Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 2 · Verse 9
VERSE 9. For in Him dwelleth all the fulneſſe of the godhead bodily.
NOw he ſetteth downe the reaſons why theſe things not being after Christ muſt bee avoyded: the firſt taken from the alſufficiency which he hath in himſelfe; the ſecond from his alſufficiency to us.
You muſt not liſten to others beſides him, who is not man onelyonly, but very GOD, in one Perſon: But ſuch is CHRIST; or in CHRIST dwelleth the fullneſſe of the GOD-head Corporally; theſe are all one in ſenſe.
To open the words, before wee come to the Doctrine.
In Him] That is, in Chriſt-man, or in that perſon whom we know to have had a body and ſoule like us, is the ſame divine Nature which the Father, and the Spirit have. Or it may be conſtred thus: in Chriſt, that is, the humane Nature of Chriſt dwelleth all the fulneſſe of the God-head, that is, God the Son with His infinite deitie, which commeth to no more then this, God the Word was made fleſh. But the former is better, becauſe this phraſe, the fulneſſe of the deitie, doth note the divine Nature, without any perſonall relation of it: whereas the ſecond ſenſe doth neceſſarily take it to ſignifie the Perſon of God the Son with His Nature. Secondly, Chriſt man is fitly called God, and therefore in Chriſt-man the God-head is ſayd to dwell properly: But CHRIST His humane Nature may not be ſayd God, and therefore the God-head is not ſo fitly ſayd to dwell in the humane Nature as in the perſon denominated after it, that is, in Chriſt-man.
All the fulneſſe] That is, the whole infinite indiviſible Nature of GOD. bodily] that is, foreign or foreign Eſſentially, or Perſonally: the Greekes call (body) as we in our vulgar tongue; here is no body, that is, no perſon: ſo we ſay, bodily perill, for ſuch danger as toucheth ones perſon.
The ſumme.
For in that man Chriſt Ieſus the whole infinite Nature of God dwelleth: not as in all believers, who are His habitation; nor as in His beloved Prophets, in whom hee ſpake, and gave His Oracles, nor as in a materiall Temple, which is different from the ſubſtance of him that inhabiteth; but bodily, that is ſo that this Divine Nature with the humane maketh one Perſon.
For the Doctrines.
1 We ſee in generall: What muſt make nereſt in Chriſt onelyonly as alſufficient, even this; that we know Him God bleſſed forever: Shall not God allſufficient in Himſelfe, to Himſelfe, to all the creatures, ſhall not He undertaking to be our King, Prieſt, and Prophet be allſufficient for it? We fitly leave men ſeeking ſupply at God; but to turne from God to men, is to dig puddles, and leave the ſpring of living waters.
Hence then firſt gather to thy ſelfe, Vſe how abſurd thoſe Papiſts are, and how far from conſidring that which they know, that Chriſt is God: would they, did they weigh this, be ſo bold as to adde to His inſtitutions, to take away, as in the Supper, the Cuppe? would they leave this Sunne of righteouſneſſe to follow the blind ſtarre of their traditions? let them ſay what they will, they doe not truly conſider this.
Let us likewiſe confirme our ſelves in our reſting onelyonly on Chriſt, even from hence that He is God; Vſe 2 let us ſay with Saint Peter, Whither ſhall wee goe? thou haſt the words of eternall life; thou art the naturall Son of God, thou art allſufficient.
In particular marke three branches of this Text:
1 In whom this dwelling is ſayd to be.
2 What is ſayd to dwell.
3 In whom.
1 Note: That we muſt not looke at Chriſt as meere man, Doct. but life up our mindes to that inviſible nature which is in him. Thoſe that ſaw Him on earth, whoſe eyes God opened not, they ſaw nothing but man; and therefore not knowing any thing elſe, they crucified the Lord of glory: And thus we al naturally are ready to know him after the freſh; but when God giveth us that eagles eye of beliefe, the evidence of things not ſeene; then we ſee that God is with this man, as being now ſubſtantially united to Him, and made a part of His perſon. This maketh Chriſt ſay, when Saint Peter told Him: Thou art the Sonne of God: Fleſh and blond hath not reveiled this to thee, Peter. And what doth make the Apoſtle often inculcate ſuch deſcriptions, but that we are ſlow of heart in conſidering this point? For as many ſee a houſe or a tent that ſee not the inhabitant, and as the body is hidde when the apparell is diſcerned: So this humane nature, unles we get the better eyes, may be ſeene, when the deity which dwelleth in it, is not perceived.
