Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 2 · Verse 12
VERSE 12. In that yee are buried with Him through baptiſme, in whom yee are alſo raiſed up together through the faith of the operation of GOD, which raiſed Him from the dead.
NOw he commeth to the third thing, buryed with Him in baptiſme, or by baptiſme: this is the modus action is, and agreeth with thoſe words, you have beene circumciſed in Him, how? being buryed with Him in baptiſme: It openeth both the manner, and may be as a proofe, thus:
Such as are dead and buryed to ſin in Chriſt, they have put off all the body of ſinne: But you have beene buryed with CHRIST by baptiſme.
Firſt then from the context, we ſee; Doct. that what circumciſion was to the old people, that is baptiſme to us; for he ſaith thus much, you have beene circumciſed in being baptiſed, though in circumſtantiall things theſe diſagree, as in the ſexe receiving the Sacrament; there men onelyonly, here women. In the matter ſignified, Chriſt to come: in the degree of grace given: In the externall rite; yet the ſubſtance of the thing ſignified, manner of receiving, generall ends, they conſpire.
Hence we may have a ground and warrant to proove the baptiſme of infants lawfull and warrantable by the Word of God: Vſe For circumciſion being adminiſtred to infants in the time of the old Teſtament, there is no reaſon why baptiſme ſucceeding it, ſhould not bee adminiſtred to them in the time of the Goſpell.
The ſecond thing is, Doct. that from our union with Chriſt dead and buryed, we come to have the body of ſinne crucified, and put away from us. This is thus gathered; he ſaith they were circumciſed, that is, had the body of ſin put off them, while they were together buried with Chriſt, which baptiſme ſignifieth and ſealeth up in them: from this then we come to put off ſins, that we are ſet into Chriſt dying, and buryed for the aboliſhing of ſin: and hence Rom. 6. Saint Paul ſheweth that we cannot live in ſin, as formerly we did, and have to doe with it, becauſe we are dead to it, being ſet into Chriſt dying, and that by baptiſme. The reaſon is, becauſe that Chriſt hath by his death killed the ſin of all that belong to Him, and therefore ſuch as are ſet into His death, they cannot but feele the death of this body of ſins which before lived in them. Even as when Adam ſinned, and dyed to the life of God, all of us in him are dead, and ſo ſoone as we come actually to be members of him, we feele the effect of Adams death, even this, that being dead to the life of God, we lye in the ſpirituall death of ignorance and luſts: So CHRIST the ſecond Adam, He dying to aboliſh ſin, even that He might be the death of ſin in all His members, and lying buried under it, that He might ſo aboliſh it, as never to riſe againe. Briefly then: Adam a roote of mankind finning, brought death upon all His. 1. By bringing imputation of ſin. 2. Extinction of the life of grace. 3. A propagation of death in ſin and treſpaſſe. Chriſt ſtandeth as a ſecond Adam in the perſons of all given Him to be His members, and having their ſin imputed to Him, (1) He doth take away the guilt of it. (2) Dyed to ſin, and lay under it in our nature, that we by vertue thereof might dye to it; the omnipotent ſpirit of Chriſt working through that death in the behalfe of all His the death of the creature, ſo farre forth as by the juſt judgement of God, it hath a power through Sathans working to draw us from God to it ſelfe. (3) A death of our corruption; Galath. 6.15. By the Cxoſſe of Chriſt, the world is crucified to me, and I to it, that is, by Chriſt crucified. Briefly; as Adam becomming mortall and dying to this mortall life, wee all ſo ſoone as wee are borne members of Him, are mortall, and tend to death by force of that mortality in the roote of us: So Chriſt dying ſpiritually to this world, and the ſin of all us His members that thus they might be aboliſhed, we ſo ſoone as by faith we are made His members, or are borne of Him, we begin to dye ſpiritually, till in death we are fully mortified by vertue of that radicall death in Chriſt our Saviour, who dying according to his fleſh, did ſo worke by His omnipotent ſpirit, that as the guilt was at once remooved; ſo the life of it was mortified, that it loſt the raigne, and was ſucceſſively to be aboliſhed in the being of it, in all thoſe who by faith ſhould come to be engrafted into him, or all thoſe who ſhould ſpiritually deſcend from Him. (4) Laſtly, He brought into our nature ſupernaturall life, that ſo He in our nature might propagate it to all who were His.
