Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 1
A COMMENTARY' VPONUPON THE FIRST Chapter of Saint PAUL to the Coloſsians.
COLOS. Chap. 1. VER. 1, 2.
VER. 1.
Paul an Apoſtle of Ieſus Chriſt, by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother.
VER. 2.
To them which are at Coloſſe, Saints, and faithfull brethren in Chriſt: grace bee unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
IN theſe two Verſes there is layd downe the Salutation: wherein you have,
the Perſons ſaluting,
the Perſons ſaluted.
The Perſons ſaluting, Paul and Timotheus. Touching the deſcription of Paul, from his Office and calling; I paſſe it by, having ſpoken of it in the firſt Verſe of the Epiſtle to the Epheſians.
For the meaning [Saints] here are thoſe who are already actually ſanctified,Verſe 2. called Saints, 1 Cor. 1.2. Waſhed in CHRISTS bloud. There are Saints by predeſtination, as there are Sheepe, not yet gathered and brought home to the fold of CHRIST; I have other Sheepe which are not of this fold; Ioh. 10.16but he writes to ſuch, as had received the ſpirit of ſanctification.
Coloſſe,] a City neere Laodicea and Hierapolis in Phrygia, a Citie of the Gentiles, inhabited with Idolaters.
And faithfull brethren,] not falſe brethren crept in, but faithfull, which muſt be underſtood by a Synechdoche, comprehending all faithfull, whether men or women.
Grace and peace;] Grace noteth GODS free favour which giveth all good things. 2. It ſignifieth the effects of his grace in us, viz. All good things ſpirituall and corporall, which may as fruits teſtifie the good will of GOD to us: his kindneſſe and all the fruits of his kindneſſe, eſpecially grace pardoning ſinne; and enabling us to doe good, as alſo grace exciting and moving us to worke, when now we are made able, that we may not receive the former grace in vaine.
Peace] is the effect of grace in us; for Gods grace forgiving ſinne worketh in us peace of conſcience, in regard of the accuſation which would be in it. 2. The habits, or qualities of grace, Peter calleth them The divine Nature; 2 Pet. 1.4this grace given us, we have quiet from the rage of corruption in us; which while it tyrannizeth in us, filleth all the powers of the ſoule with diſturbance: this is called peace of ſanctification, the quiet fruit of righteouſneſſe. 3.Heb. 12.1… When GOD ſheweth his favour in giving all outward things that are good; there is Peace eternall in regard of our outward condition: and if Gods grace in any of theſe wayes be …id, inſtead of peace, we feele diſturbance: Thou hiddeſt thy face and I was troubled.
To come to the Obſervations.
Every true member of the Church is a Saint. Obſ. 1 Thou muſt not be aſhamed to be counted a Saint: Every thing doth binde to it.
1. Our God is holy, therefore wee muſt bee holy ones. As he which hath called you is holy, 1 Pet 1.15ſo be ye holy in all manner of Converſation.
2. It is the end of our predeſtination:Eph. 1.4. He hath choſen us before the foundation of the world, that we ſhould be holy, &c.
3. Our calling bindeth us, 1 Theſ. 4.7.1 Theſ. 4.7. God hath called us, not unto uncleanneſſe, but unto holineſſe.
4. Our Redemption: Chriſt gave himſelfe for us, Tit. 2.14.to redeeme us from all iniquity, and purifie us unto himſelfe.
5. The grace of God which we taſte for the preſent, and the things we looke for hereafter, doe teach us this leſſon.Tit. 2.11, 12. The grace of God that bringeth ſalvation to all men, hath appeared, teaching us to deny all ungodlineſſe and worldly luſts, and to live ſoberly, righteouſly, and godly in this preſent world, looking for that bleſſed hope, &c. And, having ſuch promiſes, 2 Cor. 7.1let us grow up to perfect holineſſe.
6. The finall judgement, and our owne glory which we looke for, do likewiſe perſwade us to become holy: Seeing all theſe things ſhall be diſſolved, 2 Pet. 3.1…what manner of perſons ought we to be in all holy converſation, And whoſoever hath the hope of eternall life, 1 Ioh. 3.3.he purgeth himſelfe even as Chriſt is pure. And all beleevers are called a Holy Nation.1 Pet. 2.9.
