Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 2 · Verse 15
VERSE 15. And hath ſpoiled the Principalities, and Powers, and hath made a ſhew of them openly, and hath triumphed over them in the ſame Croſſe.
NOw followeth the third thing which went before our quickening, that is, the freeing us from him who was GOD's fearfull doomes-man, having power of executing death upon us by reaſon of our ſinne; Principalities and Powers doe ſignifie all thoſe ſuperiour and inferiour powers of darkneſſe with which Chriſt combated on His Croſſe: The thing is ſet downe by a gradation.
1 He did ſpoile them, which what it is ſhall be opened more.
2 He did make a ſhew of them, that is, expoſe them to ignominy and reproach; for ſo this word: foreign ſignifieth, Matth. 1.19. foreign.
3 He triumphes over them, within Himſelfe, or on His Croſſe, foreign: ſupple foreign.
The ſumme is. God in Chriſt hath quickened us, when He had given us an acquittance from all our ſinnes, aboliſhed all things which ſhewed any thing againſt us, when He had on the Croſſe of His Son diſarmed, made a ſcorne, and triumphed over all ſpirituall powers, who had us as executioners to His juſtice before in their cuſtody.
In the Verſe three things may be conſidered:
1 The Victory it ſelfe.
2 The Perſons vanquiſhed.
3 The Manner.
Firſt in generall we are to marke: Doct. That God doth ſet us free from the power of Satan before we are made alive throughly in IESUS CHRIST; He quickened us in Chriſt; in what order? having ſubdued all Principalities and Powers that held us; even as in Chriſt our Head, ſo in us this worke proceedeth: Firſt, He died, and by death conquered the Prince of this world: Then when his power was broken, Hee raiſed Himſelfe up againe: In the ſame order are we, when we beleeve, firſt tranſlated out of the power of Satan, before we have our new life infuſed from Chriſt: Even as a traytour cannot be ſafe from the ſentence of death, untill he be firſt taken out of the hand of a cruell Executioner: So here with us. Hence it is that, Heb. 2.15. Chriſt is ſaid firſt, to aboliſh him who hath power of death, and then to deliver thoſe, who through feare of death were ſtill ſubject to bondage.
But it may be asked, Queſt. how theſe were ſubdued by Chriſt, when we finde them ſtill encounter us?
Becauſe they have no right in us, Anſw. nor power to hurt us, and are totally in due time to be troden under our feet; therefore they are ſaid [ſubdued] not that they have not leave a while to exerciſe us.
This then muſt make us rejoyce in God our Saviour, Vſe who hath vanquiſhed ſuch enemies in our behalfe. When the great Armado in eighty eight was overthrowne, what a joy was it to all true Engliſh hearts? But this is the joy of all joyes to the Iſrael of God, to thinke how Chriſt hath troden on the Serpents head, and captivated all their power, who ſometime lead us captive.
In particular when he ſaith, Doct. Who hath ſpoiled] Obſerve hence: That God hath in Ieſus Chriſt crucified and diſarmed Satan, that he hath no weapon againſt us. It is the cuſtome of conquerours to diſarme their vanquiſhed enemies, and make a prey of what ever they have: ſo hath Chriſt Ieſus done with Satan.
For firſt, whereas they had ſin and our owne confeſſions againſt us; CHRIST tooke away our ſins, laying them on Himſelfe, and ſatisfying for them.
Secondly, whereas they having power of death, did hold us under, CHRIST bare the death in His owne Perſon, that ſo this weapon might not hurt us.
Thirdly, whereas we by reaſon of ſin and death, were in their power, He ſtripped them off us likewiſe, making the mighty deliver theſe captives: for ſin and death being taken away, by which they held us in their power, they had nothing to ſhew why wee ſhould be detained: now this was the ſpoiling of him of his free-hold as hee imagined.
This muſt teach us to ſtirre up our ſelves in ſerving GOD confidently, for why? Vſe Wee are delivered from our enemies, who are ſpoiled, that we might ſerve the LORD without feare: Great are theſe ſpirituall powers in their nature, but to thoſe that are in Chriſt, they are diſarmed, ſo that they cannot hurt us, they are naked divels, and we being in Chriſt, are in a ſtrong fort. Wherefore, as for armed men being in a ſtrong hold, it were too much ſhame to be afraid of naked enemies that ſhould offer, with nothing in their hands, to aſſaile them: So here. True it is, as children not knowing what is what, are afraid of bull-beggars which cannot hurt them. So are we here, but the LORD maketh us grow up in His ſtrength.
