Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 1 · Verse 27
VERSE 27. To whom God would make knowne what is the riches of the glory of this myſtery among the Gentiles, which is Chriſt in you, the hope of glory.
THe Apoſtle having commended the Goſpel unto the Coloſsians, by the excellencies aſcribed unto it; that it is a myſtery and a Secret, knowne onelyonly of a few; then from the antiquity of it, hid ſince the world began; and from the peculiarity of this priviledge; onelyonly to the Saints, not to the reſt of the world, in reſpect of the ſaving vertue and power of it:
Now he preſſeth his exhortation to embrace and receive it; and the rather we ſhould be induced hereunto, if we conſider the cauſe moving God thus to deale with us, viz. not for any thing in our ſelves, not for our worthineſſe, for our parts, our wit, or wils, or any thing elſe, or any other creature; but meerely of His owne good will and pleaſure, to whom God would: What ſhould move to make this difference betweene men, ſeeing all naturally are in the ſame caſe and condition? even his owne will and good pleaſure.
Hence obſerve: Doctr. That the cauſe why the Goſpell is revealed to us, and not to others, is the will and good pleaſure of God. So CHRIST ſaith; Matth. 11 25. I give thee thankes O Father Lord of heaven and earth, becauſe thou haſt hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, and revealed them unto babes. Even ſo, O Father, becauſe ſuch was thy good pleaſure. Were it any diſpoſitions fore-ſeene in men, then thoſe ſhould be called and taught, who were of the beſt capacitie and towardneſſe, who were for civill carriage moſt unblameable; but not many wiſe, not many of great wit, but babes and ſimples ones are called; yea, Publicans and Harlots had theſe things made known to them, when Philoſophers and Phariſaicall Civilians were excluded. To ſhew it in particular, as it is a grace of God to give His Lawes and ordinances; ſo it is His meere Grace that they are beſtowed on any, rather than others: This is ſhewed in giving them to Iſrael, who were worſe than Tyre and Sydon, than Niniveh, than the Nations; I doe not ſend thee to a Nation of a ſtrange tongue, Ezck. 3.3.they would heare thee. Had theſe things beene done in Tyre and Sydon, they would have repented. Niniveh repented at the preaching of Ionah, Loe a greater than Ionah is here: Yea, God is forced every where to upbraid them with ſtiffe-neckedneſſe, a necke of ſteele, with hard hearts, hearts like Adamant, with brazen fore-heads; yea, to call them a gain-ſaying and rebellious people. Even as His pleaſure carryeth raine to one place and to another; So He maketh His Miniſters drop the Word of Wiſdome amongſt ſome, and not amongſt other ſome. Matth. 10.6. Goe not into the way of the Samaritans. So, Acts 16.7. Goe not whither thou intendedſt, but into Macedonia. Now if mans outward teaching be affoorded out of meere grace, how much more God, inward teaching; yea, His opening the eye of our mindes? As no reaſon can be given why one mans eyes were opened, one dead man raiſed, rather than all the reſt: So no man can give a reaſon why theſe who now ſee and beleeve, ſhould be made to ſee rather than others. Vſe 1
This ſerveth to confute thoſe who thinke the Word to be given or deteyned according to ſomething in them to whom it is given, or from whom it is deteyned, in them or their progenitors. But we have ſhewed ſufficiently, that it is firſt ſent amongſt any freely, and if it be withheld from any, it muſt be for their owne deſerts, or ſome who have beene before them, parents to them: not for their owne deſerts; for many of the heathen were not ſo hard hearted and impenitent as the Iew; and for their Parents fault it could not be withheld, unleſſe we would make particular Parents to ſtand for themſelves and their Children; yea, ſome thinke that the inward teaching, which doth ſo teach that it changeth the mind, that this teaching I ſay, is given to ſuch whom God doth ſee as fit to worke with it and uſe to this purpoſe: as a Captaine ſetteth a man on a horſe whom he doth ſee will mannage him well. But this doth preſuppoſe a connaturall Correſpondence in corrupt nature, to the ſupernaturall grace of God, and a power in nature to uſe grace aright, which hath long ſince beene condemned as a Pelagian error, from theſe grounds; that we cannot doe any thing which profiteth to ſalvation, out of Chriſt, that we are not fit to thinke a good thought.
