Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 1 · Verse 21
VERSE 21. And you which were in times paſt ſtrangers and enemies, becauſe your mindes were ſet in evill workes, hath Hee now alſo reconciled.
NOw He commeth to ſet downe this benefit with application to them unto whom he wrote.
1 Making way to it, by remembring their former miſery.
2 Hee mentioneth the benefit applied in them with the manner of working it.
3 Openeth the end of it.
4 By way of caution adjoyneth the condition of perſeverance. verſ. 22.
Firſt then in generall from the Apoſtle his example, note thus much: That we muſt not onelyonly teach in generall, Obſ.but apply in particular the things of the Goſpell*⁎* So Saint Paul doth every where: the nigher they are brought, the more they affect. To tell a whole Towne there are priviledges beſtowed on it, doth not ſo much move, as to tell them of this or that houſhold that ſuch and ſuch things are beſtowed upon them. And therefore that Sacrament which commeth neareſt, Take eate, this is my body given for thee, it is moſt helpefull to particular affiance. Beſide, ſuch is the infirmity of many of Gods Children, that if like a Nurſe, you doe not feede them, putting the meate of their ſoule by particular application into their mouth, you may famiſh them, at leaſt keepe them low in this heavenly grace. Againe, there is ſuch an indiligent careleſneſſe that we let them hang in the ayre, unleſſe they be brought the nearer to us: that which is ſayd to every body is ſayd to no body, let it therefore be exemplary for our imitation.
2 Marke how the Apoſtle doth call to their remembrance, what they had formerly beene taught: teaching us,Obſ. that we muſt not forget our miſerable condition by nature: worldly advancement maketh meane ones forgotten, the Prieſt (as we ſpeake) forgetteth he was Clerke: but our ſpirituall dignity muſt therefore be with bearing in mind our naturall miſery.1 Co. 6.11. Such were ſome of you, but now ye are waſhed, &c.
1 For this is a ground of meekeneſſe, it is like the Swannes blacke foote, which when we behold, will humble us.
2 It ſtirreth up holy groanes, O'miſerable man that I am! Rom. 7.24.
3 It is a good ſallad, and maketh Chriſt with His benefits taſte better.
4 It is a good ſpurre to fruitfulneſſe for the time to come.Rom. 6.19. As you have given your members ſervants unto uncleanneſſe, and to iniquity, ſo now give your members ſervants unto righteouſneſſe in holineſſe.
5 Againe, it is the ground of a holy bluſh wherewith all muſt walke before God. Rom. 6.21What fruit had yee in theſe things, whereof ye are now aſhamed?
We muſt therefore heare on this ſide, when we are told of our naturall eſtates: Vſe 1 you muſt not tell of your former lewd led lives in a bravery, but beare them in mind, and ſpeake them when it is for edification, even to glorify Gods mercy, to further meekeneſſe, and holy ſhame-facedneſſe in us.
Now for the particular, hee ſets downe their miſery two wayes.
1 In regard of their externall conſtitution, you who ſometimes were ſtrangers: Supply it out of the Epheſ. 2.12. from the Common wealth of Iſrael⁂ that is, you who ſometime were not ſo much as members with the Church by outward profeſſion and ſociety, Vſe 2 much leſſe of it (as Saint Iohn ſaith, they were amongſt us, but not of us, therefore they went out from us.)
2 In regard of their more inward condition: partly ſtanding in the quality and diſpoſition of their mind, which is here ſet downe, enemies in minde: partly in converſation, in evill workes; in which we have ſet downe.
What is a moſt miſerable condition, viz.Obſ. not to be a member of Gods viſible Church, to be a ſtranger to the ſocieties where Gods word is preached, diſcipline practiſed, where thoſe duties flouriſh, to which the communion of Saints doth tye us. They that are eſtranged from Gods Church, can have no ſociety with God: He is walking amongſt the golden Candleſticks, amongſt His Saints onelyonly, where two or three are met together in His Name, He is preſent among them.