2 Marke: Doct. That all the fulneſſe of the God-head is communicated with Chriſt as man, the whole entyre nature of God. I underſtand by communicated as much as is united: dwelleth bodily; that is, in unity of perſon wth Chriſt-man, or in the ſame perſon with the humane nature. For the divine Nature is a thing moſt ſimple, not having bodily quantity, one part out of another, nor yet any compoſition in it. Now that which is not compounded of parts cannot be divided. If a man have houſe and land, he may give to one Son one part, to the Wife another: but when the divine Nature is communicated, it is all of it given, or none at all: Thy ſoule cannot bee divided one part from another; thou canſt not cut the light, how much leſſe canſt thou divide the Divine Nature?
And this is to be marked againſt the Lutherans, Vſe who imagine a communion of the Divine properties with the humane nature in part onelyonly; for they give it an omnipotency, the omniſcience of the God-head, but not the eternity and ſimplicity: whereas the Scripture knoweth no union nor communion of the Divine Nature with the humane, which is not of all the fulneſſe of the God-head. No, it is ſo abſurd, that ſound reaſon cannot imagine it, without making the eſſence of GOD ſuch as may bee divided, one part being where another is not.
3 That he faith, the fulneſſe of the God-head is in Chriſt; hence it is to be noted: That not created guifts, Doct. or miraculous effects of the Divine Nature are united with Chriſt man, but the deity it ſelfe, the fulneſſe of it, yea the whole fulneſſe: which is to bee noted againſt Arrius, and all ſuch ſpirits.
Againe, this ſheweth, that the ſame ſingular Nature is in all the three Perſons; for he ſpeaketh of the God-head in the ſingular number, as being but one; and as it is in the Father without controverſie, ſo it is wholly in the Son alſo: as but one Sun in the firmament, in which the whole kind of the creature ſubſiſteth: So there is but one Divine Nature, neither indeede can be: for the Divine Nature is moſt perfect, infinite, omnipotent, the moſt abſolute thing that can bee imagined. Now were there many Gods having every one a diſtinct deity, none of them were moſt perfect, powerfull, for every one had but his owne, wanting that which is with others; as no man hath all the perfections of mankind, for he wanteth all that which is out of himſelfe in others.
This is to bee marked; for hence we come to know that there is but one God, though three perſons; becauſe the ſame fulneſſe of the Divine Nature that is in the Father, is in the Son; and the ſame that is in the Father and the Son, is in the ſpirit; for He is called Iehova, and it may as well bee all the fulneſſe of it in the ſpirit, with them both, as in the Son with the Father; as well be the eſſence of three as two. Now hence it is manifeſt that theſe three perſons are but one God: for as Iohn, Richard, and Thomal, if they all had but one body and one ſoule, ſhould all bee but one man: So theſe all having but one God-head, can bee but one God. To be three Gods there muſt be not onelyonly three Perſons, but three diſtinct Natures, differing the one in number from the other; for ſo many men as you have, ſo many ſoules, and bodies muſt be multiplied in which ſtandeth the nature of man.
But how can three perſons be one in nature?
I anſwer, we are content to know it is ſo, though how it is ſo, we know not: aſpici Deus poteſt, introſpici non debet. Though why not three perſons in one nature, as well as three Natures in one Perſon, which is in Chriſt: A bodily, a ſpirituall, created as His ſoule, a ſpirituall increate: And as the ſame light is originally from no other, in the Sunne, and ſecondarily by communication in the ray or beame of it: So what hindereth, &c.
Dwelleth bodily] Obſ. The manner of GOD's dwelling in this man, Doct. He doth dwell perſonally in Him, that is ſo, as that GOD the SONNE is thereby become perſonally man, as he was from all eternity perſonally God with the Father and Spirit: the God-head ſo dwelleth in this man, that with the man-hood, it maketh but one Perſon, even as the ſoule and body in man make one man: So this divine Nature and humane are now joyntly but one Perſon of CHRIST: He which was a compleat Perſon from everlaſting, in fulneſſe of time creating within His owne Perſon a ſingular body and ſoule, ſuch as we have (ſin excepted) as a ſubſtantiall part of His Perſon, not a part, which made up the Perſon of God, as before imperfect, but a part; becauſe a new thing ſubſtantially, that is perſonally aſſumed to that which before was perfect: thus much this word [Bodily] or perſonally, teacheth; For it putteth a difference (1) betweene God dwelling in every thing as an efficient and preſerver of them; (2) betweene His dwelling in the Saints and Prophets, by His aſſiſtance and workes of grace in them. (3) Betweene His dwelling in the Saints in heaven, God ſhall be all in all by His preſence of glory; and this dwelling in CHRIST, which is by being united perſonally with this humane Nature. As the Arrians abuſe the ſimilitude in the firſt Chapter, when CHRIST is ſaid to be the Image of His Father, they gathered that therefore Hee had not the ſame ſubſtance with Him: for we ſee a mans image or picture is not of the very ſame ſubſtance with the man whoſe picture it is, not diſtinguiſhing betwixt naturall things properly ſo called, and theſe artificiall ones which are but reſpectively and abuſively ſo termed: So here Nestorius, Loe, ſaith he, GOD dwelleth in CHRIST man, therefore he is not perſonally united with man, For a man is no part of perſon with the houſe he dwelleth in; not diſtinguiſhing betwixt common inhabitation, and that which is perſonall. But we ſee here the Text is plaine, that He ſo dwelleth in this Nature, that it is eſſentially, or ſubſtantially united to Him, as a part of His Perſon. Againe, He ſo dwelleth, or doth foreign in our Nature, that He is made fleſh, the Word was made fleſh, which cannot be underſtood of a ſimple, but bodily, or perſonall inhabitation.
