Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 2 · Verse 21
VERSE 21. Touch not, taſte not, handle not.
Now he commeth to lay downe more diſtinctly theſe rites enjoyned them from Phariſaicall ſeducers, and he doth unfold it by a mimeticall expreſſing the charge that theſe falſe teachers gave; Touch not, taſte not, handle not] O take heed, you know all the old people were tyed from the eating, and touching of many things, as upon the touch whereof they were uncleane; God out of His moſt wiſe pleaſure annexing a legall uncleanneſſe unto them, as the touching of a dead body, of a garment ſpotted with leproſie, of one troubled with a bloudy iſſue, &c. Now the Divell that ſoweth tares did by ſome phariſaicall ſpirits, which ſo received Chriſt that they would ſtill hold the Law, he did ſet on foot by theſe amongſt the Gentiles, that unleſſe they kept the Law they could not be ſaved; this occaſioned the firſt Councell about ſome eighteene yeares after CHRIST'S death, and within ſome yeares after this occaſioned the Apoſtle to write that Epiſtle to the Galathians, the ſame kinde of men began to vent the ſame wares amongſt the Coloſsians, and gave them theſe caveats, Touch not, taſte not, handle not.
1 Obſerve from this practice of theirs: Doct. How exact and preciſe men are in their outward obſervancies, who know not the power of godlineſſe. It is the Property of all phariſaicall ſpirits, that care not for the great things of the Law, and the true ſpirituall obedience of it, they will tithe mint and cummine preciſely, waſh hands and cups, their hearts being all foule and full of luſts. For looke as idle bodies which will not follow due labour, they will go with their tales, as a Pedler with his packe, from one to another; yea, their fingers ſhall goe, and their feet ſhall ſpeake, they will occupie themſelves buſily in that which is ſuperfluous: So here, when men will not exerciſe themſelves in the power of godlineſſe, it is ſtrange how they will abound in &c. This may be ſeene in the Church of Rome, who not knowing the powerfull ordinances of God, have turned all into ſuch dumbe ſhewes, as are the Maſſe, their Preceſſions, &c. as full of ſuperfluous obſervations, as emptie of ſubſtance.
To teach us how to know theſe ſpirits; Vſe 1 he that ſtands preciſely on every little trifle, is at leaſt halfe a Phariſie.
Wee muſt take occaſion by them to be preciſe in the leaſt points of ſpirituall obedience, and not to ſtand ſo nicely on externall rites and empty ſhadowes: thoſe that doe diligently looke to themſelves this way, have no leaſure and leſſe affection to follow ſuch bawbles; Even as a man ſeriouſly occupied, hath no fancie to dally and ſport as others will, who have little to doe; So here: Who more in heavenly labour than Saint Paul? Hee laboured through the grace of GOD in Him more abundantly than they all; who more deſpiſed thoſe kinde of Iewiſh legall rites, who cryeth them downe as beggarly things which profit nothing?
2 Marke in this their enforcing theſe things, Doctr. What a hard thing it is to forgoe ſuch old rites to which we are accuſtomed; theſe had beene brought up in them, and had ſeene no other, and loe they will not part with them, no not when GOD will have them ceaſe, and CHRIST nailes them to the croſſe: Nay, they are more fond on them than before: for ſuch is the malice of our wils, that when GOD will not, then commonly we will: like thoſe Iſraelites, when they ſhould have gone up to bid battell to the Canaanites, diſcouraged with the Spies, they murmured and refuſed; when GOD would have them go backe into the wilderneſſe, and not goe on againſt them, then they would have no nay, to battell they would, to die for it. Beſides, as in other things man taketh on like a god; ſo in affecting a kinde of immutability, which maketh him hee will not be beaten off that whereunto he hath beene accuſtomed: thus it is in opinion likewiſe that one is bred up in, is often maintained too too ſtiffely: the firſt things make the deepeſt impreſſions. Let a falſe tale get the ſtart, and come the firſt to us, truth ſpoken in the ſecond place is leſſe beleeved.
Wherefore let us take heed, Vſe and not thinke, therefore things muſt ſtand, becauſe they have beene ſo ſince our knowledge, and long before, but let us ſee how all cuſtomes agree with GOD's Word and will, and ſo accordingly be affected to them. If this had beene a good reaſon: Theſe Moſaicall rites have ever beene obſerved ſince we can remember any thing, yea, by all our anceſtours; theſe Phariſies had then beene in the right: but bring the Scripture to them, rather than reforme their order to it; yea, impute defect to the firſt conſtitution, rather than condemne their owne aberration.