Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 1 · Verse 16
VERSE 16. For by Him were all things Created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, viſible and inviſible, whether they be Thrones or Dominions, or Principalities, or powers; all things were Created by Him and for Him.
NOw he commeth to proove Chriſt both GOD and LORD, and together openeth the ground of this His Title of inheritance to the Creature, thus: Hee that made all Creatures, is no Creature; but GOD bleſſed for ever is Lord of all Creatures: but by Chriſt all the Creatures were made: therefore He is GOD and moſt juſtly heire to all; who can lay ſo good a claime to them? 1. Then marke in generall from the coherence, Obſ 1 That theſe Creatures we ſee doe give teſtimony to that inviſible GOD whom we ſee not, theſe doe ſpeake aloud, that He who hath Created them is God; for the worke doth argue a moſt Almighty and wiſe workeman: and it is made (Ier. 10.11.) the effect diſtinguiſhing all falſe Gods from the true; the Gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, are no Gods. If we ſhould ſee faire buildings, excellently contrived, we would ſay they were excellent workemen that framed theſe: So ſeeing this world, the heavens, the earth with the furniture of them; we may well conclude, Hee could not bee without a divine power that built all theſe things.Iovis omnia plena, praeſentem que refert quae ibet her…a deum. Againe theſe viſible things have in them prints of the inviſible things in God; His power, wiſdom &c. is graven in them. For looke as the fineſt artiſans, who make the moſt curious works, as watches, &c. They write their names in ſome part of them, that the making and the Author be diſcerned: So God hath written Himſelfe every where in His Creatures, that they might bee knowne for His workemanſhip, and He for the workeman of them.
The uſe of this is, Vſe that we ſhould learne, in this frame we ſee, and in that world of intelligences ſpiritual natures, which we ſee not, to acknowledge him that hath framed the booke of the Creatures: though it be not ſo good as the Grammar of the Scripture which doth deſcribe Him plainely, yet it is a good primmer for us to ſpell in.
That as He hence prooveth Him God, Obſ. 2 ſo He ſheweth what juſt Title He hath to the Lordſhip and inheritance of all the Creatures: It had beene enough if he be granted the onelyonly begotten Sonne of the eternall Father, to proove Him heyre juſtly; but He that together with the Father created all the Creatures, as Chriſt did, Ioh. 1.3. Heb. 1.3. the caſe is cleere, Hee muſt needs be Lord of all: but if theſe were too weake, it might be ſtrengthened with a third, even the redeeming of the Creatures, ſubjected to vanity through ſinne; yea a fourth,Heb. 1.3. His bearing up of all with His mighty power.
Let us therefore give glory to Him, Vſe even as in our nature, and ſay, thou art heyre of all the creatures, and thou art worthy.
This, for the coherence.
Now for the matter of this firſt reaſon, viz. His creating all things is firſt ſet downe, then each part; the order inverted hath his amplification ſet downe in theſe words, by Him all things were created, expounded in the words following: And firſt, what thoſe all things are, which are ſet downe by a double diſtribution; the one of the ſubject or place, the other of the property, in heaven and earth, all viſible or inviſible. 2. By a particular enumeration of thoſe ſpiritual creatures, which of al other might ſeeme to be exempted from the common law of creation; which point alſo ſoone after Valentinus and Baſilides did contend for, viz. That theſe were not created but begotten of God. Now they are deſcribed from the miniſteries in which God doth imploy them for the adminiſtring of this world to the good of his Church. 2. He repeateth the other, that by Chriſt all things were created; opening the manner of his working and adding the end; for foreign doth ſignifie that Chriſt was not a ſecondary inſtrument by whom the Father made all things, unworthy of Himſelfe; but a formall worker of all the creatures, which is confirmed alſo, that He is made the finis reductionis, the end to which all the creature is reduced to Him, to His glory; whereas if He had beene to His Father as a hatchet is in the hand of a Carpenter, the end of the creature ſhould not have beene to have ſerved His glory.
1 Then we ſee,Obſerv. that Christ our King is the Creator of all things. Ioh. 1.3. All things were made by the Word, and without it nothing was made. Heb. 1.1. It is moſt cleere: for what ever the Father doth, He alſo doth worke; for the ſelfe ſame will is in all the Perſons, that what one worketh the other muſt worke alſo.
