Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 2 · Verse 11
VERSE 11. In whom alſo yee are circumciſed with Circumciſion made without hands, by putting off the ſinfull body of the fleſh, through the Circumciſion of CHRIST.
NOw he commeth to ſet downe more definitely what bleſſings Chriſt had brought them: they may be recalled to two heads.
1 The removall of their evill.
2 The conferring of good.
The firſt is in the eleventh and twelfth verſes; the other followeth.
For the former, three things are to be marked for the opening of it.
1 He ſetteth downe the benefit; In whom ye have been circumciſed with circumciſion not made with hands.
2 He ſetteth down in what this benefit did formally conſiſt, viz. In putting off the bodie of ſinnes, viz. the fleſh; the originall corruption dwelling in ſpirit and fleſh, through Chriſt's Circumciſion.
3 He noteth the maner or inſtrument by which Chriſt did further work, and ſeale up in them this benefit mentioned, being buried with Him in Baptiſme.
The intent of it is to confirme the former truth: That they were not to follow any thing which is not after Chriſt, and ſtandeth not with walking in Him, thus:
You muſt not liſten to any thing which draweth you from Him, who hath taken from you the maſſe of your naturall corruption.
But it is Chriſt in whom your hearts have beene circumciſed from ſelfe-love of this world, and the things of it, and all other evill inclinations:
Therefore you muſt not follow the deceitfull vanities which are not after Chriſt, but ſeduce you from Him.
Firſt then that the Apoſtle doth to this purpoſe bring in this benefit; Doct. We ſee what is an excellent meane to hold us fast to Chriſt, to remember what great evill of ſinne He hath ſubdued for us, and taken from us. Truely when we fall from Chriſt, either to ſeducing errours in judgement, or errours in practice; it commeth hence, as Saint Peter intimateth, We forget that we were waſhed from our ſins in His bloud. Did we confidently weigh what we have received from Him, wee could not but cleave faſter to Him. If a man did heale us of ſome deadly leproſie, could we forget duty to ſuch an one, while wee remembred this great good we had received from Him? So here much more; while Aegypt kept in minde what Ioſeph had done for them, they clave to him in thoſe he left behinde him: but when new came up who knew not, or regarded not what good they had received, they turned Turkes to him in his Seed, whom they were to have honoured: So here.
Wherefore, Vſe let us hence marke how wee may ſtrengthen our ſelves in cleaving to Chriſt, ponder upon the mercy He hath ſhewed thee, in healing in ſome meaſure the corruptions of thy nature: Say with thy ſelfe, ſhall I ſtart from Him who hath done ſuch wonderfull things, killed this life of my owne in ſin, which I have felt ſo ſtrong and lively in me, healed ſuch a leproſie as is above all I can ſpeake or thinke? Doe it the rather, for we are like thoſe Iſraelites, all their deliverance out of Aegypt was quickly forgotten, and this made them upon all occaſions ſtart aſide like a deceitfull bow.
Againe, we are weake in judgement, babes in underſtanding, and know not the things beſtowed on us.
Thirdly, Satan is moſt malicious to keepe us at leaſt from thankfull conſidering of GOD's bleſſings, when he cannot hinder us from receiving them.
In whom yee are circumciſed, with circumciſion not made with hands.] Doct. Obſerve hence: What Chriſt hath done for us who are in Him, Hee hath given us a ſpirituall Circumciſion.
Here are two things to be opened.
1 The Circumciſion it ſelfe.
2 The Author of it.
The firſt is ſpecified by this diſtinctive propertie, it was not made with hands: that is, ſuch a Circumciſion as was ſpiritually wrought in their ſpirit, not in their fleſh: the old Teſtament diſtinguiſheth it by calling it the Circumciſion of the heart.Deut. 30.6 Ier. 4 4. And the Lord thy God will circumciſe thine heart. This is no ſmall benefit, it was a priviledge to have Circumciſion in the fleſh, it was GOD's Cogniſance, as being the ſigne of a confederacie with GOD; it was a ſeale confirming him that beleeved by it, that God would take away his ſin, both by not imputing it, and killing it;Rom. 4.12. for ſo Saint Paul ſaith of Abraham's circumciſion. But yet many had this whoſe Circumciſion was before GOD as nothing to them. Wherefore, if this were a priviledge, what a gift is this to have the heart circumciſed with the finger of God?
