Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 2 · Verse 10
VERSE 10. And yee are compleat in Him, which is the Head of all Principality and Power.
NOw he commeth to the Reaſons taken from the allſufficient benefits wee receive in Him, which firſt are laid downe in this tenth verſe indefinitely; after by particular enumeration: The reaſon from this verſe, ſtandeth thus:
You muſt not looke to others, leaving Him in whom you have the fulneſſe of all grace behoovefull given you:
But in Chriſt who is the Head of all Principality and Power, you are compleat:
Ergo, &c.
The Verſe then containeth:
1 Our moſt full bleſſedneſſe in CHRIST.
2 A repetition of His dignity, from whom we are repleniſhed.
Now in the Verſe, we muſt firſt marke the coherence. In whom having all the fulneſſe of the divine Nature, in Him you are compleat, or full.
Obſerve hence: Doct. Whence it is that CHRIST-Man doth ſend out all the ſtreames of grace, and good things to all His members, even hence, that this fountaine dwelleth in Him. Did not the divine Nature, which is the fountaine of all life naturall and ſupernaturall,Pſal 36.9. For with Him is the Well of life; Did not this dwell with this man or humane Nature; we could not be enlightned and quickned by it. So that when we reade, Ioh. 6.he that eateth my fleſh, hath life in him, we muſt know that theſe things are ſpoken truely of the man-hood: not that this Nature of it ſelfe can doe theſe things; but becauſe the Deity dwelleth with it, and by it, as by an inſtrument, joyned perſonally with it, doth properly, and efficiently worke theſe things: Even as we ſee the body of the Sunne doth enlighten all, but as an inſtrument of the firſt created light, which GOD hath united to it. This muſt be held, that neither the omnipotent power of ereating ſpirituall graces, nor yet the omnipotent action which doth produce them, is in the humane Nature, or proceedeth from the humane Nature: but in God onelyonly, and from God, in and with this humane Nature, working to the ſame effects, according to the propertie of it. As a Scrivenour writing with a pen, the effect, viz. writing may be aſcribed to the pen; for we ſay, this pen did write this: but the faculty of writing, and the proper action which produceth it, is in the ſcribe, and goeth not from the ſcribe into the pen: So here after ſome ſort, for the pen hath no reaſon and will to worke with the ſcribe in that to which it is uſed; but he is an inſtrument having this humane underſtanding, and will whereby hee worketh.
The pen is an externall inſtrument without the perſon of Him that uſeth it; but CHRIST's humane Nature is an internall inſtrument united within the Perſon of God the Sonne, as a part of His Perſon; as the body of a man is to his ſoule; yea, more nearely: for death ſevereth this, but not the other: yet in this they are like, that one is the effect, viz. the thing written is properly and efficiently from the Scribe, from the pen inſtrumentally with efficiencie of inferiour degree: So theſe divine workes which CHRIST the Mediatour worketh, the chiefe vertue, and action which properly effecteth them is in God, not communicated really with the other Nature, though it doth worke them in this humane Nature with it; yea, and by it, as a moſt neerely conjoyned inſtrument, which within the perſon of God the Sonne hath His proper actions concurring in an inferiour degree of efficiencie to that which the divine Nature principally and properly worketh. GOD worketh graces, CHRIST-Man worketh the ſame. Saint Paul by laying on of hands, giveth grace, as to Timothy; the divine Nature that createth them, and infuſeth them into this or that man, through CHRIST Man, being as a common conceptacle and conduit-pipe of them: the humane Nature worketh them not by powerfull creating them, but by taking away fin, and the cauſe, that ſo way might bee made for this promiſed Spirit, Galath. 3.14.
2 By interceding Mediator-like for them.
3 By willing the going of ſuch graces from Him, as who is with God the Sonne but one Worker, though a diſtinct principle of working, that is, though diſtinct in Nature, yet the ſame in Perſon: Hee therefore worketh them as His owne workes, from His owne power; for God's power is by Vnity of Perſon made His, the divine power not being without Him, as the power of another Perſon than He is; but being perſonally with Him.
Thoſe things which His humane Nature worketh, or which are wrought after His humane Nature; they are the workes not of an humane, but a divine Perſon: for though the Nature, according to which they are wrought, be humane; yet the Perſon working, is the Perſon of the Sonne of God. Saint Paul giveth graces by laying on of hands with Prayer: But,
1 Not as if this were any way His worke, but as intreating it from God in CHRIST, whoſe it is.
2 Not from power any way within His perſon, but without Him; even the power of another.
3 Not conjoyned with God, as the body with the ſoule, but as an inſtrument with God; as when I uſe another thing or perſon in doing this or that without my ſelfe: bence it is that CHRIST-Man doth give graces authoritativè and effectivè; yea, according to humane action doth effect them in the higheſt degree that an inſtrumentall operation cān effect any thing.
Whereas Saint Paul giveth them Miniſterialitèr, ſignifiing what God doth in Chriſt, rather than what Himſelfe doth. He that planteth and watereth is nothing, all the efficacie of his action is to get CHRIST GOD-Man give the graces he intreateth.