7. The right conſtitution of the Church, while the vigor of diſcipline flouriſheth, doth not allow that any ſhould abide in her but Saints; prophane perſons being to be ſeparated, as Dogs from partaking in holy things;Mat. 7.6. Give not that which is holy to Dogs, neither caſt Pearles before Swine.
1. Vſe This diſcovers to us the vanity of the Pope, in reſtraining this common to all beleevers while they live, to ſome few in compariſon, whom it pleaſeth him to Canonize, after they are dead.
2. We ſee the lewdneſſe of many prophane Eſaus, who diſclaime, yea, ſcoffe at this name, uſing ſuch Proverbes, Theſe are the holy ones. Young Saints prove old Divels. Shall we have a Saint of you?
3. We muſt remember what kinde of men wee muſt be: even ſuch as muſt profeſſe and practiſe holineſſe, according to our calling.
At Coloſſe.] God gathereth and ſupporteth his people in all places. Obſ. 2 Iob in VZ We ſay truly, Where God hath his Church, the Divell hath his Chappell; and wee may ſay as well, Where the Divell hath his Throne, there God oft hath his people; lie they where they will, nothing ſhall keepe them from God: I will ſay to the North winde give, and to the South, keepe not back, bring my Sonnes from far, and my daughters from the utmoſt parts of the earth.
Deſpaire of none, Vſe be they never ſo vile and farre from God, if he have a purpoſe to call them, they ſhall come home in deſpight of all the malice and power of the Divell; for God is more able to ſave
But why ſhould we pray for them that have grace alreadie? Queſt.
Becauſe the Divell is moſt bent againſt them; Anſw. a candle new put out is ſoone blowen in: So hee hopeth to kindle in new Converts their old ſin, which GOD by His Spirit hath extinguiſhed.
To rebuke our carnall mindes, whoſe lands, Vſe 1 preferments in marriage, &c. theſe things ſometime the world will be thankfull for; but of faith, repentance, and the worke of grace, not a word with them. A foole taketh more pleaſure in colour of counters, and a painted dagger, than in gold and true treaſure: Such fooles are many found amongſt us who are affected with theſe earthly vanities, and are altogether careleſſe of the true treaſure.
If we be riſen with CHRIST, Vſe 2 let us ſhew it in affecting ſpirituall treaſures of grace and holineſſe, making theſe heavenly things the matter of our joy and thankſgiving. This in Generall.
Particularly marke: 1. Obſ. 2 What it is which faith layeth hold on, onelyonly CHRIST IESUS: this is the only matter that Faith claſpeth for righteouſneſſe before God, and life everlaſting: So God loved the world, Ioh. 3.16.that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoſoever beleeveth in Him ſhould not periſh, but have life everlaſting. He is lifted up as the brazen Serpent, that eying Him crucified, we might be healed.Rom. 3.25 Him hath GOD ſet forth for a reconciliation through faith in his bloud. True it is, the ſame ſaving faith beleeveth all that is ſet downe of GOD in the Scripture, all particular promiſes for the paſſing of this life: for theſe diſtinct offices doe not make three diſtinct faiths in us: as the reaſonable, ſenſitive, and naturall functions, doe not make three ſoules in man, but one; whoſe effects are three-fold: Nevertheleſſe Faith though it lay hold of all truth as it is taught, yet ſo farre forth as it juſtifieth, it buildeth and leaneth it ſelfe on Christ onelyonly; like as the Iſraelites, they with their eyes did ſee divers things, and looke on ſundry objects as occaſion ſerved; but ſo farre as they got themſelves healed of the ſtings of firy ſerpents, they looked with their eyes at nothing but the ſerpent lifted up.
To rebuke the worldlings faith, Vſe 1 which is grounded not on CHRIST crucified, but ſuch a mercy in GOD as is generally ſo good that it will ſave all. The Papiſts, their faith is grounded on their good workes with CHRIST, and on the treaſury of merits and ſatisfaction: but the Arke and Dagon wil not ſtand together, CHRIST and this ſtubble will not agree.