Which conſideration of CHRIST, Vſe 1 doth ſerve firſt to ſtrengthen our faith, and to let us ſee with what reaſon he calleth us to truſt in Him. You beleeve on the Father, beleeve alſo in Me: we doe beleeve many things which we ſee not, yea which we find much in diſpoſition, making deſperate in us: but here is a proppe of faith, we know whom we have beleeved, even the beloved Sonne; who though there bee no print appearing of them, is able to create them, He created theſe things of nothing: who, though we be indiſpoſed to receive things we beleeve, yet this is no let to Him, who out of darkeneſſe and a confuſed Chaos, brought light, and this goodly harmony of all things. Therefore looke to CHRIST the Author and finiſher of thy faith, ſtand thy ground, feare not, the Creator of heaven and earth is He that hath ſpoken: lay it at His doore, and there reſt thee; thou ſhalt find all Amen: as He hath promiſed, ſo He is able to performe: ſhall not He who hath made all the Hoſts of the inviſible Angels ſo bright in knowledge, ſo burning in love, ſo unceſſant in action, ſhall not he be able to effect in thee that ſmall meaſure of Sanctification which Himſelfe hath promiſed and thy heart deſired? be confident in Him that is made of God thy Sanctifier.
This, Vſe 2 that CHRIST is Creator of us, doth teach us our duties; even to offer our ſelves up unto Him: if He never had done any thing to redeeme us, yet we owe our ſelves unto Him, for that He is our Creator; how much more when that three fold cord commeth, His Redemption by His bloud, and ſaving us by ſending His ſpirit into our hearts? thoſe that give us our lives as our Parents, we ſay, we owe them our lives: thoſe that ſave out lives, as when we are ready to be executed, we hold our ſelves their bounden ſervants for ever. Chriſt the Father of eternity hath given thee thy life by creation, hath ſaved thee by redemption.
It letteth us ſee the decency of the order enacted in that great Councell of the Trinity, Vſe 3 that the ſecond Perſon ſhould redeeme us; for what could be more fit then that He by whom we were made, by Him I ſay we ſhould be reſtored?
That there is no creature whereof Chriſt is not the Creator; Obſ 2 both high and low are the worke of His hand. It is in correſpondence to that, He is the firſt begotten of all the Creature, Lord of it: and reaſon good, for He was the Creator of all of it; and this muſt be underſtood with Saint Iohns limitation, by Him were made all things that were made; for defects of ſin and penall evils, as death, &c. which are not matter poyſonfull as ſerpents, but the deſtruction of things that have being; theſe are not made by God, but come from the ſuggeſtion of the Divell, the will of man falling ſinfully from God the fountaine of life and well being. It doth not debaſe Gods glorious power to create ſmall things; as we ſee, He cauſed Ionas his gourd to come up; but often ſetteth it forth, when all the ſtrength of the creature cannot quicken a fly: And we ſee that in the lice the finger of God was acknowledged by them whom greater things did not convince. Yea it is needfull; for if any thing could have being without, it were God with Him.
We muſt ſanctifie His name in all things, Vſe 1 not with cruelty abuſing, nor with diſdaine rejecting any of the creatures; for they are all the workes of His hands: and as Salomon ſpeaketh in another caſe, ſo we may truely ſay, he that deſpiſeth or abuſeth any creature, abuſeth his Maker. Say our ſelves have made any thing, if any marre it, and unlawfully (otherwiſe then our mind ſtandeth) uſeth it, doe we not hold it an injury? ſo will God hold Himſelfe abuſed in ſuch miſuſing His workemanſhip.
We muſt learne to conſider of the leaſt creatures, Vſe 2 and looke into the natures of them; if a workeman doe make a fly finely in ſilke, we will view it, admire, commend it: and what new thing doth art invent, the ſight whereof we will not rather pay for, then be without? yet for Gods creatures, we paſſe them over, as contemptible, that have things in them admirable: a Spider, an Ant, a little kinde of Mouſe, the Holy Ghoſt ſetteth theſe as it were into the Pulpit to reade a Lecture to the wiſeſt of us.
It followeth, that are in Heaven and that are in earth; viſible and inviſible: by heavens He meaneth not onelyonly theſe aſpectable ones which our eyes ſee, but thoſe ſupreame ones, where God, His Angels, and the ſpirits of the juſt abide. Obſ. 3 Obſerve hence; How that God hath His places, Miniſters attending about Him, unſeene and unknowne too; many ſuch things hath He, which the eye of man hath not ſeen, nor have not fully entered into mans heart. We that live farre remooved from that heavenly Court, we can know but little, and that by heareſay onelyonly. Take ſome hamlet of poore ſubjects that live. North-ward, remote from the Court; what doe they know of Kings Mannor houſes, of His Court at White-Hall, of the furniture of his roomes, the ſtate of his attendance and ſervice, the ſolemnities of his Triumphs, the manner of his going to the Parliament Houſe? we that creepe here below, live in a remote place, occupied in meane affaires, we cannot imagine the glorious Majeſtie of that high Court, where our God, our Mediator, with the Angels and ſpirits of the juſt, diſplay their glory. True it is, we that are truely faithfull, we are come a little neerer; for we are got into the Suburbs of this City, we are come nigher to God, in compariſon of the world, nigher to our Mediator; we converſe in heaven, we are adjoyned to the innumerable multitude of Angels and ſpirits of the juſt. But yet we have but the report, and ſo a ſight by faith without evident view of theſe things.