Let us acknowledge Gods free grace that we have theſe things opened and revealed to us; Vſe 2 we of meane parts for underſtanding in compariſon of others, we who have beene often more vilely and viciouſly diſpoſed then others: let us acknowledge that He hath opened theſe things and hidde them from others, even becauſe it ſo pleaſed Him. Finally, let us walke worthy theſe ordinances, to be fruitfull in them, leaſt He ſay to us as to Capernaum; woe be to thee, thou wert lifted up to heaven, but I will throw thee downe to hell.
What is the riches of the glory of this myſtery] VntoUnto this myſtery of the Goſpell now ſpread abroad among the Gentiles, be aſcribed glory, yea riches of glory; that is, abundance of glory: Doct. thereby teaching us: That the Goſpell preached is not onelyonly a myſtery, but a myſtery full of glory. Even that wherein the glorious power, goodneſſe and wiſedome of God is ſet forth: for what power, goodneſſe or wiſedome is any thing comparable with that which appeareth in mans redemption? verily all the glory of earthly Kings, wherein they ſet forth their power, goodneſſe, wiſedome, is nothing in compariſon hereof. The Goſpell is not onelyonly of great excellency in it ſelfe, but it puts glory and excellency upon all that doe ſincerely profeſſe and embrace it; it makes them to ſhine gloriouſly in all their converſation before God and men:Pro. 4.8.9 ſo ſaith Salomon; Exalt wiſedome, and ſhee ſhall exalt thee, ſhee ſhall bring thee to honour: if thou embrace her, ſhee ſhall give thee a comely ornament unto thy head, yea ſhee ſhall give thee a crowne of glory.
Let us then admire and adore this myſtery of the Goſpell; Vſe and the rather becauſe we our ſelves are partakers of it, and by it transformed into the image of God from glory to glory, by the ſpirit of God.
This glorious myſtery he ſetteth forth by the ſubject of it, which is Chriſt;
Whence obſerve, Doct. what the maine ſubject, and ſubſtance of the Goſpell is, it is Chriſt. Whoſoever and whatſoever teacheth Chriſt, teacheth the myſtery of the Goſpell; and whoſoever teacheth not Chriſt, teacheth not the Goſpell.
Of Chriſt he ſaith, that He is among us; for ſo ſhould the particle … be here rendred, as it is immediately before (among the Gentiles.) For by the Goſpell we have communion with God, and with Chriſt His Sonne.
Obſerve hence; Doct. That CHRIST dwelleth in His members, in all true believers: He lives in them, He dyneth and ſuppeth and lodgeth with us; we ſee and heare, and feele, we taſte and eate Him. How glorious then is the Goſpell, by which Ieſus Chriſt is communicated with us, and how glorious is the Church, even the aſſembly of GODS people among whom CHRIST the Sonne of GOD dwelleth? For better cleering of this point, I will ſhew you what it is to have CHRIST dwelling in us, viz. When He doth exiſt after another manner then He did before; when there are other effects then there were before; when He doth ſhew Himſelfe kinde and favourable, when He doth manifeſt His comfortable preſence, as he did in the Temple. It is ſeene in foure particulars.
1 When as He commeth into the heart to be there, He is united unto it and made one with it.
2 He continues in the heart, where once he begins to dwell; and that is the reaſon why we continue in the ſtate of grace.
3 He delighteth in us, he delighteth to dwell in the place where He dwelleth: For a man cannot properly be ſaid to dwell in a place, except he delight to dwell there. A man may be in a priſon all his life long, yet cannot be ſaid to dwell there, becauſe he hath no delight to be there, he would not be there, if he could chooſe.
4 He is ſaid to dwell in us, becauſe he is ſo operative there, he worketh efficaciouſly in all the parts and faculties of the ſoule: He dwells in the ſoule as fire in the iron, He is in every part thereof.
If it be objected; how can Chriſt ſo dwell in us, Object. ſeeing He is in heaven and we on earth?