We ſee how to comfort our ſelves when we feele ſinne darted againſt us, or ſeeme to feele feare of death, Vſe 2 or diſcerne that the Divell doth halfe hold us ſtill, as we thinke; what muſt we doe but looke to Chriſt, tell Him, LORD thou haſt taken ſin and death out of the Divels hand, and tooke me from him likewiſe; Lord make my eye of faith cleere, that I may ſee this thy victory for me: thy victory I know is full, though in my feeling it ſeeme otherwiſe. Looke with the eye of faith to Chriſt, give glory to Him, that He hath done it, and thou ſhalt quickly ſee His victory applyed in thee: And though the Divell hold hard, feare not, all is vaine, he muſt yeeld the bucklers when all is done, to thy Lord Chriſt; his prey muſt be delivered up, he hath no right in it, nor power to hold: CHRIST did diſcharge him of the one, and brake the other in his death.
He hath made a ſhew of them openly.] Obſerve hence; Doct. How Chriſt in His death made a ſcorne of all the powers of darkneſſe, they are expoſed to open ſhame: It is ſaid of the wicked,Dan. 12. they ſhall be an everlaſting reproach; and it is a part of their deſerved puniſhment: So here, it was juſt that theſe wicked powers ſhould be expoſed to all reproach.
But what was this open ſhew of them? Queſt.
The taking them captives, Anſ. 1 the pinioning them with His Almighty power, the preſenting them before GOD, Angels, and every beleeving eye, as naked things, who are ſpoiled, and caſt out of their uſurped poſſeſſions; the filling them with confuſion: Yea, not onelyonly doth He thus make them ſtoope to His command, but made them become hang-men, doing execution at the command of His ſervants in His Name; as Paul ſaith of Hymeneus, and Alexander, I have delivered them up to Satan. 1 Tim. 20Now as a ſerpent that leaveth the ſting in one, cannot ſting againe: ſo it was with this old ſerpent; his ſting was ſo ſtricken into Chriſt, that he could not now any more ſting us who are His: Nay more, the putting him under the feet of ſuch demie creatures as we are, and making him ſerve for our good, whom he uſurped over, as cruell Pharaoh ſometime. Even as Conquerours taking their enemies captive, doe make them ſerve for baſe ſlaves in the baſeſt miniſteries, lead them along pinnioned one to another: So doth our Conquerour IESUS CHRIST.
This muſt the more make us magnifie God, Vſe and animate our ſelves under the ſhadow of His wings, who is all our ſalvation.
Note againe, that our SAVIOUR hath openly triumphed on His Croſſe; which doth let us ſee the perfect victory of Chriſt over all our enemies in His death; this was the conſummation of His Conqueſt, that the Victor did ride in His Chariot of triumph, the vanquiſhed captives of divers Nations led beſide him. When the Emperour came home, he went up to the top of the Capitoll, and there in publike view triumphed, as he ſaith of Auguſtus: Ille triumphata Capitolia ad alta Corintho, victor aget currum: This is the fulneſſe of victory.
But here a Queſtion ariſeth. Queſt. How doth this triumph on His Croſſe ſtand with His humiliation? For the firſt degree of His exaltation is made His reſurrection.
He is ſaid to triumph in regard He ſuffering, Anſw. wrought that whence His after triumph enſued. Secondly, Chriſt who in His man-hood lay conquered, and humbled under death, the ſame Perſon in regard of His God-head was conquering and triumphing: for though to faine the ſame nature in contrary taking, is a contradiction (as Schoole-men doe, who will have the humane nature formally in the greateſt felicity, and greateſt ſufferings at one inſtant) yet to affirme the ſame Perſon in divers regards humbled extreamely, and yet triumphing, is no contradiction, becauſe it is not underſtood ſecundum idem, and in reſpect of the ſame, but a diverſe nature.
Which muſt be all our rejoycing; Vſe 1 with what acclamation doe ſubjects meet, and welcome their Princes returning with victory? Such ſhould be our entertaining this heavenly newes; that our King hath ſubdued all our ſpirituall enemies; yea, triumphed over: for this argueth full conqueſt; when no wiſe man will ante victoriam cantare triumphum.
