what should we doe but euen pray the Lord that he would make his way plaine before our face and direct the workes of our hands and hold vp our goings in his pathes that our steps doe not slide And to this end we should euery one be peecing and amending his waies making his paths straight being ashamed and confounded for all the disorder of our liues past But if thou goe about this bee not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man that hath two hearts for then thou wilt be vnstable in all thy waies either goe about it with all thy heart or else let it alone What shall I say but this let vs all learne the way of God more perfectly Thus of order The second thing hee commends is their faith which hee praiseth for the stedfastnesse of it The stedfastnesse of their faith Concerning stedfastnesse of faith I propound fiue things to be considered of 1. That it may be had and ought to be sought 2. What the nature and properties of it are 3. What is the cause why the faith of many is not stedfast 4. What we must doe to attaine it And lastly concerning vnstedfast faith For the first that it may be had is manifest for God that giueth the earnest of his spirit and sealeth and anointeth vs in Christ doth stablish vs in him There is a sure foundation of God vpon which we may found our affiance And God willing more abundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the immutabilitie of his counsell interposed himselfe by an oath to confirme his promise that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might haue strong consolation which slie for refuge to lay hold vpon the hope set before vs which hope we haue as an anchour of the soule both sure and stedfast And wee are commanded to resist stedfast in the faith And wauering is secretly threatned and disgraced by the Apostle Iames after he had charged that wee should pray in faith without wauering Now for the second there are many excellent properties and praises in a stedfast faith for a man that is indeed settled and stedfast in his faith knowes both the truth and the worth of the loue of Christ hee is able to contemne and denie the allurements examples customes and glorie of this world hee can beare aduersitie with singular firmnesse of heart without hasting to euill meanes or limiting God for the manner or time or instruments of deliuerance he can stand in the combat against frequent and fierie tentations and goe away without preuailing infection he can beleeue without feelings The promises of God are not yea and nay but alwaies a sure word and vndoubted He hath a kinde of habituall peace and contentation in his conscience with easefull delights and refreshings in the ioyes of Gods fauour Hee hath a kinde of spirituall boldnesse and confidence when he approacheth to God and the throne of his grace Lastly he can looke vpon death and iudgement with desire to be dissolued And for the third thing the reasons why many men shew not this vnmoueablenesse and stedfastnesse are diuers some haue not faith at all some haue not a true iustifying faith but either rest vpon common hope or an historicall or temporarie faith In many the presumption of certaintie doth hinder stedfastnesse it selfe Some want powerfull meanes that should establish them and some hauing the publike meanes are iustly blasted in their faith because of their daily neglect of the priuate meanes And this reason may be giuen also why some of the better sort are not yet stablished namely because they are so hardly excited and perswaded seriously to trie their owne estates

flesh Thirdly by the contentment men place in knowen euills Fourthly by customary practise And lastly if this monster by the deceitfull working of Sathan should liue still for a time as many times it doth euen in the worst men yet there is a way to trie whether it be a liue or no. For bring it to the law and it will presently reuiue If it be pricked and pearced with the terrors and reproofes of a sound application it will shew it selfe by vnquietnesse and vnruly distempers And on the other side it is certaine sinne is dead if thy flaming desires to euill be quenched Secondly if the command ouer the faculties of the soule be ceased Thirdly if a man seeke and place his chiefe contentment in spirituall things Fourthly if the customarie practise of euill be broken of and dissolued and lastly if the hart will abide the searching and sound application of the law In them So wretchedly is the vnregenerate heart of man composed that he doth not only liue and sinne but he liues in sinne and with sinne and by sinne too He liues in sinne because he is drowned vnder the power and guilt of sinne He liues with sinne because he is not a guest only but a soiourner also with his sinne Sinne keepes the house and the ●inne is at bed and boord there And he liues by sinne to for most sinners cannot contriue how to liue without them The letcher cannot liue without his mistris the vsurer cannot liue without his gaine and so of the rest All these are wofull circumstances of euill and doe maruellously decipher out a soule