Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 1 · Verse 12
VERSE 12. Giving thankes unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light.
THus having laid downe his Prayer, he commeth to mention expreſly the matter of his thankſgiving, which was firſt named in the third Verſe.
In it two things are to be conſidered.
1 The fact it ſelfe of giving thankes, with the perſon to whom they are offered, of which we have ſpoken ſomething above, Verſe 3.
2 The arguments moving him, or the things for which he is thankfull.
The firſt in thoſe words, Giving thankes to GOD the Father: The matter is two-fold firſt a benefit, a great good thing given them, even an inheritance; Part in an inheritance, which is ſet downe with three circumſtances.
1 Their qualification, which maketh them capable, this goeth before.
2 From the quality of their being fellow-heires with whom they were joyned, the Saints.
3 From the matter of this inheritance, in light.
The ſecond argument of his thankeſgiving, is a great evill from which they were delivered, in ſetting downe which:
1 Hee ſheweth the point or paſſe from which GOD did deliver them: From the power of darkneſſe.
2 The ſtate to which hee brought them; and hath tranſlated us into the kingdome of His deare Sonne.
Now to amplifie the greatneſſe of this laſt benefit, he deſcribeth the Sonne, firſt from the effect, Verſe 14. which is propounded; in whom wee have redemption: after expounded, that is the remiſsion of Sinnes. Secondly, he deſcribeth the nature of His Perſon to the nineteenth Verſe, three wayes:
1 As He was in reference to GOD, Who is the Image of the inviſible GOD.
2 As He was in relation to the creature in generall, in thoſe words, The firſt begotten of every creature, Verſe 15. and ſuſtainer of them. Verſe 16, 17.
3 As He is in regard of His Church; And Hee is the Head of the body, the Church: Then followeth the reaſon, how came this man to be perſonally GOD the Creator of all things, the Head of the Church, It pleaſed the Father that in Him all fulneſſe ſhould dwell, Verſ. 19. How come we to have redemption by Him? It pleaſed the Father by Him to bring us to theſe benefits: the benefit is repeated. Firſt in generall, Verſe 20. Secondly, with application to the Coloſsians, Verſe 21, 22, 23. Where firſt he ſetteth downe what they had, their ſtate antecedent: Secondly, their ſtate preſent, where we have the worke of their reconciliation, and the manner of working, Verſe 21, 22. Thirdly, to ſhake off ſecurity, the condition of all is annexed, Verſe 23. Whence the Apoſtle taketh occaſion to digreſſe in ſignifying his Apoſtolical affection to them, to the eighth Verſe of the ſecond Chapter.
Giving thankes] Obſerve firſt, From his ſuffixing thankſgiving;Obſ. That we must as well give thankes for the things given us, as begge for that we want. Many are ſuiters when any neceſſity preſſeth, but few returne to give thankes: we ſee it in the ten Lepers; one onelyonly returned to give thankes. Eaten bread is ſoone forgotten, that we have we take no further thought of, but we muſt remember to couple theſe together.
For firſt, in this is GOD's chiefe honour, Reaſ. 1 He that offereth praiſe honoureth me.Pſal. 50.
This is forcible to make us ſpeed in that wee intreat; Reaſ. 2 a thankfull petitioner hath alwayes gracious hearing.
We have more cauſe when GOD hath given us faith, &c. to give thankes, than to intreat; Reaſ. 3 for the things we have are more than thoſe we deſire: the Apoſtle maketh it more that we are reconciled to GOD already, than that we ſhall have full ſalvation in due time; If we are reconciled to GOD by the death of His Sonne, which is the greater;Ro. 5.1…. much more ſhall we be ſaved by His life, which is the leſſer. To pardon a traytour when he is enemy-like affected to us, and take him to favour, is more than when he is a friend, to give him a preferment.