Theſe things muſt teach us firſt, Vſe not to be like ſuch who will beleeve no more then they ſee, and are halfe Sadduces; for Spirits and Angells, they thinke them fancies. O foole, doeſt thou ſee the wind, an elementary thing, yet too ſubtle for the eye to behold? doeſt thou ſee thy owne ſoule? and yet thou feeleſt it; yea when thou ſleepeſt, ere-while it wakeneth and is in action: but the ſpirits of theſe men are incarnate, the things we ſee are nothing to the things that are not as yet ſeene.
Wherefore in the ſecond place, this muſt ſtirre up our deſire, further and further to peepe into theſe things within the vaile, and long for the ſight of theſe things that yet are folded. By nature we have a deſire of knowledg, which maketh us long after newes; where the court is, &c. If one ſhould open a piece of ſome rare workmanſhip; we could not be quiet till we got the reſt unfolded: yea this maketh ſome of better abilities, wch dwell in the utmoſt parts, that once in their lives they will goe up to London to ſee the City, Court, King, &c. How ſhould this provoke us and checke us as ſluggards, who care not to ſee further off, theſe moſt glorious workes of nature and grace, which our God hath begunne to unfold, that long not to ſee the City of GOD and our Prince His deare Sonne, and with Him to make our glorious aboade?
To thinke of theſe inviſible things about us, muſt affect us with a ſenſe of our blindneſſe: our God is looking with a broad eye upon us: good Angels, armies of them about our bed; bad Angels, the ſtarres not ſo thicke in the firmament over our heads, as they are hovering to ſpy their advantage: ô ſhall not we grieve that we cannot ſee them? ſhould thy Father and all thy brethren ſtand by, wouldeſt thou not mourne to have ſo ſicke a ſight as could not diſcerne them? and art thou contented with ſuch weake eyes as cannot behold thy heavenly Father, thy brethren and fellow ſervants? would it not grieve thee to be as Sampſon with the Philiſtines, thy enemies about thee, and eyes out? wilt thou not grieve to have innumerable evill ſpirits about thee, not being able to perceive them? pray to God to open thy eyes, looke into the nature of thy owne ſoule, that will be a good introduction; if thou canſt find thy owne ſoule at the rebound of it, abſtract thy ſelfe from ſenſible objects, ponder things intellectuall.
Further it is to be marked, Obſ. 4 That our Lord CHRIST is the Creator of all the Angels; all theſe excellent creatures were created as the matter of heaven and earth, the ſoule of man, they were not begotten of GOD, The Divell would by thoſe Primitive monſters have broached to the diſgrace of the only begotten Sonne of God, though the Scripture calleth us begotten of God, Iam. 1.18.in regard of our regeneration; yea, they were created by CHRIST, who is therefore called the Lord of hoaſts. If He had created the inferiour things only, it had not beene ſuch an argument of His power and equality with His Father: But when the moſt divine creatures are the workes of His hands, O how glorious is He! This doth greatly tend to the Majeſty of our King, into whoſe government we are tranſlated. O we admire, and our eyes dazle at the luſtre and pompous magnificence of earthly Kings, who at their Coronations make Knights, create Earles, Marqueſſes, Dukes: how glorious doe we count them, who can give ſuch degrees? But what are theſe? All of them fleſh: What are we to theſe Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Angels, Archangels, which our King hath created?
It might be asked when He made theſe? Queſt.
The day cannot certainly be defined, Anſw. onelyonly theſe two things are certaine. (1) That they were not created before that beginning wherein GOD gave being to the whole ſyſteme of the creature, for before it nothing was that is made. (2) It is certaine they were created before the ſecond day was expired. (3) By analogie of mans creation, ſo ſoone as his ſeat was perfected, it is probable that proportionably when theſe bleſied inviſible manſions were finiſhed, even on the firſt day, that then likewiſe the hoaſts of Angels were created.
The uſe of this here ſo plainly ſet downe, Vſe 1 doth let us ſee even in this one point, the great increaſe of light over that which Moſes affordeth; in all the ſtory of the Creation, they are not expreſſely named, their weake ſights not able to endure diſcourſe of ſuch brightneſſe: but our Apoſtle, who had beene wrapt up into the third heaven, doth ſpecifie things which under the Teſtament lay vailed.
This doth let us ſee with how good reaſon our King in regard of His humane Nature is Lord even of all the Angels, Vſe 2 with how good reaſon they are bid to adore Him; they accordingly did miniſter to Him at His birth, in His temptations, at His refurrection and aſcenſion: And what a ſpurre ſhould this adde to us in our obedience unto Him? Shall Angels and Archangels adore Him, and ſhall not wee bee obſequious to Him? Dare poore Commons deny homage to that King to whom they ſee great Princes in their places doe all obeyſance?