that feeles not the life of Iesus Christ in him and they impart also a further misery It is easie to commit sinne but it is not easie to be rid of sinne a man may also quickly forget his sinne but he shall not so quickely forgoe his sinne for howsoeuer by Gods singular patience he liues for all his sinne yet by the singular wretchednesse of his condition all his sinnes will liue with him they are not transient but so long as he liues his sinne will liue with him yea it will goe with him too when hee dies if it be not preuented with speedy repentance The vse also of all this may be to teach conuerted Christians that are deliuered from this wofull misery to walke as children of the light hauing their fruit in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth hauing no further fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse seeing all is now made manifest by the light yea they should striue to expresse as much life of contentment in the works of new life and light as before they euer felt in the pathes of sinne and darkenesse and if wicked men walke on with such vnwearied resolutions and endeauours in such a dangerous estate how should Christians bee stird to all possible constancy in weldoing seeing they are sure that all that walke vprightly walke safely Thus of the seuenth verse Ver. 8. But now put ye away euen all these things anger wrath malice cursed speaking filthy speaking out of your mouth Hitherto of the mortification of vices especially against a mans selfe Now followes the mortification of Iniuries And therein I consider first the exhortation it selfe in the eighth verse and a part of the ninth Secondly the reasons ver 9.10.11 in the exhortation I consider first the charge put away euen all these things secondly the catalogue of iniuries to be put away and mortified anger wrath malice c. From the coherence in that the Apostle fastens this branch of the exhortation vpon the remembrance of their misery in the former verse it shewes that the meditation of our misery is as good to kill or beat downe the power of rage and strong passions and distempers as it hath beene shewed to bee good to kill lust and couetousnesse When you see men or women of heedy passions and violent affections fall into affliction of conscience then imagine they will hurle off their natures and grow more calme and me●ke but till then seldome doe any mend or not for any long time Now That is in the time of grace and so it giues vs occasion to consider that grace yeelds no liberty to sinne Now that thou hast receiued the true grace of God there is no time left for passion fretting cursed speaking or filthy speaking or lying or any such iniurious euills Grace enioines vs to take leaue of our old affections and our owne peruerse courses Many such things as before thy conuersion might in some respects beene more borne withall must now be left for the conuerted Christian must liue circumspectly precisely watching in all things and walking wisely both at home and abroad he must part with his old humours and peruerse qualities and therefore their condemnation sleepeth not that turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Put away Sinne is not truely repented of till it be put away Now sinne is put away two wayes First by Iustification and so God puts away our sinnes for when God pardoneth iniquity he casteth it away and neuer sees it or remembers it more Secondly by sanctification and so we must put away our sinnes We must put away or pull downe sinne as the rebell puts downe his weapons when he seekes the seruice of his Prince or we must deale with our sinnes as God deales with the mighty that is we must put them downe from their seats if we cannot destroy them from liuing yet we may disturbe them sitting or raigning or resting in vs or we must put them away as the wronged husband doth his filthy wife We must diuorce our sinnes that by couenant they should neuer be ours more We will neuer loue them and let them sleep in our bosome and dwell with vs and be familiar with our natures as they haue beene Now we put away sinne three wayes First by confessing them to God Secondly by godly sorrow washing the stain and filth of them from off our hearts Thirdly by renouncing and forsaking the practise of them all are here intended but the last principally and this we must know will not be done with ease if it be truely and soundly done The Prophet Micah meanes something when he sayth of the Lord he will subdue our iniquities and then after sayth he will cast them away into the depthes of the sea Must God subdue if he cast away then man must bee sure of it that hee must labour seriously the subduing of h●s sinne before hee can haue any comfort or successe in putting them away Sinnes are like an army of rebels that will not be vanquished without some adoe All these things In the originall it may be read all things it is true that God many times puts his seruants to it euen to deny and put away all things they must deny themselues and their credits yea and their liues too if need bee they must deny the world