Wee may trie the truth of our faith this way, Vſe 2 it layeth hold on CHRIST,Eph. 3 17. Phil. 3.3.7. bringeth Him to dwell in the heart, rejoyceth in Him, counteth all things droſſe in compariſon of Him.
Toward whom our love eſpecially muſt be ſhewed, Obſ. 2 to Saints. Gal. 6.10. Rom. 12.13.Doe good to all, eſpecially to the houſhold of Faith. Diſtribute to the neceſsities of the Saints. My good reacheth to the Saints, Pſal. 16.all my delight is in them. All in their order are to have the fruits of our love, but thoſe moſt who are neareſt us, as in nature every one is next himſelfe: then next to ſuch as are of his bloud, in neereſt degree, or otherwiſe made one body with him, as the wife with the husband: Thus in grace, after GOD and our owne ſoules, the Saints are neereſt us, as who are by faith and love fellow-members knit to CHRIST, the Head of us all. Againe, a wiſe man will ſow his ſeed in the beſt ground, which will returne it with moſt increaſe: So a Chriſtian will ſow the fruits of his love chiefly on the Saints; for GOD taketh that which is done to them, as done to Himſelfe.
Againe, this love of the brethren, the Saints, is a token we are tranſlated from death to life: for as this is a token the world doth not know GOD, and ſo have not life everlaſting in them, becauſe they know not His children: So it is an evidence, when we acknowledge ſuch as are begotten of GOD, that God hath brought us to know him who is the begetter of them.
To ſtirre us up to our duties, Vſe 1 our eyes ſhould be to them that are faithfull, our affections with them: Birds of a feather will fly together, good fellowes love one another. And ſhall not the fellowſhip of grace in thoſe that are members of one body, whereof CHRIST is the Head, knit the Saints together in the ſtrongeſt band of love?
This rebuketh the weakneſſe of ſome: Vſe 2 they are afraid to give any countenance to a Saint; though like Nicodemus, they have ſome good affection and liking to the godly, yet they dare not be ſeene to hold any neere communion and familiar converſe with ſuch, leſt they ſhould be thought Puritanes and favourers of men in diſgrace with the State: Bleſſed is he that is not offended at CHRIST in His poore members.
This rebuketh the prophaneneſſe of otherſome, Vſe 3 who, as the Philiſtims brought out Sampſon when they would be merry: So, out muſt ſome Saint come, and beare their flouts and deriſion, when they are more pleaſantly diſpoſed; Iſmaeliuſh mockers of Iſaak. Yea, others, worſe than the former, hate the Saints, wiſh there were not one in a towne of them; like Cain, who hated his brother to death, becauſe his workes were better than his. It is an evidence of a godly heart to cleave more affectionately to thoſe, who are more godly than other: And it ſavours of a carnall heart, in a great meaſure, when any one doth equally impart his favour: If any have points of ſervice, and can apply themſelves to their humour, though they have ſmall acquaintance with GOD, they ſhall be countenanced; this maketh their religion linſey-woolſey: this confirmeth the hands of ſuch in their carnall courſe, this maketh thoſe that are good more remiſſe than they ſhould be, ſhould they finde from Chriſtians better incouragement. Davids delight was in the Saints: Pſal. 16.3. Pſ. 101.6.he did purge his family of ſuch as were unprofitable and graceleſſe, he ſet his heart on ſuch as did ſet their hearts to pleaſe GOD in all things; not ſuch as could get the length of his foot, were precious in his eyes. Can a loyall wife take pleaſure in ſuch men who are obſervant and officious about her, but devoid of all reſpect to her husband? Are your ſoules betrothed to GOD in CHRIST, and can you abide their ſervice about you, who are careleſſe in dutie toward your LORD, with whom you are by faith contracted? this ſhewes there is but a forme of godlineſſe, or that it is much decayed, when wee can like of men, not as wee ſee them ſincerely ſerve GOD, but as their behaviour is more or leſſe pleaſing and contentful to our ſelves.