Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 1 · Verse 23
VERSE 23. If ye continue, grounded and ſtabliſhed in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the Goſpell, whereof yee have heard, and which hath beene preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I Paul am a Miniſter.
THere followeth now an exhortation to perſeverance, delivered conditionally, If yee continue, &c. Where firſt it may be demanded, whether we be not reconciled to God abſolutely and freely, without any condition of perſevering? Whereunto I anſwer; that if you looke to the cauſe of our reconciliation, we are reconciled freely and abſolutely by the bloud of Chriſt, not by any thing in us paſt, preſent, or to come, and our reconciliation hath alwayes perſeverance joyned with it: But if you looke to the proofe and triall of it, whereby we know who is reconciled, and who is not; then reconciliation hath with it a condition of perſevering and continuing, that is, no man is reconciled, but he continueth. So that perſeverance is a condition not cauſing reconciliation, but proving it.
Obſerve hence,Obſ. Whoſoever is partaker of the benefit of reconciliation by Chriſt, muſt perſevere founded and eſtabliſhed &c. and whoſoever continueth not, but is removed from the hope of the Goſpell, hath no portion in this reconciliation by Chriſt. Mat. 24.13He that continueth to the end ſhall be ſaved. To him that overcommeth I will give a crowne of life. Rev. 1.10.As the Iſraelites that deſired to turne backe into Aegypt, though they came out of it with joy and gladneſſe, never entered into the Land of Canaan; yea,Gen. 15.17. Lot's wife that did but looke back with a minde ſet upon the riches and pleaſures of Sodom, is left as a fearefull example unto all revolters. Let us therefore caſt our accounts before-hand, and beware that wee bee not removed from our profeſſion.
But what need we to be admoniſhed or exhorted hereunto, Object. when it is certaine all that are truly reconciled ſhall continue, for whom He loveth, He loveth to the end; and it is not poſsible that the Elect ſhould be ſeduced.Matth. 24.
This doctrine of the certainty of our continuing, Anſw. and this exhortation thereunto, have good agreement among themſelves; for He that hath ordained we ſhall not fall away, hath alſo appointed the meanes whereby we are kept from it, whereof this exhortation is a Principall. Our dayes are numbered: ſhall we not therefore ſeeke to prolong our life by food and rayment, or ſhall we therefore caſt our ſelves into the fire or water, becauſe we cannot dye before our time? God hath promiſed never to deſtroy the world againe by water, but that there ſhall be ſeed-time and harveſt to the end of the world; ſhall we not therefore ſow nor reape our corne? When Saint Paul was in danger of ſhipwracke, the Lord promiſed by an Angell,Act. 27.31. That not a man among them ſhould be loſt; yet when the marriners would have left the ſhip, hee cried out, except theſe men ſtay, yee cannot be ſafe.
Now two things are requiſite to make us continue, viz.
1 A ſtedfaſt purpoſe of heart to cleave to God, Act. 11.23.
2 A diligent, conſtant, and religious uſe of the meanes.
Who ſo obſerveth theſe two things, ſhall never fall; contrariwiſe, who ſo faileth in either of theſe, can have little hope to perſevere. For firſt, what likelihood he ſhall continue, who hath not ſo much as reſolved with himſelfe ſo to doe?
And ſecondly, how little worth ſuch a reſolution is, without a carefull uſe of the meanes, may appeare by the example of S. Peter, who having a ſtrong reſolution not to deny CHRIST, yet fell into it for want of uſing the meanes, in a very groſſe and ſhamefull manner. And this reſolution and uſe of the meanes, is that in effect which the Apoſtle teacheth and requireth in the two words following, where he ſhewes the cauſe and meanes of this continuance, by two compariſons: The firſt is taken from the foundation of an houſe, grounded or founded, teaching that a wiſe builder firſt ſeeketh a good ground, and layeth a ſure foundation, and there buildeth boldly and ſafely upon it; For though the winds ariſe, the raine falles, and the flouds beat upon the houſe, yet it falleth not, Matth. 7. So muſt we doe in the matter of our profeſſion.
Let us be ſure therefore we lay a good foundation, Vſe let us not profeſſe for our profit, or eſtimation, or company, &c. all and every of theſe things will ſurely faile us: but let us ſo heare and learne and be mooved with that we heare, and make conſcience of it, that if it coſt us all that we have, yet we never ſhrinke; that if our Teachers themſelves ſhould faile or fall away, yet wee ſhall ſtand.
The ſecond is taken from a ſeate,We muſt be ſetled and eſtabliſhed. or any thing ſurely ſeated or ſetled and eſtabliſhed in any place. That which is in motion, or ſtirreth to and fro, is eaſily mooved: but we muſt be in our profeſſion as men ſetled and eſtabliſhed, that every of us may ſay, here I ſtand, or rather, here I ſit, here I am ſetled and eſtabliſhed, and that by the hand of God Himſelfe, and therefore it is impoſſible, that any fraud or force, craft or cruelty of man or Angell ſhould remoove me hence.
Expreſſing and declaring this by the contrary, he ſaith, and be not remooved from the hope of the Goſpell: meaning the life and glory which the Goſpell promiſeth and teacheth us to hope for; therby teaching:Obſ. That they that ſuffer themſelves to be remooved from their profeſsion, give over the hope of their ſalvation. For what hope of life remaineth when we forſake that which quickens and gives us hope?
This Doctrine of the Goſpell, he commendeth,The Goſpell hath been preached thorow the World. by the large extent and ſpreading of it, affirming that it hath beene preached to every creature under heaven; that is, to all Nations, Iewes and Gentiles, and to all ſorts, and ſexes, Noble, baſe, Learned, or unlearned, bond, or free, whereof ſee before. verſe 6.
Finally, he addeth, whereof I Paul am a Miniſter, Obſ.both becauſe he was a ſpeciall inſtrument of this large ſpreading of the Goſpell, where of ſee Rom. 15.15, 16. and that he might hereby take occaſion to commend his Miniſterie and labours, which he doth from this place to the third verſe of the next Chapter, to make way for that which there he begins to ſpeake, concerning the errors crept in among them. Now in that he ſaith he is a Miniſter of the Goſpell, which is common to all other Miniſters ſince CHRIST His reſurrection: he teacheth; that the matter or ſubject which the Miniſters of Chriſt are to treate of, and to deliver to the people, is the Goſpel and nothing but the Goſpell, and therefore not opinions and conſtitutions of men, &c. I deny not but they may lawfully publiſh ſome ſuch things upon occaſion, which yet ſhould be done very ſparingly.