He dwelleth in us as the Sunne in the houſe, Anſw. by his influence of grace into our hearts; ſo that though He be abſent, yet He dwells there. By theſe effects Christ diſcovereth Himſelfe to be in us.
But what doe the Saints get by His comming? Queſt.
Many ſpeciall priviledges and benefits come thereby: Anſw. as
1 Where CHRIST dwels, He makes that perſon glorious, He fills his heart with glory; and this I take out of Pſal. 24.7. Be ye lift up ye everlaſting deeres, that the King of glory may come in. Where CHRIST comes into the heart, Hee comes as a King of glory, Hee comes not as a man that is glorious, who keepes his glory to himſelfe, but He communicates His glory to us. And herein is the difference betwixt CHRIST and an earthly Prince: When a Prince comes into a houſe, the houſe is the ſame ſtill, he keepes his glory to himſelfe: But where Chriſt comes, He changes the heart, he alters the houſe, He makes that glorious; He beautifies and decks the ſoule with ſuch excellencies as makes us ſeeme glorious to our ſelves, and appeare ſo to others. So Moſes face did ſhine, becauſe God did communicate His glory to him; now that outward glory was a type of this inward glory, which Chriſt communicates to the ſoule of him in whom He dwells.
Where Chriſt comes in, He ruleth and governeth the ſoule, He guides the ſpirit where he dwells, He keepes the heart in order, He keepes the underſtanding, will and affections in obedience; and this I take alſo out of Pſal. 24. Be yee lift up yee everlasting doores (ſpeaking of the ſoule.) For Chriſt where He comes, He comes like a King, He ruleth as a King, He brings His kingdome with Him: As Sathan rules in the children of diſobedience; ſo CHRIST ruleth in the children of obedience; He guides and orders the ſpirit the right way.
3 Where Chriſt enters in and dwells, He refreſheth the heart, He comforts the heart, He brings a great deale of joy with Him. So ſaith the Prophet Eſay Chap. 57.Eſay. 57.…. Thus ſaith the High and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whoſe Name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him alſo that is of a contrite and humble ſpirit, to revive the ſpirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of contrite ones.
Here are two benefits layd downe,
To refreſh.
To give life.
He doth refreſh the ſpirit of the humble, that is, when the ſpirit is drooping and the heart is made ſadde and dejected, meditating upon nothing but feares and dangers, then Chriſt comes into the heart and calmes all, ſets all at reſt, brings tranquillity and refreſheth the ſoule; even as a man that feareth death, is refreſhed when a pardon commeth. He fills the heart with joy where He comes; as the Sunne doth bring light where ere it is preſent: and no more can a man have Chriſt in his heart without joy, then he can have the Sunne without light. For He brings matter of joy with Him, He brings ſalvation with Him, as when He came home to Zaccheus, He ſaid,Luke 19. this day is ſalvation come to thy houſe; and it Chriſt ſo ſay to any man, He brings matter of great joy. Again when he comes, He brings the ſpirit of joy, called the refore the joy of the Holy Ghoſt for where the Holy Ghoſt is, He is full of joy. Againe, where He comes, He brings His kingdome with Him, and that conliſts of joy; Rom. 14.17.
4 Where Chriſt dwells, He gives life, He makes them living men: for He dwelleth in His Saints as the Vine in the …, and every man that is in Him is a branch in the Vine: All the properties of life we have from Him: our ſenſe and motion is from Him: in Him we live and moove and have our being: from Him is our life derived. He that hath the Son, hath life. 1 Ioh. 5.1….For as the old Adam did communicate corruption to us to make us active in ſinne: So the ſecond Adam doth communicate grace and life to all that are borne of Him, and therefore is called, the quickning ſpirit. For, as a man doth then live, when his ſoule comes into his body; So doth the ſoule then live, when CHRIST comes into the ſoule: and therefore He is ſayd to be, the Reſurrection and the Life, for where He is, there is Life.