This therefore doth firſt ſerve to confute all erroneous opinions touching the union of Chriſt: Vſe 1 for firſt wee ſee all Arrius his opinions overturned, who granted that there were moſt divine qualities in Chriſt, and wonderfull effects wrought by God in the man Chriſt, but would not yeeld Him true God: Marke; all the fulneſſe of the Godhead foreign, not foreign, the divine Nature, as Saint Peter ſpeaketh, dwelleth in Him.
All Eutiches his ſchollars, Vſe 2 who grant that God Himſelfe was man, but they ſay, that this Vnion ſtood in that the divine Nature did ſwallow up the humane; for they could not elſe ſee how they could make up one Perſon. The Monothelites granted two Natures, but one action: For they could not ſee how divers actions would not conclude that there were many Perſons: But marke, the divine Nature dwelleth in Chriſt: Now the inhabiting and the inhabited are not confounded; therefore both the Natures and their actions are diſtinct; and if there were ſuch a ſwallowing up of the humane Nature, then fleſh were made God, not God fleſh, by force of the Vnion. As for diverſity of Perſons, it doth not follow upon the diverſity of actions; for there may be as well three actions in one Perſon, as there are three Perſons all having but one action. If the multiplicity of action did come from the number of Perſons, then there ſhould be three ſeverall Wills in the Trinity. Againe, there is no converſion of theſe Natures; for that which dwelleth with another is not converted into it: And all Neſtorius his dreame of two diſtinct divided Perſons, ſaid to be one through ſingular aſſiſtance, love, dignity, conſent, for the Text ſaith [Bodily] and Saint Iohn ſaith, They ſo dwell together, that God is made fleſh; which cannot be ſaid by vertue of any Vnion which is not ſubſtantiall.
We ſee what reaſon we have to hold to CHRIST: Vſe 2 if we had Moſes, or Daniel, or Saint Paul upon the earth, with whom the LORD pleaſed to dwell ſo abundantly by the effects of grace, and gifts of prophecie; Oh how would wee ſticke to them, how would we reſt in their words or oracles? but behold him who is the ſubſtantiall fleſh of our GOD.
This ſheweth us whither wee muſt come, Vſe 3 if wee will finde God, to no other but this Temple. All old worſhippers under the Law, they went to the Temple when they would come to God, and before the Temple was built, to the Arke, and Tabernacle; but theſe were but types, here is the true Temple: looke to CHRIST-man, to that body, of which he ſaid, Deſtroy this Temple, and I will build it againe in three dayes; Looke hither, and God ſhall over-ſhadow thee, for the God head dwelleth with Him perſonally.
Conſider the wonderfull love of God, Vſe 4 that vouchſafeth thus to dwell in our Nature. If ſome mighty Prince ſhould come and dwell in ſome poore cottage for his ſubjects good, what a rare part of his ſingular love would it be counted? How much more is this?
And thus anſwering briefly an objection of the Lutherans, we will come to the next Verſe.
The Nature in which God dwelleth, is every where, Object. where God is: but God dwelleth in the humane Nature, viz. Chriſt-Man, then in the humane Nature.
Let this anſwer the firſt part of the reaſon: Anſw. I anſwer it with limitation: That in which God dwelleth, as a thing contained in a place containing, that muſt needs be where ever God is, not that in which God dwelleth in other manner, as here he doth, or that in which God dwelleth per aequipatentiam. I illuſtrate the vanity of their argument with this: That in which the light dwelleth, that is every where, where the light is: But the light dwelleth in the body of the Sunne: Therefore the body of the Sunne is every where, where the light is.