To beget and bring forth a ſon, Vſe is more than when now it is, to nurſe it to full ſtature. Wee muſt ſtirre up our ſelves to praiſe GOD in our precious bleſſing: we are aſhamed to take common kindneſſe from men, but we will returne them a thouſand thanks: yet who almoſt heartily praiſeth GOD for theſe ſpirituall bleſſings which paſſe underſtanding? Our plough would ſpeed the better though we ſhould not beg ſo much, if we were more in thankſgiving; up goeth thankſgiving, downe comes bleſſings.
That we by nature are unfit for GOD's Kingdome: Obſ. 2 So our SAVIOUR ſaith, Vnleſſe we be borne anew, Ioh. 3.…we cannot enter into GOD's Kingdome. What diſpoſition can be in ſuch, as are the children and thralls of the Devill, to be the ſons and heires of GOD? No there is nothing in us but enmity againſt God, Rom. 8.7. The wiſdome of the fleſh is enmitie against God; and in the one and twentieth Verſe of this Chapter: now who can make me owner of that which I am not, nor cannot be willing with? We ſee in outward affaires, an out-landiſh man, a forreiner, cannot have inheritance in our Land untill he be naturalized: the ſon of a traytour, whoſe lands are confiſcate, cannot inherit them as before, till his bloud be reſtored: So it is with us, wee are all ſtrangers by nature to God and heaven where Hee dwelleth, wee are a tainted bloud, rebels from the wombe; and therefore till God doe reſtore us and make us fit, wee cannot have part in this heavenly inheritance; we love our hell as well as if there were no other heaven;Ezek. 16. we are ſuch as have an Amorite to our father, an Hittite to our mother, ſuch as lye weltering in our bloud. It is the worke of God alone that muſt prepare and fit us for this bleſſed inheritance, all our ſufficiencie is of God, 2 Cor. 3.5we are not able to thinke a thought this day. No man can beget himſelfe, and therefore what man can fit himſelfe for the heavenly eſtate? none but the Father of ſpirits can effect this matter: he that only can draw us, changing our wils, who can purge us, beautifie us, adopt us, &c. he hath begotten us to this inheritance.
Which letteth us ſee Gods exceeding grace to us: Vſe if there had beene an aptneſſe in us, as in thoſe children which were trained up to miniſter before the King, his love had not beene ſo great; but when there is nothing but indiſpoſition, and withall utter unwillingneſſe, ready to put His grace from us, to ſet light by, and ſcorne this heavenly birth-right, as Eſau did his earthly, that then he ſhould look lovingly toward us, and allure our hearts to Himſelfe, make us ſons and daughters, who can ſound the depth of this love? Suppoſe a King ſhould take ſome youth up by the highway, all in ragges, ill-favoured, ignorant of all liberall education, ill mannered, ſuch a one as loved a rogueing humor more than a kingdome; were it not ſtrange love in him that ſhould fit ſuch a one, win his good will, and proclaime him heire apparant to the crown? So ſtands the matter betwixt GOD and us.
This ſerveth to humble us and make us walke modeſtly, Vſe 2 with an holy bluſh, ſeeking to pleaſe our GOD. Away with all kinde of merit, as well of congruitie, as of condignity. What diſpoſition hath darkneſſe to light, that have we to grace and ſalvation.
3 That you may further ſee His love, and what cauſe we have to give thankes; marke what it is Hee putteth upon us, Verſe 17. an inheritance.
Obſerve then, Obſ. 3 That as GOD's manner of taking us up, ſo the matter he taketh us unto, must move us to bleſſe Him: The Lawyers know that the title of inheritance is the greateſt title: to give a ſtocke of money to one is much, to beſtow an office, to let to farme rich things upon eaſie rent; all are beneficiall, good eſtates; but to make one my heire, this is farre greater: this made Saint Peter ſo breake forth, Bleſſed be GOD the Father, 1 Pet. 1.3.who hath begotten us to an inheritance immortall, undefiled, that fadeth not away: From whence it may be further amplified; for if one were made an heire of ſome three halfe peny poſſeſſion, the benefit were not much to be ſtood on; but to ſuch an inheritance as there is deſcribed, who can utter this mercy? Looke at men on earth, can they doe greater diſpleaſure that to diſ-inherit their children? Can they ſhew any further love than to write this or that man the heire of all their eſtates? It is ſo with God; what greater love than this can Hee ſhew, than to make us heires unto Him?