The uſe hereof is to ſtirre us up above all things to ſeeke with Saint Paul; Vſe 1 that we may know what is the power of His death, the communion of His ſufferings, while I feele my ſelfe made like to Him in dying to this world and ſin; for by this we know that we are untied to Him ſuffering and dead to ſin and this world, while we feele our ſelves by virtue thereof in like caſe; as I know my communion with Adam, that I dyed in him, while I ſee my ſelfe mortall haſtening every day to death, as he is dead. The Lord Ieſus make the ſcales fall off our eyes, that we may ſee the vertue of His moſt powerfull death toward all that are His.
This alſo letteth us ſee what we muſt doe when this world and the things of it are forcible upon us, Vſe 2 when our hearts feele the life of ſin ſtrongly making to them: come to Chriſt dying, ſpeake to Him; Thou Lord haſt crucified this world, thou haſt overcome the ſtrength of it: thou didſt dye, not regarding the allurements of it: why doe I feele it have ſo mighty a hand over me, even bewitching me as it were at the ſight of it? So when I feele my ſin ſtirring lively in the lawes of it, then to fly hither; Lord thou dying, haſt beene the death of the ſin of thy people: why doe I who am in thee, find it ſtirre, as if it never had received wound? The more we get to ſee our ſelves in Chriſt dying for the aboliſhing of all our ſins, the more we ſhall feele them waſting in us.
Let us give glory to this glorious death which maketh us all to dye: Vſe 3 As in the naturall body, kill the head, and all the members dye after: ſo here, &c.
This ſheweth us why it is that ſin liveth in ſo many men in the world, Vſe 4 even from this, that they are not engrafted into Chriſt, and ſo doe not partake of the influence of that ſpirituall life, which from Chriſt the head floweth into all His members.
Buryed with Him in baptiſme, you have put off your ſins] being ſet into Him dying and buryed, ingrafted with Him, buryed in or by your baptiſme.
Obſerve hence: Doct. God doth unite us with Chriſt, even by our baptiſme: the Lord doth by baptiſme ſignifie to us, and confirme thus much, yea worke it, as by an inſtrument, namely, the putting His Chriſt crucified upon us, and our ingrafting into Him dying and riſing. Rom. 6. foreign. For firſt by baptiſme is ſealed our communion wth Chriſt dying and riſing: ſecondly our communion in the effects, wch are mortification and vivification: but yet wee muſt not think, though God uſeth outward baptiſme of His miniſter, that this miniſteriall action bringeth forth grace, as the Papiſts doe, who hold that God doth ſo uſe the miniſteriall baptiſme, that He lifteth up that action as an inſtrumentall cauſe to worke grace; ſo that it neither commeth ſolely from God, nor yet, immediately: For this muſt be held, that the power and act of producing grace is only and immediately from God.
There are two ſorts of inſtruments: ſome worke ſomthing with the Principall worker, others doe not operari aliquid but ad aliquid, they worke to ſomething, but not any thing having force to cauſe that whereto they worke; ſuch are Gods meanes which He uſeth, and coordeyneth with him ſelfe in working of all ſuch things which are not wrought but onelyonly by power omnipotent; thus he healed the blind with clay and ſpittle, thus He overthrew the walls of Iericho with the blowing of Rams hornes.
But one may ſay, this is abſurd, Object. to uſe meanes which ſhall doe nothing, doth any man doe thus?
Men uſe meanes which worke ſomething in that they doe with them, Anſw. becauſe their force doth not reach alone to the effect they intend, without the helpe of the meanes concurring with them: but Gods force being alſufficient, it is not abſurd for Him to take to Him ſelfe ſuch inſtruments in giving grace, which are of no force to produce it, eſpecially when hereby he exerciſeth our obedience, faith, &c. He that planteth, and he that watereth is nothing, 1 Cor. 3.7.in regard of working in the ſoule that they tend to: the Goſpell is ſayd to be the power of GOD to ſalvation; Rom. 1.16becauſe through GOD it is powerfull, who accompanyeth it immediately, and enty rely, working faith by it. Yet Papiſts will not ſay, that the Preachers ſyllables are elevated by GOD to rayſe up the dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes.
This then is to be firmely held that GOD uſeth baptiſme of engrafting us with Chriſt and mortifying and quickning us in Him, Vſe yet the baptiſme of water doth not conteyne any force, nor is not lifted up to any ſuch agency, whereby grace is properly produced.