We muſt hence ſtrengthen our faith; Vſe 2 for this triumph was all our triumphs, the like being to be done in every member, through the power of this begun in the Head in behalfe of all the members. Is not the victory of a King the victory of all his ſubjects? Likewiſe can we be in danger of them whom the King hath ſurpriſed, ſo that they are altogether within his power? So it is betweene us and our ſpirituall King: the LORD give us faith.
This letteth us ſee what a potent, Vſe 3 all ſufficient SAVIOUR we have: If death and the power of hell could not prevaile againſt Him under death, and in the grave, in His loweſt humiliation; how much leſſe ſhall any creature take from Him now in glory thoſe things which He hath in keeping for us?
Finally, that He ſaith, in that His Croſſe] We ſee hence; that in CHRIST crucified all victory is obtained againſt theſe infernall enemies: this muſt be read [in that Croſſe] not [in Himſelfe] For the antecedent in all theſe is GOD the Father, working theſe things in His Sonne Ieſus Chriſt crucified: In this unlike thoſe great Potentates: they never celebrated triumphs, while they were receiving the aſſault of the enemie, but ſtayed till they were returned into their owne Countries to their Imperiall Cities; as Claudius, who when he had conquered this Countrey of Britaine, he went home to Rome, there to rule in triumph: But our LORD, while He receiveth all the hot aſſault of theſe powers of darkneſſe, triumpheth: Nobile genus vincendi Patientia, to let them doe all their worſt, and by His ſuffering it to overcome them, is a moſt triumphant kinde of conqueſt: The very fight it ſelfe is triumph. It is reported of the Lion and the Vnicorne, that there being deadly hoſtility betweene them, when the Lion ſpyeth the Vnicorne, he taketh a tree; the Vnicorne following him eagerly, runneth his horne into the tree, in which caſe the Lion ſpoileth him at his pleaſure: So betwixt our Lion of the tribe of Iudah, God-man, and theſe proud Vnicornes, thoſe ſpirituall ſons of Pride, there being great hoſtility, theſe Principalities hating GOD, and oppugning His glory in the ſalvation of mankind, it pleaſed Him to dwell under the vaile of our nature; even with ſuch a body and ſoule as we have, (ſinne excepted) that while the Divell did run with all his ſtrength, and lodge his horne, as it were, in this man; his power might be broken for ever, every ſtroake he gave, returned on his owne head; being the death of this man, hee killed himſelfe, the head of him (in which you know lyeth the life of a Serpent) was bruiſed for ever. And as angry Bees fooliſhly ſtinging once, make themſelves drones ever after: So theſe wily Serpents (but fooliſh here, if ever fooliſh) ſtinging our SAVIOUR CHRIST, have made themſelves ſtingleſſe to all that are CHRIST's, for ever: their wiſdome had beene not to have ſtirred up any ſinful men to have attached this ſacred Perſon, they ſhould have fled from Him to the moſt remote quarters of Hell, rather than have made Him ſuffer the leaſt thing from them: Had they done thus, their power in the world had ſtill remained: For as the ſparkles of fire lighting on water, are extinct; ſo ſinne and death falling on the GOD of Holineſſe and life, were extinguiſhed in Him.
The uſe is firſt to arme us, Vſe 1 that wee take not offence at the ſcandall of the world, at this that our GOD and Saviour dyed, was a man hanging upon a Croſſe: Looke by the eye of faith what victory was gotten by this Croſſe, what was the powerfull worke of this death; and then it ſhall no more hinder us in beleeving, when we know that GOD created light out of darkneſſe: Nay, that our GOD did thus by His death (as a ſecond Adam) aboliſh ſpirituall death, and bring immortality and life to mankind, is more wonderfull than the Creation of the world.
Wee ſee that when Satan ſeemeth the moſt to prevaile on CHRIST, Vſe 2 or His members, that then hee is moſt of all foiled and ſubdued: Now his power was comming, now hee made Him feele the ſting of the Croſſe, he killed Him, &c. all this was againſt himſelfe: Thus it is in all that are CHRIST's; when hee thinketh to have the greateſt hand over them, all turneth to their good; when by death they are ſtricken, death it ſelfe dyeth, and his power is almoſt quite aboliſhed. Wherefore, let us not faint in our ſtraits, but ſtand ſtill, looking to the ſalvation of GOD: Thus that type of him, Pharaoh, when he ſore tasked the Iſraelites, they moſt encreaſed; when hee had them ſo hemmed in betwixt mountaines and ſeas, that there ſeemed no evaſion, then was their deliverance at hand, and his confuſion.