The uſe of this is to ſtirre us up to al thankfulneſſe, Vſe 1 dutie, yea, ſpirituall joy. Looke at children whoſe parents have great matters to leave them; if they be good children, what duty will they ſhew? how obſequious will they be? how glad to ſerve their earthly parents, yea, how jocond will they be? for though they be kept low now, they know they ſhall have faire patrimonies: Thus ſhould we be affected toward GOD; yea, much more ſhould we joy in theſe heavenly poſſeſſions.
We muſt labour to looke into this our inheritance; Vſe 2 for if a man have any matter of eſtate in the world, he will be ſure to prie into the worth of it, to looke upon the ſeveralls, to improve it, and make the moſt of it, he will loſe nothing for the knowing; thus we ſhould doe in the heavenly riches: But alas, it is as nothing to us, becauſe we are ignorant of theſe things, and wil not beg the ſpirit of illumination, which might teach us to know the things beſtowed upon us. And as men that know not the worth of their heavenly things, do make cheape and eafie peny worths, paſſing away rich things for matters of nothing: So we do even through ignorance like Eſau, for a little ſinfull delight, forgoe our inheritance.
This comforteth the Saints; Vſe 3 who though they count themſelves poore, yet they are rich, heires of a Kingdome.
It might be marked that he ſaith; Obſ. 4 To take part: it teacheth: That every Saint hath but a childes part. GOD giveth not as men, all to one, the reſt have nothing; but he giveth every one a ſeverall part, as Hee ſeeth meet. Some have greater, ſome have leſſe, though all ſhall be bleſſed, not knowing lacke of any good thing in that they poſſeſſe, nor envying any thing they ſee in others, and have not: in the principall all are equall, though in the acceſſory of degrees, it ſhall be otherwiſe. We inherit partly Re, partly Spe. This inheritance is a glorious life or condition, which to all the heires of it, is here begun; in the Reſurrection is perfected. That which is begun is the life of grace, which is given us from CHRIST our Head from what time wee truely beleeve on Him, with ſo much right in the creature, as maketh for GOD's glory and our ſoules health. Now for the perfection of glory and Lordſhip over all the creatures, this in ſome ſort we have, in other regard we have not. Firſt in our Head we are ſeiſed of this; CHRIST GOD and man, our Head, as man is in heaven infinitely glorious, Lord over all the creatures. Secondly, we have this preſently in regard of right to it, though we have not right in it, as an heire in nonage, ward to the King, he hath preſently right to all his lands; though till one and twenty they come not into his hand: So wee have right preſently to the whole ſtate which is given us, though we ſhall not come to it till the comming of CHRIST. Glory is here begun, though perfected hereafter. And truly ſo it is: we are the ſons of GOD, though it appeare not what we ſhall be, 1 Ioh. 3.1. whom GOD hath justified thoſe He hath glorified, Rom. 8. that is, hath given them the firſt fruits of the Spirit of glory in their ſanctification. Even as parents doe ſometime truſt their children while they yet live, with ſome penſions, ſtockes of money, as part of their patrimony, trying how they will husband it, and reſerving their full inheritance to be given hereafter: whether we looke at the title or ſtate of our inheritance, in part we have it: the Spirit of Sons is ſent into our hearts, the title of children confirmed to us. What is it to have the inheritance of a Baron? But to have the title with the lands, this ſhould more comfort us; we love in earthly things to have ſomething downe in hand. Thirdly, we have the things themſelves preſent to our faith, which is the evidence of things not ſeene.