The uſe is, Vſe that we ſhould hence be exhorted not to reſt in man: The fleſh profiteth nothing, the ſpirit quickeneth, that is, my humane nature could not give all theſe precious benefits unto you, unleſſe the quickning Spirit did dwell in it; in Him, in whom all fulneſſe dwelleth, you are compleat.
2 From the words obſerve: That being in CHRIST, Doct. we receive all kinde of graces, and benefits, that we lacke nothing.Eph. 4.11. He is ſaid to have aſcended above all theſe aſpectable heavens, that He might fill all, viz. with the gifts of grace, as the context following cleareth.Eph. 1.3. We are bleſſed in Chriſt with all kinde of ſpirituall bleſsings: and they are ſaid to be full of love, and filled with all knowledge. Rom. 15.14.Theſe gifts may all be reduced to theſe two, Ioh. 1.17. By Chriſt commeth grace and truth: GODs favour pardoning our ſinnes, and reſtoring the life of God, and true holineſſe; for ſo truth with Saint Iohn often ſignifieth. There is a double fulneſſe: the one of gifts infuſed into us, or to be given us: the other of condition, when the ſtate is ſo full, that there is no lacke.
Now for the firſt: the Saints receive not that plenitude of inherent graces in this life, though reſpectively in regard of ſuch as have ſmall degrees, others may, and are ſaid to be full; as the Romans, and others. 2. In regard of condition, when we have all things ſo beſtowed, that nothing is wanting; now this in Chriſt all the Saints have: They have not that fulneſſe in themſelves, but in Him their Head, who is made of God every thing unto them, wiſdome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and redemption; and this Text is moſt fitly conſtrued this way; they need no other Teacher, no other Law-giver, no other Mediatour.
The uſe of it is againſt the Papiſts; Vſe 1 they are not compleat in Chriſt, other mediators, workes, their owne righteouſneſſe, ſatisfactions, indulgences, imputing the ſufferings of men to them; they have left the LORD IESUS, and are run a whoring with their owne inventions.
This muſt make us reſt only in Chriſt, Vſe 2 like Paul, caring to know nothing but Him, counting all things dung and droſſe in compariſon of Him: Fill your ſelves with Chriſt, and there will not be roome for ought elſe. Were a veſſell full of any liquor, it would receive no more: if a womans heart be full of her husband, ſhe hath no roome for other lovers: So ſhall it be with you: if you ſee by faith that your eſtate is full in Chriſt, lacking nothing, what will you care to looke further?
Laſtly, Vſe 3 on this ground, invite men to Chriſt: how is the caſe altered, if a poore woman ſhould marry the Prince? So, if we blinde, naked, beggarly things marry this Prince of glory, our poverty ſhall be exchanged with riches.
Who is the Head of all Principality and Power] That is, of all ſupreame and inferiour powers which are ſeene in the creatures viſible or inviſible: Doct. Obſ. What is the dignity of Him who is every thing to us, Hee is the chiefe above all the creatures; this is it we beleeve of Chriſt as man, aſcending into heaven, fitteth at the right hand of GOD, He is placed at GODs right hand in heavenly places, Eph. 1.21.above all principalities, and powers, and might, and domination, and every name that is named, not in this world onelyonly, but alſo in that, that is to come. 1 Pet. 3.22.Which IESUS is at the right hand of GOD, gone into heaven, to whom the Angels, and powers, and might are ſubject. To whom of the Angels ſaid He, Hebr. 1.Sit at my right hand till I make thy enemies thy foot-ſtoole? Which the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 15. conſtrueth thus: He muſt reigne, till His enemies be put under His feet.
There are three Preeminencies ſubordinate.
1 GOD above all.
2 The Mediator under God, but Head over all the Creatures.
3 Creatures over other creatures, but under Chriſt and God.
Looke as if a mighty King doe marry any woman, he maketh her Queene, next in dignity to himſelfe, above all ſubjects: So our great GOD IESUS CHRIST coupling our Nature with Himſelfe, hath in ſo doing extolled it above all creatures, which are but the workmanſhip of His hands, a part of whoſe Perſon this Nature is.
The Vſe is, the more to binde us to Chriſt: Vſe to have ſo great benefit, as to lacke nothing is a great matter; yet if we receive or hold good things from meane perſons, we weigh them the leſſe, and doe the eaſilyer part with them: but when wee have great things, and that from great perſonages in higheſt authority, we joy as much that we hold under ſuch, as in the things which are our tenure. Oh worldly wiſdome will hold in Capite, they will forfeit any thing rather than their Princes favour: the LORD make us all as carefull to hold in this head.
Still remember from theſe deſcriptions, Vſe 2 thus interſerted, what cauſeth our looking further than CHRIST, we know not His excellencie, that reſt not in Him. And ſecondly, what is the next way to bring us from turning to any lying deceit, not according to CHRIST, even this, to inſiſt much in inculcating the dignity of Chriſt, and all-ſufficiencie of Him; thus Iohn, the Iewes, Oh their Moſes had ſeene GOD, CHRIST was not ſo ancient as himſelfe, they would leave him to follow Chriſt: Oh ſaith Iohn, He that commeth after me is before me: none ever ſaw GOD but CHRIST, all have received from His fulneſſe that they had, He is the Fountaine of grace and truth.