2 Againe, for the Authour of this benefit; in the Law the Prieſt did circumciſe the males brought the eight day; and it was no ſmall thing that God by His Miniſter ſhould doe ſo to an infant: but to have our High Prieſt in Heaven, who is the great God, handle our leprous hearts, and by force of His Spirit take off the corruption which ſticketh faſter to our ſpirits, than our skinne doth to our fleſh; what a prerogative is this! this then muſt ſtirre us up to thankfulneſſe.
It doth ſhew us whither we muſt have recourſe when we feele the remainders of our corruption cleaving to us, Vſe as ſelfe confidence, whoriſh love of the creature, ſelf-love; we muſt come to Chriſt, He is our Prieſt, who onelyonly can take away this impure fore-skin of our hearts; that even as they brought their young ones in the Law to the Prieſt, ſo muſt we bring our ſelves by a renued faith every day to our LORD IESUS, and pray Him to goe through with this His Circumciſion which Hee hath begunne in us.
2 This is to be noted, that he calleth it not made with hand: Whence obſerve: Doctr. That no outward action of the hand of man reacheth to the cleanſing of the ſoule: The hand of man putteth forth no efficiencie to that which is done in the heart: as nothing that goeth into the body can defile it, ſo nothing that is done to the body can ſanctifie it. This maketh Saint Paul ſay, That he that planteth and he that watereth is nothing; for a bodily action can worke nothing but a bodily effect.
Which is to be obſerved againſt the Papiſts, Vſe who will have the Prieſt's action lifted up by GOD, to the taking away of the ſoules ſin: but then it could not truly be ſaid, that the removall of corruption from the ſpirit were not done with the hand of man: as becauſe God doth by meats maintaine our life, He by His bleſſing giving that vertue to them, it cannot be truly ſaid that our life is ſuſtained by meat and drinke.
Now to the ſecond thing, in the putting off: Obſerve: That ſinne and grace are to the ſoule, Doct. as apparell is to the body; therefore he ſaith, by putting off the body of ſin, that is, the fleſh: the body] this is a borrowed ſpeech, becauſe that as mans body is a ſyſteme or a frame, not having one but many kindes of members: So ſin is ſuch a frame of corruption, as containeth in it many diſtinct kindes, which are as members of this maſſe of corruption, Coloſſ. 3. … Rom. 6.
But it may ſeeme ſtrange, that he ſorteth theſe metaphors of putting off a body, when clothes, not bodies, are put off. But you muſt know that the body is the ſoules rayment, as it were, and therefore the ſoule is moſt fitly ſaid to put off a body; the body of corruption, the fleſh: this expoundeth the other as a more knowne and frequent phraſe in Saint Paul's Epiſtles, for ſo I take it, as if he ſhould ſay, my meaning is, by body of ſins, the fleſh, the originall corruption, in which is all kinde of ſin, or the body of ſins of the fleſh, that is, of the fleſh, or native corruption, which is a whole body of ſinfull members, the corruption originally, and principally ſeated in the ſoule, is called by the name of fleſh, becauſe the ſoule moſt manifeſts it ſelfe in the fleſh, the ſoule being incarnate after a fort, and living more in the fleſh, than in it ſelfe: For the life of naturall man is little but ſenſuality, and the Scripture maketh the heart of man the Seat of the ſoule, becauſe the ſoule, in regard of his action, is rather naturall than animall: For as a man extremely loving here or there, liveth in the perſon loved more than in himſelfe: ſo the foule fallen from God, is wedded in ſuch impotent ſort to the love of its owne fleſh, that it liveth there altogether:
Laſtly, by Circumciſion of Chriſt] Note that this phraſe may be taken actively and paſſively, paſſively Chriſt's circumciſion is that Circumciſion with which Chriſt the eight day as circumciſed: Actively, that Circumciſion wherewith Chriſt doth circumciſe in others, and this is here meant. Now this is the meaning; You have beene circumciſed in CHRIST, inſomuch as you have put off that frame of ſin, in which are many diſtinct kindes of ſin; I meane the fleſh or originall corruption, with which as a moſt filthy rayment, your ſoules were ſometimes clothed, and this not by vertue of legall Circumciſion, or any outward act, whereof man is Miniſter, but by vertue of that powerfull Circumciſion wherewith CHRIST circumciſeth.
