Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 1 · Verse 6 – Verse 7
VERSE 6. Which is come unto you, as it is in all the World, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth alſo in you; ſince the day yee heard of it, and knew the Grace of GOD in Truth.
HOw the Goſpell by Gods providence doth viſite us, Obſ. 1 not looking after it, it commeth to us wenot minding it, all the things of the Goſpell are not once in our thoughts by nature, every one of us have this Word ſent to us, as the whole World had at the firſt publiſhing of it: How was this? they ſate in darkeneſſe, as our Saviour ſaith:Mat. 4.16. The people which ſate in darkneſſe ſaw great light, and to them which ſate in the region and ſhadow of death, light is ſprung up; we all were eſtranged from the life of God through ignorance, Eph. 4.18.Committing ſin with greedineſſe. God looking on this their miſery, ſent His Embaſſadours, His Apoſtles;Mat. 28. Goe teach all Nations, &c. God alſo did direct them, and moove them in executing this His command, ſometime by fitneſſe of circumſtance, ſometime by brethrens information, ſometime by inſtinct of his ſpirit guiding them hither and thither, and hindering them (as Saint Paul from Bithynia,) from ſuch places as ſtood not with his pleaſure. We cannot make the Sunne riſe nor ſet, that giveth light to our bodies, God doth make it riſe, &c. So much more doth it belong to Him to raiſe up this light of the Goſpell, and carry it by His Miniſters (the Vehicula of it) whither He pleaſeth: and it is an argument hereof, that it is ſent by God, not ſought for of us, becauſe it commeth where it is gaine-ſaid. As God ſaith,Rom. 16.21. All the day long have I ſtretched forth my hands unto a diſobedient and gaine-ſaying people.
To ſhew us how it is with our ſelves; Vſe 1 for thus it came to us, when the moſt and the greateſt, did not ſend for it.
We muſt acknowledge from hence the free grace of God, Vſe 2 which doth viſite us and ſend us ſuch bleſſed tydings, who inquire not after them.
We muſt rejoyce in it, Vſe 3 and walke by the light of it: we are glad of the light of the Sun, yea of a candle; how much more ſhould we be glad that this glorious light of the Goſpell is come amongſt us.
The faithfulneſſe of GOD in his promiſes, Obſ. 2 and the piercing force of this heavenly Truth; God hath promiſed long agoe to give Chriſt, a light to the Gentiles, and a witneſſe to the end of the World: accordingly we ſee it here made good; the world is viſited with the Word of truth. And as it letteth us ſee that God keepeth touch, ſo the force of this Word is commended by this Circumſtance, that this Doctrine ſhould goe through the World in ſo ſhort a ſpace, yea and be fruitfull, this argueth a Divine power in it: that like as the Sunne getteth up like a Gyant, runneth from Eaſt to Weſt in a ſhort ſpace; So this Sun did ſcoure it apace through all the Coaſts of the earth. The light is a piercing Creature, even bodily light, much more this which is Spirituall.
This may be further opened by ſhowing how this is to bee meant, that it is come through the World. 2. What reaſons there were furthering it. For the firſt: We muſt not underſtand every hamlet, Town-ſhip, much leſſe every Creature in the world, but the moſt principall parts by a Synechdoche are put for the whole; as we ſay, all the world doe thus or thus, when the moſt parts of it do the thing; and thus it might bee prooved by the acts and ſtory how the Goſpell was preached in all the quarters of the earth, yea in the moſt remote Northerne parts. Creſcens in France, Thomas in Germany, as Sophronius writeth, Simon Zelotes in our Country, as Nicephorus ſaith, Ioſeph of Arimathea, as Gildas, yea Paul himſelfe, as Theodoret and Sophronius witneſſe.
The reaſons of it may bee taken partly from the great aboundance of light which is in the Goſpell above the old Scriptures, they being as a Candle in a darke place, which could not caſt its light farre, and therefore was bounded within one Nation: This being like the Sunne for cleereneſſe, ſpeading forth the beames of it more aboundantly, but in vaine the Sunne ſhineth to blind men: The principall cauſe therefore was in the abundance of the ſpirit powred forth upon the Reſurrection of Chriſt.
The inſtrumentall cauſes. 1. The fidelity of thoſe primitive Paſtors. 2. The lively Communion of the primitive Chriſtians, who did not hide their Candle under a Buſhell, but did ſhine as lights to others, and labour the Converſion one of another. See what Paul ſaith, 1 Theſ. 1.8. of that people, From you ſounded out the Word of the Lord, not onelyonly in Macedonia and Achaia, but alſo in every place your faith toward God is ſpread abroad.
