Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 2 · Verse 14
VERSE 14. Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was againſt us, which was contrarie to us, and tooke it out of the way, nailing it to his Croſſe.
NOw he commeth to the ſecond benefit, which went before our quickening: In laying it downe;
1 He ſetteth downe the benefit.
2 The manner of working it.
In deſcribing the benefit, he doth by a gradation ſet it forth.
1 He blotted out the hand-writing againſt us.
2 He tooke it out of the way, quite aboliſhed it.
The manner of working, nailing it on the Croſſe.
But to cleare the Text, ſome Queſtions are neceſſary.
It may be asked, Qu. 1 what is meant by this hand-writing?
The Apoſtle leadeth us to know it: Anſw.
1 By the Quality, it was Contrary.
2 The Subject about which it was occupied, in rites] which doe define it ſufficiently to be the Ceremoniall Law: but it is more evident by comparing it with Epheſ. 2.15. Aboliſhing the Law of Commandements in rites; by that which he preſently inferreth: Therefore ſeeing that CHRIST hath blotted out the hand-writing in rites; let none condemne you in legall rites, not obeyed by you. This illation doth ſhew that legall rites are meant ſomewhere in the precedents: Further, Verſe 20. he thus uſeth the word foreign: Why doe yee uſe rites? as touch not, taſte not, handle not.
It may be asked, Qu. 2 how this was a hand-writing againſt any?
They have a double conſideration; the one Evangelicall, Anſw. whereby they are viſible words preaching Chriſt, thus they are not; the other legall, purely Moſaicall, whereby they preached our guilt, and the wrath belonging to us, thus they were hand-writings againſt us.
It may be asked, how Saint Paul can ſay, Qu. 3 theſe were hand-writings againſt the Coloſsians, and how he can name the taking of them away as a benefit to the Coloſsians, ſeeing that nothing is more evident than that the Ceremoniall Law was laid on none by God, but the houſhold of Abraham?
Saint Paul ſaith [to us] who was of the tribe of Benjamin, Anſw. Phil. 3. and it may be he changeth the Perſon in the Verſe before having reſpect to this. But to paſſe this Conjecture, it may be anſwered; that the Iewiſh rites had a double teſtification; the one direct, which reſpected their owne perſons, that worſhipped with them: the other indirect by force of Conſequent onelyonly, and thus they did witneſſe the guilt of all the world: For if they teſtifie that the peculiar people of God were by nature in ſin, and guiltie of death, then à fortiori, they witneſſed all the world beſide lay in ſinne and death: And thus Saint Paul on the contrary maketh thoſe Scriptures which are ſpoken againſt the Gentiles in the old Teſtament, to witneſſe againſt the Iew by nature: the Iew is no better than the Gentile: Now this was a benefit to all the Gentiles, the aboliſhing of them, not that it eaſeth us from any thing had beene upon us, but becauſe it doth ſave us from ever having this importable yoke laid on us; and this I take to be the ſound anſwer of this queſtion.
What it meaneth, Qu. 4 that God is ſaid [to blot out and take them away?]
Becauſe they are ſo anſwered in CHRIST, Anſ. that their obligation, and obedience, is utterly ceaſed.
Laſtly, Qu. 5 it may be asked, how theſe Ceremonies were [nailed on the Croſſe?]
As we conceive our ſelves, Anſw. and all our ſins with Chriſt on the Croſſe: So all the ſpecialties which were to ſhew againſt us; yea, all the converſation of us, as it was after this world, is to be conceived with Him, that the whole old man with his debt, with the deeds he had done, acknowledging this debt with his manner of converſing in carnall rites; I ſay, all of the old man is to be conceived thus in CHRIST, and crucified with Him, that all old things might be aboliſhed.
Now to come to the Doctrines.
Obſerve firſt, Doct. That not onelyonly our ſinne, which is our debt, is anſwered; but that whatſoever may ſhew any thing againſt us is done away in CHRIST: not onelyonly our debt, but every thing which might teſtifie any thing, or breed us future danger, is cancelled. If a debter doe know his debt is anſwered, yet hath his bonds and bills uncalled in, he is ſtill in feare; but when he hath all ſuch things as might ſpeake any thing, croſſed, torne, made utterly void, then he is ſafe: for the LORD will have man doe all things, ſo as he may ſhew his true meaning and wiſdome in the dealing betwixt him; and our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, doth give us example: for in CHRIST anſwering our debt, it had not been wiſdome not to have defaced, and aboliſhed all ſuch things as made acknowledgement of our debt, and in GOD to have taken from His CHRIST ſatisfaction for us, and kept with Himſelfe ſuch things which might witneſſe us ſtill indebted to Him, had not ſo agreed with that ſingle, and upright meaning which GOD ſheweth in all His wayes. Againe our peace had not beene provided for; for the Divell our reſtleſſe enemie, would never have reſted to have followed the ſuit on us, if he had ſo good evidence as our owne confeſſion, whether in heart, word, or under our hand, to ſhew againſt us to that moſt juſt GOD.