Theſe words, firſt in generall lay open, Doct. In what ſtandeth our ſpirituall Circumciſion, viz. in putting off all our corruptions; our corrupt confidence, the rebellion of our wills, the diſordered frame of our affections; Wee (ſaith Saint Paul) are the Circumciſion in the heart; Phil. 3.….who rejoyce in CHRIST IESUS, and have no confidence in the fleſh: this depravation of our Nature is the fore-skin of the heart, in the removall whereof ſtandeth this Circumciſion.
Let us then all ſeek to be thus circumciſed: Vſe many yea, who amongſt the old people would not run unto the Circumciſion of the fleſh, carefully procure that, as wee doe the Baptiſme of water, to which it anſwereth? But few of them, and few of us ſeeke this inward Circumciſion, without which the other is nothing: not the Circumciſion wich is open in the fleſh, but that which is ſecret in the heart, is it which God requireth, which hath praiſe with Him. If they that wanted Circumciſion outward were cut off in Iſrael from their people; what ſhall be done with us, if we get not this Circumciſion inward, without which none pleaſeth God?
This in generall; for having told them that they were circumciſed, he doth tell them in what the matter of Circumciſion ſtandeth.
Now in particular firſt obſerve hence; Doct. That the ſoule of the naturall man is clad with ſinne: putting off (you know) doth imply that there is ſome thing, as apparell, upon him, who is ſaid to put off: And truly ſo they are, for what is in the naturall minde but ignorance, unbeliefe, curioſity, pride? What in the will, but wicked propenſity to evill, averſeneſſe and croſſeneſſe to good; yea, rebellion againſt light? What in all the affections, but inordinacie? What in his eyes, but uncleanneſſe, revenge? His eares, but itching after vanity? His tongue, but rottenneſſe? This maketh the Prophet ſay,Pſal. 73.6, 7. That Pride compaſſeth about the wicked man as a chaine, and violence doth cover him as a goodly garment. And looke as the body is ſo covered, that it cannot be ſeene for the rayment on it: So wicked men are ſo wrapped about with ſin, that the beautifull worke of God in mans ſoule cannot be diſcerned for it: yea as men thinke their apparell an ornament, ſo doe ſinners their ſin.
The uſe of this is to warne us of our miſery: Vſe to ſee a poore Snake goe in filthy tottered rags all ſtinking loathſomely, is a pittifull ſpectacle: But if we could ſee with what menſtruous garments all thy ſoule is covered, every faculty being cladde with ungodlineſſe, unrighteouſneſſe, intemperancy, it is farre more woefull. Wherefore weigh this, and begin to put off, looking to Ieſus, theſe filthy rags. Oh you that will not let the leaſt moth lye on your bodily garment, doe ſuffer with patience your ſoules to goe thus filthily attyred! yea begin betime, for to make thee unready asketh time: So this garment of ſin cleaveth unto thee, and hangeth ſo faſt on, that were not God with us in this buſineſſe, we might ſooner put off our ſelves then theſe ſinfull qualities, ſo firmely they cleave to us. The Chriſtians when baptiſed, did in thoſe primitive times lay aſide their old cloths, as teſtifying and ſpeaking by this action, that they had put off theſe rags of ſinfull luſts with which formerly their ſoules had been clothed.
In putting off the body] Obſerve then: That we muſt foregoe not ſome part of our corruption, but the whole frame of it. Doct. Wee are in other places called to put off the old man: marke; the whole man, to ſhew that our leaving off corruption, muſt not be by halves, but entirely; old things are gone; in CHRIST all are new, we muſt when we come by faith to CHRIST, forgoe all our old corruption: Such as are all over filthily apparelled, they will deſire to have all new, all or none: for ſome old, and ſome new, doe worſe then all old: but if the garment bee ſo woven that one cannot put off one part, but all will follow, then needs it muſt be that either all of it be put off, or none at all: So it is in this body of ſin, it doth goe ſo together that he that putteth one member off truely, he putteth off all other likewiſe; and therefore Saint Iames ſaith, he that liveth in ſin againſt one commandement, he breaketh all, that is, hee hath in his ſoule that corruption which inclineth to breake every one: he is not mortified to the ſin againſt any one, that is not mortified to every one. The body of darkneſſe, which is in the night, upon the firſt riſing of the Sun, is in ſome degree all at once ſcattered: So this whole body of ſpirituall darkneſſe, when the Sun of righteouſneſſe getteth up in our hearts, is at once all in ſome degree diſperſed.