But it may be asked, Queſt. how we are ſet into Chriſt with baptiſme, when none muſt be baptiſed but thoſe, if they be adulti, who have faith in appearance, and ſo are already in Him?
Things are ſayd to be done when they are manifeſted and done in a further degree then before they were; Anſw. thus the believer baptiſed, is by baptiſme manifeſted to be ſo before the Church, yea often to Himſelfe, the more plentifull grace of God comming into Him, while he uſeth it faithfully, and his faith being more ſtrengthened, the union is more confirmed.
The uſe is to ſtirre us up that we would looke backe to our baptiſme, Vſe which ſealeth unto us ſo great matters: if we have ſealed bonds, we will have them ſometime read to us, that we may know what we have: and when we are to demand this or that, how ſhould we look back to this Goſpell ſealed unto us in baptiſme? And ſeeing baptiſme is but a ſeale of other matters, let us not content our ſelves with baptiſme alone, but make ſure we have the things which it ſerveth to confirme. Men that have evidences of houſe and land, they looke not much at their deeds about it, but they hold the land it ſelfe, and occupy that carefully: Wee contrarily ſtand upon the ſeale, but let the heavenly eſtate confirmed be where it will.
2 Hence may be inforced upon men what is their eſtate, if they have received baptiſme as well inward as outward, then as the Apoſtle ſaith, know you not that you are dead with Chriſt through baptiſme? If they are not dead with Him, they have but the baptiſme of water, which is nothing before GOD; Circumciſion nor uncircumciſion are any thing with Him, but a new Creature.
Now hee commeth to a ſecond benefit wee have in Chriſt, the benefit of a ſpirituall reſurrection and new life; in whom yee have beene raiſed up] as they had beene circumciſed: for though this foreign [in whom] may agree with foreign, in which baptiſme; yet it is fitly reduced to the more remote antecedent, Chriſt, and to begin a new benefit oppoſite to that former, in whom wee have beene circumciſed: For the intent of this Scripture is to ſet out Chriſt, and the benefits we have in Him; not to deſcribe the vertue of baptiſme, which is onelyonly named here ſo farre forth as it ſerveth to note the manner after which Chriſt wrought in us the former benefit of our circumciſion from ſin: And if he had broke off the ſubject of his ſpeech thus, in which baptiſme, he would have named Chriſt in the end of the verſe, not [Him] as having reference to a plaine antecedent, and whether [foreign] in the next verſe belongeth hither foreign in this verſe, for theſe two ſeeme but a repetition of this matter with ſome application and amplification of it; make it therefore agree with foreign buried with him; in whom alſo ye are raiſed up: The benefit is
1 Propounded in this verſe.
2 Applyed more at large verſe 13, 14.
In propounding it. (1) We have ſet downe, our refurmetion it ſelfe in Chriſt; (2) The manner of working it, by ſaith.
For as the body liveth formally, or is rayſed from death to life by the guift of life created in it: So the ſoule dead in ſin is formally made alive when fayth is created in it.
Secondly, you have fayth deſcribed from the efficient cauſe, the potent action of God which rayſed Him from the dead; in whom yee are rayſed.
The ſumme.
In whom, or in which CHRIST, yee are rayſed up with Him, the life of fayth being created in your dead ſoules by that omnipotent efficacy of God, by which Christ being now dead for us all, was rayſed up.
Firſt then, this being the ſcope, to make us cleave to Chriſt, thus: You muſt not goe from him in whom you bave beene rayſed up to a new heavenly life: But in CHRIST you are rayſed up. Therefore let none beguile you with deceits which are not after Him.
The ſecond part is here; the concluſion in the eight verſe before. Doctr. Obſerve hence: That to conſider of our firſt reſurrection which we have through Chriſt, is a forcible motive to make us cleave to Him. If Saint Peter ſayd, whither ſhall we goe? thou haſt the words of life eternall; how much more may we ſay, how ſhould we ſtart from thee Lord? thou haſt rayſed us up when wee were dead: How did Lazarus (thinke you) and others whom Chriſt rayſed up, love Him and reſt in Him, when thus, bodily life was againe given them, though they were within a while to dye againe? But how much more would it bind us to Chriſt, if wee ſaw how Hee hath raiſed our ſoules being dead, with ſuch a reſurrection, as that they ſhall never dye againe? When the Galathians were ſo fledge after their legall ceremonies; Saint Paul thus reaſoneth: Did you receive the ſpirit by the miniſtery of the law, or by the hearing of faith preached? as if hee would ſet downe this for a ground that is to be held unto, which doth bring us the quickning ſpirit; how then is CHRIST to bee reſted on, from whom, as the fountaine, all ſpirituall life floweth unto us?