As they have no acquaintance with God, ſo they are under the power of Sathan, where it is that Saint Paul calleth excommunication, the giving up to Sathan: Hee that hath not the Church for his Mother, cannot have God for His Father: In a word, heaven and earth the Eden and Paradiſe of God, is His Church: So that miſerable is that ſtate: nevertheleſſe this was ours ſometime in our predeceſſors. We were all of us alients from Iſrael, but God hath kept us for happy times.
Let us therfore be thankfull and bring forth fruites leaſt he take away our Candleſticke, Vſe 1 and deface the face of our Churches; cauſing us to want our holy aſſemblies.
Let us not leave our fellowſhip, Vſe 2 and eſtrange our ſelves from Gods people, from the aſſemblies, as Browniſts, and other Noveliſts doe. To be diſcommoned a Towne, for a Citizen to be baniſhed a City is a great reproach, but to be an exile from Gods City and diſcommoned from the communion of Saints, this is lamentable indeede: being alients from this Common wealth of the Church, they have nothing to doe with the covenants of grace and of the Goſpell; but ſtrangers from all meanes of ſalvation.
This letteth us ſee that all true comfortable affinity, Vſe 3 kindred and ſociety is in Chriſt onelyonly, and in the Word and Ordinances: count all ſtrangers that are not allyed to us in Him; count them forreyners that will not communicate with us in the Word and Ordinances of GOD; ſtrangers, as men of another Nation, though never ſo neere allyed in Nature: and let our neereſt ſociety, fellowſhip, and acquaintance be with Saints and holy Chriſtians, in the word and ordinances, as our neereſt kindred; our ſpirituall brethren in CHRIST. Therefore Abraham after he was called of GOD and ſanctified, was commanded to come out from his kindred and fathers houſe, to count them Aliens and ſtrangers, to ſeeke new kindred, a new Nation of his owne nature and bloud, the generation of the righteous. Why ſhould we like prodigalls withdraw our ſelves from our fathers houſe, and bring upon our ſelves, by ſuch ſingular ſeparations, this great miſery, to be eſtranged from them who are Gods true Iſraell?
Againe he ſaith, they were enemies in mind and workes, affection, and action: note hence: What is our eſtate by nature, Obſerv.we are enemylike affected to God and His people: the wiſedome of the fleſh is enmity against God, Rom. 8.it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. In his Iudgement, he counteth the things of God fooliſhneſſe, in his affections he doth not ſavour them, he counteth of His Commandements as a yoake intollerable, and maketh a tuſh at ſincere obedience: ſo for the Saints, the righteous is an abomination to the wicked. Gal. 4.29.Were not the Iewes a mocking in the mouth of the heathen? did they not reproach them for their circumciſion?
To let us ſee our ſelves: Vſe 1 we are altogether by nature thus, heathens, beaſts the moſt of men in part; we have a law in our fleſh rebelling againſt the law of our mindes; not enduring the ſpirituall obedience of Gods law. What is all our love of this world: know you not that the amity of the world is enmity with GOD? If a woman cared not for her husband, but were bent to the imbraces of other men, were ſhe not enemylike affected to him? ſo we to God: what is enmity if this be not? not to care for him and his wayes, to incline and looke another way: for the Saints, they are our enemies as we thinke, and they are hatefull of all other to us: our ſpirituall phrenſie like not them of all others, whoſe preſence doth binde us in ſome ſort.
We muſt labour to be changed, Vſe 2 ſeeking to God to give us another mind: who can endure to heare theſe termes, thou art an enemy, a hater of God, yet who laboureth to be free of the thing, praying to God to purge forth the ſecret hatred which maketh him hee cannot aſſent to, and affect that which is good? Could an honeſt woman find a heart ſtrange to her husband? would ſhee not be aſhamed of it, labour to the contrary? doeſt thou finde a heart averſe not affected toward thy God? ô wilt thou not cry, who ſhall deliver me from this body of death? Seeke to GOD to put enmity againſt the ſeede of the Serpent, and to circumciſe thy heart, making thee love Him. Deu. 30.6.Who ever hardened his heart againſt GOD and proſpered?