5 The laſt benefit is Defence, Hee defends thoſe in whom He dwels, He is a buckler to them, He preſerves them from all croſſes, at the leaſt from the evill of them. And herein is the difference betwixt CHRIST and other Inhabitants: Other Inhabitants are defended by their houſes, but Hee the Inhabitant defends the houſe. And good reaſon, for though He dwell in our hearts, yet,Pſal. 90.1. He is our Habitation. This is excellently expreſſed, Eſa. 4.5, 6. VponUpon all the glory ſhall be defence; that is, upon all the people that are glorious: I will bee to them (ſaith God) a Covering and a ſhadow in the day from the heate, and for a place of refuge, and for a Covert from ſtorm and raine. That is, You ſhall be as men within doores, others ſhall be as men without doores. And the Apoſtle ſayth.1 Cor. 3.17. Him that deſtroyes the Temple, him ſhall God deſtroy. For, it is His Temple, and Chriſt will not ſuffer His houſe to bee pulled downe over His head, for it is the place where Hee dwelleth; He will protect and defend them.
If you would therfore have a greater meaſure of grace comforting and refreſhing you, Vſe if you would be full of life and grace, then faſten your eyes upon Chriſt the fountaine. But it is your fault, you deſire grace, remiſſion of ſinnes, and the parts of Sanctification abſtracted from Chriſt, we goe to God and thinke not of Chriſt: but get Chriſt into your hearts, get Him knit to you, and then you ſhall receive grace from Him. Looke as it is with a Wife in marriage of her husband, ſhe muſt not thinke of the Titles, wealth and honours that he brings ſeparated from her husband; if ſhe doe, it is an adulterous thought: but ſhe muſt firſt take her husband, and then take thoſe things that are derived from him: So let us firſt get our ſelves united with Chriſt, cleave to Him, live to Him, get our hearts moove to Him in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe; and then looke for remiſſion of ſinnes, adoption and reconciliation, and every particular grace from Him: If a man will have the treaſure, he muſt firſt have the field, he muſt not thinke to have the treaſure abſtracted from the field, but firſt get the field, and then digge for the treaſure: Firſt get Chriſt in whom are hid all treaſures, and then receive them from Him. Remember ſtill that Chriſt muſt firſt dwell in your hearts: for although the ſpirit doe immediately act all, yet it is CHRIST. Labour therefore to be knit to Chriſt more and more; and as you are neerer in union with Him, ſo He dwells more in your hearts. As there are degrees of light from the Sunne as it is higher or lower: So there are degrees of Chriſts Vnion and habitation, and of all the effects of His cohabitation: labour therefore to get Chriſt into your hearts more and more. How ſhall we doe that?
1 Labour for a contrite and humble ſpirit; for there CHRIST dwels, and delighteth in ſuch a ſoule. Eſay 57.15. He hath but two places to dwell in, the higheſt heavens, and an humble heart.
2 Againe, the leſſe you love your ſelves, and the more you emptie your ſelves, the more will Chriſt dwell in you; the cleaner you keepe your hearts, the more unſpotted, the more pleaſure and delight will Hee take to dwell in you.
3 The larger ſpirit any man hath, the more rich in grace any man is, the larger the houſe is, the more Chriſt will delight to dwell there.
Which is Chriſt in you the hope of glory] This Chriſt he deſcribeth by His effect toward us, calling Him the hope of glory: that is, He in whom and by whom wee hope and looke for glory.
Obſerve hence: Doct. Chriſt is he in whom we hope for glory. Hereupon He is called Our hope: 1 Tim. 1.1. God that cannot lye hath promiſed to give us further aſſurance of of it, He hath lift up Chriſt on high, placed Him at His right hand, farre above all Principalities and Powers, and made Him partaker of His glory: when He ſhal appeare, then we ſhall appeare with Him in glory; this wee wait and looke for, this is our reſt.
What then though ſhame and reproach befal us in this world? Vſe Let us beare it with patience and with joy, look up to the glory prepared for us: And what if armies of evils meet with us here below, and troopes of miſeries follow us at the heeles? By the helpe of Chriſt wee ſhall overcome them all, and be more than conquerours, and in the end be crowned with a crowne of immortall glory. There wanteth nothing but a little waiting; Yet a little while, and He that ſhall come, will come, and will not tarry: Behold Hee commeth in the clouds, and His reward is with Him. In the meane time, let us live as thoſe that looke for His glory, and not diſhonour our ſelves with baſe actions of ſinne, who are appointed for ſuch glory.