Now our reſurrection may bee conſidered two wayes.
1 As wrought in our head.
2 As applyed actually in us.
As wee in regard of our naturall life may bee conſidered.
Firſt as we have this life in our roote, in our Parents, in whom we are ſeminali ratione, as an eare of Corne is in the ſeede.
Secondly, our life may bee conſidered as now in us received from them. Now when they are ſayd to be rayſed up in Chriſt, it may be underſtood both wayes; both in regard of their reſurrection, as it was made in Chriſt the head of them, and as it was in part applyed in them: for all the reſurrection we have in Chriſt not yet received, we have it by faith hid in Him, even the reſurrection of our bodyes.
We may hence then ſee what maketh the Papiſts, Vſe and all ſorts of carnall Goſpellers ſo fall from Chriſt, even this: they know not, or conſider not, who, when they were dead in their ſins, did rayſe them up: if they ever had felt that CHRIST had done thus much for them, they would never doubt His alſufficiency, but waite upon Him to accompliſh their ſalvation. We ſee in Patients which have deadly ſickneſſes, if a Phyſitian doe (when they were given over) even then rid their diſeaſe away in part, and make them pretty well, will they thinke of looking to another, or be deſyrous to joyne others with Him who hath alone almoſt done all the cure? So betweene our ſoules and Chriſt.
Let us then conſider what we have had wrought in us through Chriſt: Vſe it will ſo confirme us, that hell gates ſhall not make us leave Him. Againe, if thou worke not upon thy heart the feeling of the benefits thou haſt through Him, thou ſhalt cleave as weakely by Him, as if he had never done ought for thee.
Here in particular are three things to be opened:
1 That who ſo is truely in CHRIST, is riſen againe.
2 That our ſoules are rayſed from death to life by faith.
3 That the omnipotent power of GOD is the worker of fayth.
Of each of theſe a little.
1 As Adam was a roote of death to all that were his, neither were they borne of him ſooner then mortality did ſeiſe on them: So Chriſt is a roote of reſurrection. 1 Cor. 15.22. As in Adam all dye, ſo in CHRIST ſhall all be made alive. For we muſt not think that when Chriſt was rayſed, it was no more then when Lazarus, or ſome other private perſon was rayſed; but His riſing was all our reſurrections, in as much as it was in the name of us all, and had in it a ſeed-like vertue to worke the reſurrection of us all: Hence it commeth, that we no ſooner come to be in Him, but the power of His reſurrection is felt of us, making us riſe to newneſſe of life.2 Cor. 5.17. In Christ all things are new: Whoſoever have learned CHRIST as the truth is in Him, have ſo learned Him, as they are dead to ſinne; the life of the old man is killed, and they are alive in the life of grace: For looke as a member truly by inward ligaments knit with a living head, hath life in it; ſo wee when we come to bee in Chriſt, rayſed up, and living to God in life glorious, we cannot but live in Him.
Wherefore how woefull is the ſtate of many that profeſſe Chriſt, yet live in ignorance, Vſe know not what a reſurrection meaneth, are dead, while they live in all kinde of fin, and wantonneſſe? theſe never were in Chriſt: but like as glaſſe eyes are ſet in the body, or wooden legges, which being by outward meanes joyned to it, doe not receive life, and ſenſe with other members; Wee never knew communion with him who is the quickning ſpirit, if we be dead in our ſins.