But you will ſay happily, Object. we have much ſinne hanging about us, and ſome corruptions more ſtrongly then other.
1 We are ſayd to put it off, Anſw. becauſe we have begun to doe it through the grace of Chriſt.
2 Becauſe we deſire further to doe it through Christ ſtrengthening us.
3 We know that Chriſt our ſanctifier will aboliſh all the reliques which ſtill hang with us. We muſt not therefore thinke, becauſe we have not perfectly for the degree put off all, therefore we have not put off all; for we have parted with all, though not wholly; totum exuimus corpus, ſed non totaliter. The ayre in the morning hath put off all her ſable weeds, that darkneſſe which in the night did cladde her, but not altogether, for it is cleere and cleere till Noone-tyde: ſo here, &c.
The uſe is to ſtirre us up with honeſt hearts to renounce all corruption: Vſe 1 Many doe by piece-meale part with their evills, retayning the love of ſome, though they ſeeme to leave other; one will not part with luſtfull affections, another will keepe covetouſneſſe: yea ſome put off the outward actions, but never care for putting off their corrupt qualities, which are rooted in their ſpirits.
2 In the ſecond place, hence aſſure thy ſelfe that thou art in Ieſus Chriſt if thou putteſt off this body, loveſt no evill, though ſin hang about thee every where, yet thou loveſt and likeſt none of it, but holdeſt CHRIST thy ſanctifier, and cryeſt to be uncladde, and freed from all this body of death.
3 Of ſinnes] not ſin: Obſerve hence: Doct. How our maſſe of corruption conteyneth in it many kindes of ſinne. Even as the body naturall is not all one kind of member but hath great variety: So this body of corruption; therefore he calleth it a body of ſins, of many ſins, being as ſo many members in it, ignorance, unbeliefe, irreligioſneſſe, pride, wrath, covetouſneſſe, untruth:Epheſ. 2.1. hence it is that the Apoſtle ſayth the Epheſians were dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes; and the old man is ſayd to be corrupted through deceivable luſts: Eph. 4.22.that is, ſo corrupted as that now he expreſſeth the image of divers luſts, as he was formerly created after the image of GOD, or elſe through luſts of many kindes: And from hence it commeth that our native corruption doth bring ſuch variety of fruites as are mentioned Galath. 5.19, 20.21. Adultery, fornication, uncleaneneſſe, wantonneſſe, idolatry, withcraft, hatred, debate, &c. and obſerved in experience, becauſe it is a body which hath divers members, the which bring forth divers operations.
Which muſt make us both grow up in acknowledging our naturall miſery, Vſe and to magnifie the grace of the LORD IESUS CHRIST, who hath healed us of ſo many corruptions as have formerly had dwelling in us: to take from us one ſickneſſe, is mercy; but when a man is a very body of diſeaſes, hath every member filled with infirmity, then to cure him, is much more.
And let ſuch know who are not yet in CHRIST, Vſe 2 they are a lumpe of all ſinnes: what though all appeare not? that is becauſe the Lord doth reſtraine them; for elſe we ſhould not live together: men would be woolves to men; yet though the fruite appeare not; the rootes are within us.
By the circumciſion of Chriſt] Obſerve hence: Doct. Who it is that worketh this inwardly in us, Ieſus Chriſt; He and none but Hee can remoove the filthy luſts in which the heart is wrapped, as Saint Iohn ſpake of His Baptiſme, hee baptiſed with water, but Chriſt baptiſed with the ſpirit; and Saint Peter ſaith 1 Pet. 3.21. Not the baptiſme, which is the waſhing of the fleſh ſaveth, but in that a good conſcience maketh requeſt to God, by the reſurrection of Ieſus Chriſt. Saint Paul ſaith, hee that planteth and watereth is nothing; in regard of force which doth reach unto the ſoule it ſelfe.
This muſt be diſtinctly taught, that we may avoyd the Papiſh ſnare, and that we may glory fie God in aſcribing to Him intyrely ſuch workes as theſe are, which are no more communicable with men, then to create out of nothing another World.