Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 2 · Verse 4
VERSE 4. And this I ſay, leaſt any ſhould beguile you with entiſing words.
NOw followeth the reaſon rendred of that which goeth before [this I ſay] this may be referred either to the deſcription of CHRIST, into which he digreſſed, or to the whole ſentence from the beginning of this Chapter: this I tell you, how I ſtrive for you in prayer, what I labour for on your behalfe, even that by the meanes above-named, your hearts might be comforted: and I cannot but extoll our Lord IESUS CHRIST, that you, knowing both the truth of my love, and excellency of CHRIST, may not by ſeducers bee lead through flattering detraction into falſe conceits of me his ſervant and Apoſtle, and ſo of him whom I ſerve. I take it roundly with reference to the whole antecedent matter in this Chapter. Now as this hath coherence with that branch in the words next before, it teacheth that before noted: That the knowledge of Chriſts excellency is a preſervative againſt all ſeducing ſpirits.
2 Againe, as this hath reference to that (verſe 1) I would have you know my ſtrife for you, and ſo giveth a reaſon why he mentioneth his care, Doctr. feare, fervent prayer on their behalfe; It doth let us ſee, what is a practice of falſe Teachers, even to bring us out of liking with thoſe that are faithfull ſervants of CHRIST IESUS. This Saint Paul ſuffered almoſt everywhere at their hands, in Corinth, Galatia, Philippi; where did not the Divell by ſlanders labour to weaken his authority with the Churches? thus he hath alwayes done; Moſes, yea CHRIST Himſelfe eſcaped not. Revel. 12.15. The Serpent, that is, the Divel, is ſaid to caſt out of his mouth, water as a flood after the woman, that he might cauſe her to be carryed away of the flood; that is, of the reproaches which he ſpit out at the true Church of God. As one that would winne the love of a woman, doth inſinuate diſlikes of her husband, that having looſened her affections at home; hee might the more eaſily bring her to his lure: So doth Sathan by his inſtruments weaken the affections of people toward Chriſts ſervants, that he may after bring them to Himſelfe and His Prophets: thus he now buzzes into peoples eares that the faithfull Miniſters are ſo proud, ſo cenſorious, that it is no living with them, ſo ſtrict they will allow no liberty, enemies to all good neighbourhood and fellowſhip where they come.
But knowing whereto theſe things tend, Vſe let us bee wiſe in time; if we know Miniſters to be faithfull, upright and godly in their places, let us bee to them as an honeſt woman is to her husband, faithfull, loyall and conſtant, ſhee hath no eares to heare any ſuggeſtion againſt him.
2 This coherence teacheth us, When it is lawfull to protest our owne care, love and faithfulneſſe to our people, when it ſerveth to breake the ſnares of beguilers, and ſuch as lie in waite to ſeduce.
But to come to the matter: The verſe layeth downe two things:
1 The Apoſtle his caution.
2 The evill which he doth ſo warily keepe off: The firſt, [this I ſay] warily preventing: The ſecond, [that you may not be deceived with flattering ſpeech.] The evill is ſet downe by a double cauſe:
The one inward, to bee gathered out of that word foreign, that is craft and wilineſſe of falſe teachers: for this word ſignifieth to deceive ſophiſtically with ſhew of reaſon, which hath not ſound reaſon under it.
The ſecond outward, perſwaſive ſpeech fitted to ſeduce and deceive.
The Summe is: I ſpeake this out of a cautelous feare I have, that no evill inſtrument may deceive you either by wyles, or glozing words, with which theſe uſe to lie in wayte for to pervert and corrupt unſtable ſoules.
1 Obſerve hence: Doct. How carefull wee muſt bee to keepe our people out of the hands of deceivers: hence come all thoſe faithfull watch-words; when a Prophet ariſeth, if daughter, wife, or any withdraw you from God, though they foretell things or worke wonders, believe them not. Our SAVIOUR CHRIST giveth this advertiſement: Beware of falſe Prophets which come to you in ſheepes cloathing. Many falſe Prophets ſhall come, and falſe Chriſts which ſhall deceive the very Elect if it were poſsible. Often Saint Paul, be not deceived, let no man deceive you. No wonder; is not a faithfull Shepheard ſhy of Woolves? If flocks of five pounds a ſcore be ſo carefully kept; how much more muſt wee bee carefull of our ſoules, whom Christ hath redeemed with His pretious bloud?
This then muſt teach Paſtors wiſedome: Vſe Saint Pauls example is their inſtruction: every bad leven which any ſpreadeth, is doctrine of divells: we muſt encounter theſe Woolves, and keepe our charges untouched of them. What a pitty is it, when ſo many doe by life and doctrine adificare ad geheunam; that none is found, who hath courage once to barke at it? we faile herein of that charge the Apoſtle giveth; Take heede to the flocke of God, Acts 20.28.whereof the Holy Ghoſt hath made you over ſeers.