2 Obſerve: What it is that maketh us riſe to new life, Doct. viz. faith on Chriſt. We are ſayd to live by faith, becauſe after ſome ſort, it is life, but moſt properly it bringeth life into us: He that believeth, hath everlaſting life, fully in Chriſt his head; inchoative or imperfectly in himſelfe: For as in bodily death the reuniting of the ſoule with it, doth make it riſe againe and become a living body: ſo faith, as a ſpirituall vinculum tying God, who is the ſoule of our ſoules, againe unto them, they which before were dead, are anew quickened. Thus then as an inſtrumentall cauſe of our conjunction with God in Chriſt, who is our life, it may be ſayd to quicken us, or rayſe us up; though further faith it ſelfe may bee conceived as a part of this life: For as the ſoule died in falling into ignorance of God, estranged from the life of GOD through ignorance in them. Epheſ. 4.18. ſo comming by faith to know God, it beginneth to live;Ioh. 17.3. hence to know God in Chriſt (faith being an affianced knowledg) is life everlaſting. This then is the firſt thing which God worketh in us, as the beginning, and inſtrumentall cauſe of our other following life: even as in our waking from our naturall ſleepe, which is a ſhaddow of death, firſt the eyes open, and then our ſenſes and motions doe come fully to us in their order: So in awaking from this ſleepe of ſin, firſt the eye of faith lookes up to GOD, and that inviſible world; then our life returneth more fully, the ſpirit of God from Chriſt working it in us.
Marke then hence: Vſe that all ſuch beliefes as make not new creatures are not ſound faith toward CHRIST: the reaſon is playne: a true faith bringeth Chriſt to live in us. Now as a quickning ſoule cannot returne into the dead body of it but there will be new life: So Chriſt that quickning ſpirit cannot returne to live in a dead ſoule, but needs it muſt bee rayſed up. Wherefore if wee feele no life but that we brought from our mothers wombe, let us caſt downe our ſelves, we have not yet truly believed: and we ſee how our faith doth not ſhut out good life, as the Papiſts ſlander us, but bringeth it forth as an effect which cannot be ſevered.
Finally, Vſe hence men may aſſure themſelves of the truth of their faith, if they bee renewed in life.
The laſt thing here to be noted is: Doctr. That the omnipotent action of God which rayſed Chriſt from the dead, is it that begetteth faith in us. Eph. 1.19.It is called the exceeding greatneſſe of His power toward us, which believe, according to the working of His mighty power. Faith is the eye of the ſoule, by which we looke upon CHRIST: it is the hand by which we receive all good from Chriſt. Now if a man be borne blind, or borne without a hand, an eye that ſeeth but theſe aſpectable creatures, and diſcerneth not diſtinctly but things at hand, a hand that cannot reach an ell or two from us, yet all the world cannot ſupply theſe, nor no power but His onelyonly that created the body: how much leſſe then ſhall any power bee able to give us that eye which looketh within the vayle? that hand which claſpeth Chriſt in heaven? but only the Almighty power of God.
But what, Object. doth that power that rayſed Chriſt rayſe us up?
Yea, that power though daily continued, Anſw. as the Lord creating Adam and Eve, with the law of propagating all the race of mankind, did, by that power which created and coupled them, after a ſort make all mankinde: though the Father and Son and ſpirit doe ſtill worke in continuing that firſt power put forth: So here, GOD rayſing Chriſt up in whom we all were that he might be a roote and fountayne of ſupernaturall life to us all, that power may be ſayd fitly to rayſe us all.
Wherefore let us learne to admire and give glory to GODS power which worketh our fayth: Vſe 1 if we ſaw a man rayſed from the dead, ô how would we ſpeake of ſuch a wonderous power? but this is the ſame that raiſed Chriſt from the dead, which raiſeth us to believe. If we creepe up from ſome deadly ſickneſſe, we tell what a power of God it was to rayſe us: But when our ſoules creepe out of darkneſſe, and death, to believe on the living God, it is as nothing with us.
This teacheth us whither we muſt fly for the ſtrengthening and ſuſteyning of our fayth, even to this power, Vſe 2 the ſame power that made all things, upholdeth all things: He that knoweth how all the conſidence of his heart, is ſet upon himſelfe and the creature: how his reaſon and ſenſes, and his own inclination, which is not quieted, but in outward meanes: how Sathan and the courſe of this world, reſiſt us in believing; he cannot but confeſſe, it is the Lords power that firſt brought him to it, and that muſt keepe his faith from fayling.
Laſtly, we ſee hence how wide they are, Vſe 3 who never felt any want of ſuch a power: who thinke of fayth as a thing they have alwayes had ſince they came to reaſon. Yea Papiſts, that if GOD offer, hold it in the power of man to believe, when God ſheweth the promiſe, and inlighteneth the mind.