With the Saints] Obſerve hence,Obſerv. Who they are that are inherit ours in this glorious inheritance, Saints. If you aske me why we have this inheritance, I will tell you: it is GOD's free gift for CHRIST His ſake, the naturall Son and Heire, on whom we beleeve. But if you aske not why wee have, but who ſhall have, then I tell you the holy man onelyonly. Looke Act. 20. 32.Matth. 5. and Act. 26.18.1 Theſſ. 1.10. No uncleane thing ſhall enter into GOD's kingdome: The Pure in heart ſhall ſee GOD. Will a wiſe man leave his eſtate to one whom hee ſeeth to be of lewd qualities? Shall GOD part theſe heavenly riches to prophane miſcreants, covetous earth-wormes? No.
Againe this inheritance is called a Crowne of righteouſneſſe: though it be not deſerved by our righteouſneſſe, yet it is a recompence which GOD of grace giveth to righteouſneſſe onelyonly.
Wherefore this putteth in a caution againſt all thoſe that are children of this world, Vſe 1 not holy like their heavenly Father, but loving covetouſneſſe, luſts, pride, &c. Doe you looke for an inheritance? Will a man give a childes part from amongſt his wife and children to baſe broods of ſome harlot, or of his ſworne enemie? Shall GOD give you inheritance with his children who have amity and are the brood of the world, an old adultereſſe? Yee that doe live in theſe ſinnes which are the works of the Divell, and therefore are his children, and here mock Saints, that walke after their luſts; may ſee that they ſhall have no place but in utter darkneſſe with the Divell and his Angels.
It is added, in light] Marke,Obſ. What for ſubſtance and nature our inheritance is, it is light. For if I ſhould ſpeak thus to one of my children, you ſhall be heires with my other children in my money, goods, lands, &c. I expreſſe the matter of my ſubſtance in which hee ſhould be coheire with the reſt. Earthly men leave earthly ſubſtance: But our God is a Spirit, the true light, dwelling in that light to which there is no acceſſe: like as himſelfe is, like is the matter of his inheritance; it is light. We by nature are in darkneſſe and the ſhadow of death, (as we ſhall ſpeake in the next Verſe.) God doth make us all manner of light in Himſelfe, doth give us our parts, even while we live here, 1 Pet. 2.9.in a marvellous light. Awake thou that ſleepeſt,Eph. 5.8. and ſtand up from the dead, and CHRIST ſhall give thee light. What light are we in? Even in the light of Gods countenance, which is as the Sunne to the world of ſpirits. We are in the light of knowledge, Yee are light in the Lord; In the light of holineſſe, light of joy,1 Pet. 1. even joy of the Spirit, unſpeakable and glorious. Object. But we cannot ſee this light. Anſw. Not becauſe it is not light, but becauſe thy owle-like eyes are not able to looke againſt the brightneſſe of it.
To moove us to thankefulneſſe, Vſe that wee ſhould ever bee brought into ſuch an happy eſtate. If one lay ſhut up in a dungeon, where hee could not ſee any light of Sun, Moone, or Starres, no nor have the light of a Candle allowed; how joyfull would hee bee, if hee ſhould bee brought forth, and ſet at large to behold this Sunne, the heavens, the face of the earth, men walking and converſing on it? Oh then how ſhould we rejoyce to be drawne forth of our ſpirituall darkeneſſe wherein wee lay, unable to get any ſaving fight of our God,He. 12.23. of our Chriſt the mediator, of Angels, miniſtring Spirits about us, of the ſpirits of juſt and holy men, in the heavens, of thoſe bleſſed habitations and that bleſſed Citie whoſe maker is God?
It teacheth us, Vſe 2 ſeeing we are in the light, that we muſt have care to walke honeſtly as in the day; in the night we care not how we goe, what we lie in, but when wee walke forth in the day amongſt men, then wee would bee comely attyred.