Your mindes were ſet in evill workes:] By repeating the words from the part of the ſentence before, it teacheth thus much:Obſ. What it is that maketh diſcovery of this enemy-like affection, our naughty actions, when we do that which croſſeth God's will; that evill worke is the triall of the inward affection; He that loveth me, keepeth my Commandements: he that keepeth them not, and ſaith he knoweth me, is a lyar, and the truth is not in him. As the tongue is the interpreter of the minde, ſo is the action to the affection. A traytor, we ſee, may be a traytor in heart and not in attempt; but when his treaſon breaketh forth in ſome diſloyall action, then it is manifeſt that he bare a trayterous heart: So it is with this inward corruption, when now ripe, it practiſeth the rebellion of it in the workes of unrighteouſneſſe.
Which meeteth with ſuch as will ſay they love God, Vſe he were unworthy to live that is an enemie to God; but if we looke at their courſe of life, they leave the wayes of God, and will have leave to walke in their owne wayes: This is to give God good words, and ſpeake Him faire, but indeed to deny Him.
But we have no ſuch intention in any thing we doe. Object.
If we through ignorance ſinfully contracted, Anſw. doe not know that we ſinne againſt God, when we doe, this mitigateth not our offence. If one ſhould make himſelfe drunke, and after practice againſt the life of the King and State, would this excuſe him from being a traytor if he ſay I had no ſuch meaning in that I did, I meant the Kings perſon no hurt?
Laſtly, marke hence, That men by nature are altogether occupied in evill works; None doth good, no not one, the thought of man is evill onelyonly, and continually. It is ſtrange how the naturall man is devoted to his owne wayes, which are all evill. He muſeth miſchiefe on his bed, hee ſleepeth not, if hee have not done his mind. For his mind is as meat and drinke to him, and hee is faſting, not able to take reſt when hee hath not effected it; He committeth ſinne, and doth his owne will with greedineſſe, he hateth to be reformed in theſe wayes. Finally, doth not onelyonly doe things evill, but applaudeth others that doe ſo with him. Which things may open this truth, that naturally a man converſeth, and maketh a trade of evill workes; for figges cannot bee gathered from thornes, nor an evill tree cannot doe other than bring forth evill fruits.
We are no murtherers, adulterers? &c. Object.
There are two ſorts of evill workes: Anſw. ſome apparantly ſuch as the light of nature condemneth; Others more cloſe, which have the ſhew of externall righteouſneſſe: now ſuch are honeſt courſes world-ward, without religion, and the Phariſees courſe externally both honeſt, and religious, but yet wanting the power of godlineſſe, of which our Saviour teſtifieth, That many things glorious in mans eye, are abomination before God. Would not every one condemne ſuch a courſe in a ſervant, if he ſhould ſpend his time, doing things that had no hurt in them, but out of his owne head, never vouchſaſing to know his maſters minde in any thing; if he ſhould doe the things bidden him, but when his maſter would have them done thus, he will doe them after his owne faſhion: and when his maſter ſaith, doe ſuch things firſt and chiefly, after take theſe in hand, hee ſhall let the principall alone, and onelyonly be occupied in the other; were not this a wicked courſe in a ſervant? This is the courſe of every honeſt naturall man, that is no more than honeſt world-ward.
To urge upon men the unrighteouſneſſe of their wayes, Vſe 1 yea, of thoſe wayes which may be called righteouſneſſe in compariſon of the other, that they may count all loſſe to be found, having part in grace through CHRIST.
To ſhew us the difference of one converted and not converted: the one ſlippeth, and intendeth and endevoureth to doe good, though evill be preſent, and ſteppeth in everywhere; the minde of the other is ſet upon evill: the one beareth the preſence of it, mourning under it; the other committeth it willingly, he lyeth in evill, he taketh care to fulfill the luſts of his fleſh, hee is a worker of iniquitie.