The uſe of this is firſt to teach us the great bounty of God; yea, and to ſhew us a patterne of ſincere dealing: Vſe 1 to pardon us our debts is much; but to deface all ſuch ſpecialties, which might ſhew any thing againſt us, to give in, cancell, croſſe, teare the leaſt bill he had againſt us, this doth amplifie His bounty. It is ſtoried of Adrian, that ſeeking to win the favour of His ſubjects in Rome and Italy, he for gave them all they were indebted to his Exchequer; and the more to amplifie his free pardon, he gave them out all their bills and bonds by which they made acknowledgement of any due to him: Thus the great God amplifying His love, dealeth with us, and teacheth men what to doe when a debt is anſwered, even to keepe nothing to ſhew for it, that ſo their ſincere dealing may be witneſſed.
This letteth us ſee the fulneſſe of CHRIST's redemption: Vſe 2 would He leave a great part of our debt unanſwered, as veniall ſinnes, the temporary puniſhment of ſins, and not ſuffer the leaſt line of a bill to be uncroſſed, and torne aſunder?
Laſtly, this maketh much for our comfort, Vſe 3 when we know that every thing that might breed us dread for hereafter: beſide the Ceremoniall Law, there are many other hand-writings, as it were, which the Divell will threaten againſt us: what will he ſay, thou juſtified? Daniel, Saint Paul and others, doe they not confeſſe they are ſinners, miſerable and wretched, their righteouſneſſe (as Eſay ſpeaketh) like ſtained cloathes? This confeſſion of the greateſt Saints ſpeaketh againſt thee. Againe, thy conſcience doth know that thou art a grievous ſinner; thou haſt not crucified the luſts of thy fleſh, and how oft hath thy owne mouth ſaid, thou haſt no true faith, no lively grace? Nay, ſometime he hath got the hand to ſhew for their owne damnation: How ſhall all this be anſwered? Even by granting that indeed there are ſuch confeſſions, and bills of mine owne out againſt me; but my CHRIST He did anſwer them, and take them away. This in generall.
Now in particular: Doct. Firſt, we ſee, That by CHRIST the Ceremoniall Law is taken away: Looke Epheſ. 2.15. and in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes, which doth ſet it forth at large: for the Law was not given that it ſhould be perpetuall, but only till the time of CHRIST, which is called the time of correction, or the ſetting things ſtraight, to that which they reſpected: As a Phyſitian without changing his art, giveth one thing to a childe, another thing to a man: And as a learned Schoole-maſter teacheth one booke to a novice, another to a riper ſchollar; ſo GOD without any change in Himſelfe, doth change theſe ordinances, and did alwayes intend their ceaſing in CHRIST. Now we muſt know, that when we ſay this Law of Ceremony was aboliſhed in Chriſt, the meaning is, that it doth not binde any unto obedience: As we ſee with us, when Statutes are repealed, they are not blotted forth of bodies, and aboliſhed from being monuments of advertiſement, but their force only taken away from conſtraining obedience, ſo here &c. not that the doctrine and knowledge of it, nor yet the liberty of doing a rite in it, while the edification of the Church ſo required, is taken away: the one is perpetuall, the other was by the Apoſtles for a time lawfully practiſed. For as the Morall Law is taken away from the uſe of ſeeking righteouſneſſe in it, yet it remaineth as a rule of manners, inſtructing us in our duties, which we owe in thankfulneſſe: So this Law is taken away in regard of all the obligation, and exerciſe of it; but remaineth for many uſes, of doctrine, and inſtruction.
The Vſe is to let us ſee GOD's goodneſſe to us; Vſe 1 what a benefit we count it, when ſome one harmefull Statute by act of Parliament is repealed? But what a benefit is this, that a yoke which our fathers could not beare is taken away, ſo that it never ſhall be laid upon us?
It letteth us ſee our happineſſe above the Iewes, Vſe 2 that are free of ſo many fleſhly grievances, wherewith their worſhip abounded.
Wee ſee hence, Vſe 3 that it is GOD's will we ſhould not be peſtered with carnall rites, and ſervices: GOD who will have His owne give place to our liberty, how farre is He from liking that men ſhould impoſe upon us their yokes of bondage? This were miſery for a man to be ſet free from GOD's hand, and fall into mans uſurpation. Wherefore ſuperſtitious and lewd preambles of that popiſh captivity were thoſe primitive ceremonies, and obſervances, which Saint Auguſtine in his hundred and nineteenth Epiſtle to Ianuarius complaineth of, that all was peſtered with humane preſumptions. And the Popiſh religion is hence erected as a yoke, from whence by Chriſt we are redeemed.