The promiſes fulfilled are ſeales to us that the reſt ſhall be accompliſhed.
We may amplifie our unworthineſſe, Vſe 2 that which ſubdueth the World ſtandeth ſtill and getteth no ground with us; what with negligent Paſtors, Chriſtians careles of all heavenly comfort, chiefely that we have grieved the ſpirit ſo with our unfruitfulneſſe, that he doth not delight to joy in us.
That the Word of God is Effectuall, Obſ. 3 it never wanteth His fruit where it commeth: Wherever God doth ſend it, Hee hath ſome fruit to gather to Himſelfe, ſome whom He will make heires of Salvation. It was not the ordinance of God to ſend the Apoſtles onelyonly to ring an empty ſound of the Goſpell,Ioh. 15.16 but to gather fruite which might abide to everlaſting life. Eph. 4.8.God giveth Paſtors and Teachers to gather the Saints, and to build His body. Though God doth ſend ſome as Eſay ſpeakes, for further hardning of a people, yet to ſome it is a ſweete ſavour to God; Some in whom His Word ſhall bee fruitfull to ſalvation, whom He chiefely regardeth by it. The Word is compared to Snow and ſhowers, which never fall in vaine.Eſay 55.10, 11. As the raine commeth downe and the ſnow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give ſeed to the ſower and bread to the Eater: So ſhall my Word be that goeth forth of my mouth, it ſhall not returne to Me voyd, but it ſhall accompliſh that which I pleaſe, and it ſhall proſper in the thing whereto I ſent it.
Que. Now if it be asked what was this fruit?
Anſw. It was the reclaiming men from Idolatry, ignorance, all ſenſuall luſts of ignorance, and bringing them to the living God, to ſaving knowledge, to the endeavour of true Holineſſe. This Word is the Lords net to catch ſoules, the immortall ſeede that begetteth us to God, the arme of God to Salvation.
To comfort thoſe that have the diſpenſation of the Word, Vſe 1 it cannot be in vaine.
To make us all enter into our ſelves and ſee what the Word workes in us; for if not to life, it will bee effectuall to death:2 Cor. 2.15.16. For we are to God a ſweete ſavour of Chriſt in them that are ſaved and in them that periſh: For to the one we are the ſavour of death unto death, and to the other the ſavour of life unto life. Examine what power the Word hath had upon you for the killing the unfruitfull works of darkeneſſe, and the bringing forth the fruites of the ſpirit in you.
As it doth alſo in you] Marke how he doth apply and confirme the generall from their particular caſe. Obſer. hence, Obſ. 4 That it is good dealing with men to come home to their owne experience. Saint Paul frequently doth appeale to the knowledge, judgement and experience of thoſe hee dealeth with, know you not? judge you, &c. Men doe fruitfully apprehend and eaſily condeſcend to things thus convinced: Thus to inſtance in theſe points, Gods preventing us with His Word, the power of GOD's Word; what Chriſtian in his owne experience may not ſubſcribe to the truth of them. This cloſing with our audit ours is a thing too much neglected.
Since the day ye heard of it] Obſerve hence, Obſ. 5 That before we can have the fruit of the Word, we must heare the Word. A diligent care is no ſmall bleſſing; no man can feele the ſtrength of meat without taking downe; none ſhall finde the fruit of the Word without hearing it: Harveſt without ſeed ſowen ſhall aſſoone bee ſeene, as true grace without the Word heard. This therefore, Prov. 2.3. is made a condition, without which wee cannot come to wiſdome, viz. to hearken with our eares unto her. True it is, that many that lend the eare of the body are not fruitfull, becauſe, though this be ſomething, yet it is not all: but though giving the eare is not enough to make us fruitfull; yet denying it, it ſhall alwayes be able to hold us under unfruitfulneſſe.
This convinceth ſuch as through pride thinke they can doe well enough without hearing, Vſe 1 they can reade; what can the Preacher ſay that wee know not?
To ſtirre us up to heare. As a plant, Vſe 2 if the roote ſhould not ſucke in moiſture, could not be fruitfull: So if the ſoule doe not by the eare (for this is the paſſage) ſucke in that heavenly dew, it will never be fruitfull.