2 Marke the force of ſeaſonable ſpeeches, Doct. they preſerve the people: A word ſpoken in ſeaſon is like Apples of gold with pictures of ſilver. In civill dangers the barke of a dogge frayeth a theefe, and awakeneth a family, and ſo ſaveth a houſehold: how much more ſhall the voyce of the Lords Paſtors affright theſe wicked impoſtors and awaken the Saints: Their voice, with which God Himſelfe goeth, is able to make hell ſhake at the ſound of it.
Wherefore let us awaken our ſelves, Vſe yea the Lord open our mouthes who are His watchmen every where, that we may ſpeake in this kind: The theefe (I meane the Divell) ſpoyleth at pleaſure whyle we keepe ſilence.
3 Marke, what falſe teachers fight with, namely, with deceite, Doct. 1 Co. 11.3.ſhow of reaſon, not ſound reaſon; I am affrayd (ſaith St. Paul) leaſt any by ſubtilety hath beguiled you, as the Divell did Eve: Epheſ. 4.Bee not carryed about through the deceit of falſe teachers; wherewith they lie in wayte to deceive. Lying Sophiſtry is the Divells logicke: His logicke is made onelyonly of fallacyes. Thus looke at the Papiſts; what are all that Goliah his volumes, but very ſophiſtry, ſhowes of Scripture, of councills, Fathers, reaſons, as is at large prooved by many of our Writers?
Let us not then be carryed away wth babie cards, Vſe when we heare all the Fathers, Scriptures, reaſons brought; for thus have Heretiques, as Dioſcorus, and the Divell done: though they have no ſound reaſon; yet they have ſophiſticall ſhewes: and falſehood hath ſuch colour ſometime, that ſhee ſeemeth more true then truth it ſelfe.
Let us whet up our diligence by it, Vſe 2 and fly to him who hath treaſures of knowledge and wiſdom, that He would keepe us in His truth, and make us deſcry the things that differ.
Laſtly obſerve, Doct. what kind of language they uſe, ſuch as is full of flattery, and glozing. Even as a foule faced Whore paynteth her face; ſo doe they their bad cauſe with eloquent inſinuation, and ſuch kindneſſe and curteſy as ſmelleth ſtrong of craft and ſubtilty in a wiſe mans ſenſes. They are ſayd, Ro. 16.18. foreign.with faire ſpeeches and flatterings to deceive the hearts of the ſimple: this is their ſheeps garment, at leaſt a part of it: this is the Iezabels painted face. All falſe Prophets dwell at Placenza (as the Italian ſpeaketh) they will ſpeake pleaſingly, ſometimes tickle itching eares with ſuch compt elegancies as may make them admired; ſometime fawning, and pretending ſuch kindneſſe as the Divell their father did to our firſt Parents, you ſhall bee like Gods, when indeed he knew they ſhould become like Divels. Yet all perſwaſive force of ſpeech is not to be condemned; which Saint Paul himſelfe frequenteth, I love you from my heart roote: what is our glory, our crowne of rejoycing, but you in the day of the Lord Ieſus? But when a man laboureth by affected Rhetorique and ſweete eloquution, without the power of Gods ſpirit and evidence of matter to winne an acclamation to that he propoſeth; touching this ſaith Saint Paul 1 Cor. 2.4. My word, and my preaching ſtood not in the entiſing ſpeech of mans wiſdom, but in plaine evidence of the ſpirit and of power. Otherwiſe Apollos was foreign, eloquent; and who a better orator then Chryſostome? Neither is it unlawfull to give kind words to people, but when one ſpeaketh all to flatter, and beyond truth ſpeaketh pleaſingly, will no where offend, nor freely rebuke, and ſtill doth this that he may worke them to the liking of the opinions he falſly venteth; In briefe, when it is made a cuppe of fine wine to carry to the heart more effectually a cuppe of deadly poyſon; whereas the faithfull ones, they commend good things in us that they may more equally in their juſt reproofes be heard of us. As a Phyſitian guildeth a pill that it may be taken the better, or to encourage them, and excite them to thankefullneſſe, or ſome ſuch purpoſe.
To teach us godly wiſedome, Vſe and by learning the cunning of theſe men, to bee fore-armed againſt the hurt of them. If the tongue of Angells ſhould withdraw us from CHRIST or any part of his truth, the Lord give us power to accurſe them, and turne from them as moſt dangerous Syrens, that thus goe about to bewitch us.