The ſecond thing to be marked here, is; Doct. That the Iewiſh Ceremonies as they were purely legall, were as bills teſtifying the debt of the people before GOD: The principall end to which the grace of GOD uſed them, was to ſhadow out CHRIST, as followeth; but nakedly conſidered as apart from this grace of the Goſpell, they did acknowledge our debt what we ſhould pay, they did make confeſſion that we did it not: they did alſo acknowledge the myſtery which belonged to us in this regard: for it is to be noted, that nothing can be fitly conceived here but the Iewiſh rites, not our agreement, and covenanting with GOD in Paradiſe, or Mount Sinay, all theſe things will we doe; this is the debt it ſelfe, not Syngrapha, or Chyrographum, which doth teſtifie the debt: Now the Ceremonies, ſome did teſtifie their debt, Galath. 5. If a man be circumciſed, (ſay as ſeeking righteouſneſſe in the Law) he is a debter to the whole Law: Marke, that as a man by the bill of his hand, ſo the old people by the Circumciſion, did teſtifie that they owed GOD obedience in all the Law. 2. Some teſtified their guilt, as all their legall uncleanneſſes and waſhings, their ſacrificings, both ſinne offerings and burnt offerings, the one ſhewed their guilt, the other that they were by nature altogether corrupted, and muſt be killed, as they were themſelves, that ſo they might come to live to GOD; ſuch were their humbling their ſoules annually. In concluſion, their whole worſhip did teſtifie that the perfect offering with which GOD's wrath was to be appeaſed, was not yet come. 2. That Heaven was not yet opened, that they were all in deſert of death through ſinne; this was all they could doe as purely legall, as they are conſidered a part of the miniſtery of the Law, ſo farre as it is oppoſed to the Goſpell, thus they were a miniſtery of condemnation, beggarly elements, a Chyrographum againſt us. Yet the principall end to which GOD uſed them, was to ſignifie the ſacrifices to come; this was the principall, I ſay, becauſe the Law it ſelfe is made a ſervant to grace; yea, juſtice in God doth put it ſelfe forth, that the grace of God may be more manifeſted, and it may be therefore the Apoſtle here ſaith they were a Chyrographum foreign, ſubcontrary, in reſpect that they had another end more maine which was with us, though they wanted not this teſtification alſo: Now how this teſtification doth extend to us guiltleſſe, is above ſhewed.
The uſe of this may be firſt to admoniſh us whence it came, Vſe that the ſpirit of bondage did ſo abound in the people of the Iewes ever ſince CHRIST. Anſw. They were ſtill occupied in one rite or other which did teſtifie uncleanneſſe: their ſervices were hand-writings againſt them, they proclaimed their guilt aloud, but ſhewed the grace of God very obſcurely. Againe, we ſee what cauſe we have to be glad of our LORD IESUS, who hath freed us of theſe lamentable ſervices. If wee have called in a bond or bill which we had abroad, it joyeth us, but we know not our happineſſe, who have theſe bonds in ſtatute reverſed for us. And wee muſt take heed of this levin of Iewiſh ceremony, from which we were redeemed ſo dearely: A little levin worketh thorow the whole lumpe; Ill weeds grow apace. What an abundance are theſe rites growen to in the Church of Rome, from beginnings farre ſmaller!
But ſome may ſay; Object. Our Ceremonies witneſſe nothing againſt us, we grant CHRIST is aſcended.
The Ceremonies not onelyonly as Shadowes of Chriſt, Anſw. but as they are a more carnall kinde of inſtructing, doe witneſſe againſt us, that the time of faith is not come, that the Spirit promiſed is not given, that the times wherein wee muſt worſhip in ſpirit and truth, that is a ſpirituall manner, not carnall, that theſe times are not yet approached.
Laſtly marke: Doct. That Chriſt hath by ſuffering on the Croſſe aboliſhed theſe things: So you have it, Eph. 2.15. 1 Pet. 1.20. He hath delivered you from your vaine converſation, received by the tradition of your fathers; Where it is to be noted, that though the whole ceremoniall Law might in ſome regard be called [Vaine] for it was but a ſhadow of heavenly things, it brought not things to perfection, yet he doth eſpecially note there the traditionary depravations of doctrines; yea, and their Ceremonies ſignificant, which they uſed by the inſtitution of men, to admoniſh them of inward holineſſe, as waſhing of hands, Matt. 15. to put them in mind of inward cleanneſſe: of which Chriſt ſaith; In vaine doe they worſhip me, teaching for doctrine mens precepts; as alſo their corrupt converſation; for Chriſt ſuffering did crucifie the vaine, carnall, and ſinfull life of our old man, that we might be even for the externall manner ſpirituall and holy to God, through Him.
This then as it ſheweth us the love of CHRIST, Vſe ſo it teacheth us how wee muſt much prize and warily maintaine this liberty. Such things as we buy at a deare rate, we lay them up carefully, uſe them charily, we ſay it ſtandeth us in thus much: But (alas) this benefit, not ſilver nor gold, but the bloud of CHRIST hath purchaſed for us, it hath redeemed us as well from ſuch vaine externall rites which men deviſe, as from thoſe typicall Ceremonies of the Law, which reſpected CHRIST to come.