This giveth us ſecurity that we ſhall have ſent us the helpe of good Angels in our neceſſities; Vſe 3 why? becauſe our King is the Creator and Lord of them; He hath the command of them at His pleaſure. We ſee if the ſubject in the furtheſt part of our Countrey be aſſailed with forren power, which doth over-match it, the King will levie an armie from the Citie, and places neere him, and ſo ſend them ſuccour: Even ſo our King will ſend theſe His heavenly Citizens, when the powers of darkneſſe doe aſſaile us. They are miniſtring ſpirits ſent forth for their ſakes that ſhall be heires of ſalvation.
Laſtly, Vſe 4 we may hence obſerve, the blinde folly of ſuch who withdraw themſelves from uſing CHRIST's mediation, and betake them to the interceſſion of Angells. Is not this to leave the Creator in ſuch a way wherein He would have us to uſe Him, and to fly to the Creature? Beſides the Angels are not ſuch ill taught ſervants, as to take their Lord's worke out of His hands.
Againe, here is occaſion given to ſpeake of the diſtinct miniſteries of Angels: but neſcire oportet quod nec ſcire poſſumus nec debemus: The cleere knowledge of theſe things is reſerved till we ſhall be foreign,Luke 20.36. in the heavens.
Laſtly obſerve, That as by Him, ſo to His honour the creature was made. Obſ.Whence we marke, firſt, that the Son worketh not as a ſervile Miniſter, but as a joynt Author in making all the creatures. Indeed the Scripture giveth an equall authority to CHRIST with the Father, in working: As the Father quickeneth, Ioh. 5.21.ſo doth the Sonne whom He will. That which I, as the Principall, doe uſe my ſervant to doe, is not for his ſake, but my owne: But the end of all theſe things was no leſſe the honour of CHRIST, than of the Father. It is enough to note, that the equality in Nature of this Sonne with the Father may bee conceived.
Marke hence, That glory is due to CHRIST from all the Creatures; the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, all one God, have made all things for their glory, Rom. 11. For of Him and by Him, and for Him are all things, to Him bee glory for ever. God hath made all for Himſelfe, the wicked for the day of evill. More particularly, CHRIST both as God and man is the end of the Creature; as God Hee is with Father and Spirit the laſt end of all; as man every thing ſerveth for His praiſe, both workes of nature and grace; yet ſo that even Himſelfe as God man looketh to a further end, the Father, Spirit, and Himſelfe abſolutely conſidered: the harmony of all is made on foure ſtrings.
The Creature, And this is the ſweet concord of all, when the Creature ſerveth man, and is for Him; He CHRIST's, and CHRIST GOD's.
The Man, And this is the ſweet concord of all, when the Creature ſerveth man, and is for Him; He CHRIST's, and CHRIST GOD's.
The Chriſt, And this is the ſweet concord of all, when the Creature ſerveth man, and is for Him; He CHRIST's, and CHRIST GOD's.
The God. And this is the ſweet concord of all, when the Creature ſerveth man, and is for Him; He CHRIST's, and CHRIST GOD's.
All is yours, you CHRIST's, and CHRIST GOD's. A wiſe man doth not worke that which hee hath no end in, much leſſe God: neither could God have any other end than Himſelfe; for there was nothing but Himſelfe, when this worke was intended.
We may ſee how injurious we are to God, Vſe 1 that doe not glorifie Him in His creature: it is ſtrange we ſhould be ſo little affected toward Him in all this goodly frame wee ſee, that wee ſhould ſo careleſſely paſſe by it: when wee will give money to ſee a Lion, Bawboones, yea, the skins of ſome ſea-creatures, and yet not to eye with any obſervation all the goodly creatures, which under our feet, and over our heads are ſo frequnt.
We muſt labor to give praiſe to God from every thing: Vſe 2 firſt by an heedfull looking upon it: for as it is an artificers glory to have his workes gazed on; So it is God's honour when wee doe but with devotion eye His workmanſhip. Secondly, you muſt learne to ſee and publiſh the wiſdome and power of Him, and His goodneſſe and mercy, which is over all. When I ſee it raine, I may think what a mighty wiſe good God is this; that as a gardiner watereth a bed with his ſpout-pot, ſo watereth all the earth at once ſo ſweetly: why are yee, ſnow, haile? &c. theſe bid us to praiſe the Lord: Have theſe tongues? No, but it is meant that they ſhould ſhew matter to us, who have tongues to magnifie His Name.
We muſt learne from them, Vſe 3 and provoke our ſelves to ſome good by them; if wee could take them forth, God hath written leſſons upon them; the Ant, the Oxe, the Aſſe, they would teach us inſtructions.