Laſtly, That not all hearing, no nor all knowing, Obſerv.but the true, that is, the inner, powerfull, affectionate knowledge, is it which is fruitfull in us: The greateſt Clerks are not alwayes men of greateſt conſcience; knowledge and conſcience are often divorced: the Divell knoweth more than we all: There is a double knowledge; the one literal, when one conceiveth of things, but hath no feeling of them in himſelfe, nor is not affected with them: now this knowledge doth not alter a man. There is another knowledge which is ſpirituall, lively, affecting the ſoule, this breedeth the fruits of true obedience, true deſire of encreaſe, &c. To reade of the nature of Honey in a booke, leadeth a man into ſome conceit of it, but nothing affecteth him; but to taſte an honey-combe, this maketh him know more freelingly, and deſire to taſte further: So it is in knowledge. Sapientia is ſapida ſcientia, true knowledge is ſavoury knowledge, that reliſheth in the ſoule.
It letteth us ſee our miſery for the preſent, Vſe 1 who have not the fruit of ſanctification; for this is an infallible evidence, that wee never knew in truth the things of the Goſpell; thoſe that knew in truth were fruitfull: Thou therefore who haſt not theſe ſpirituall fruits, it is a ſure ſigne that thou didſt never know any thing truly; nay, it is fearfull for the time to come: for it is a ſhrewd token, GOD will never give thee true knowledge; If our Goſpell be hid, it is hid to thoſe that periſh. 2 Cor. 4.3If a Phyſitian commeth to a man ſicke, and with all his art can doe him no good, it is a token the patient is deſperate, even a dead man: So when the ſpirituall Phyſitian hath beene long with thee, and thou mend not, it is fearefull. I know men thinke, they know as well as the beſt, and can ſay as farre in a matter as another: But if thy knowledge move thee not to obedience, it ſhall helpe thee to ſo many more ſtroakes, and prove thee a worſe foole than the idiot that knoweth nothing.
VERSE 7. As yee alſo learned of Epaphras, our deare fellow ſervant, who is for you a faithfull Minister of CHRIST.
MArke, hee bringeth in Epaphras, as through whom they had beene fruitfull; which teacheth us: That ſuch as are not graced with great titles, Obſ. 1 their worke is not in vaine in the LORD. Epaphras was neither Apoſtle, nor Evangeliſt, nor yet the chiefe teacher of them: the Lord doth often chooſe ſuch as are for outward circumſtance fooliſh and weake ones; that whatſoever is wrought, may be apparantly perceived not to be theirs, but the worke of GOD in them. Hee knowes wee will eaſily dwell more in the man that ſpeaketh, than on Him who fendeth, and the matter ſpoken; like as many gaze more on the casket when it is curious, than on the jewels within it: and men looke at Cuppes rarely wrought, admiring and commending them, ſo that they delay to drinke the liquor in them.
We muſt not be offended at want of carnall circumſtances in thoſe who teach us; Vſe 1 the fooliſhneſſe of GOD is wiſer than men.
We muſt not be diſmayed, Vſe 2 who are conſcious to ourſelves of ſuch wants: not an armie, nor an hoſt, it is the Spirit of our GOD which muſt worke every thing.
From the fact of the Apoſtle commending Epaphras: That we must ſpeake the beſt of all, Obſ. 2 but eſpecially of Ministers, though not outwardly glorious: Nay, the leſſe glorious they are, we muſt put the more upon them; that their miniſtry through ſuch good teſtimony might be more effectuall. As in the naturall body, the face hath no cover, the leſſe honeſt parts have: So in the myſticall body. This is required in the ninth Commandement, to give good teſtimony and put honour one on another.
2 We muſt the rather commend others, becauſe ordinarily they may neither praiſe, for that were pride; nor yet diſpraiſe themſelves, for that were folly.
3 It doth ſtrengthen their hands in the worke of the miniſtery, and maketh them better regarded with their people. CHRIST Himſelfe refuſed not Iohn's teſtimony in this regard; and Paul, leſt he ſhould run in vaine, did come to Peter, that he might have teſtimoniall from him.
Now we muſt give them teſtimony.
1 So farre as we know, elſe wee ſhould not ſay true.
2 Not to their face.
3 To ſome good end, as to glorifie GOD in winning authority to thoſe we commend.
To teach us our duties, Vſe 1 to credit and countenance all we can one another, eſpecially faithfull Miniſters. The Divell is very diligent to ply their diſgrace: Eſpecially we muſt not ſo diſhonour our owne Miniſters, who are Fathers to us in the …, as to thinke and ſpeake baſely of them.
The Apoſtle his fact convinceth ſuch as will detract, Vſe 2 ſpeake by halfes, with buts and ifs: a good man but &c. yea, if they ſee a man downe the wind, will betray him with ſilence, dare not ſpeake what truly they may on his behalfe.