Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 36
THE XXXVI. LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Coloſſians.
COLOS. Chap. 4. verſ. 5.
5 Walke wiſely towards them that are without, and redeeme the ſeaſon.
HAuing ſpoken (brethren) of the particular admonitions that were giuen by the Apoſtle to particular eſtates of men and women, eſpecially dwelling in one familie and houſehold: wee returned againe to the generall exhortation, pertaining to men and women of all eſtates, high and low; poore and rich; Princes and ſubiects; maſters and ſeruants; and to all alike. The firſt generall wee heard the laſt day, and intreated of it as God gaue the grace: it was an exhortation to prayer and perſeuerance in prayer. It is not enough to pray, but thou muſt perſeuere in prayer: be ardent and earneſt in it night and day: for ſo thou haſt neede to doe if thou conſider thy wants. VntoUnto perſeuerance in prayer, he ioyneth watchfulnes; which is nothing els but feruentnes and earneſtnes to pray with an ardent deſire; otherwiſe thou ſcorneſt him, if thou deale with him for faſhion; and thou ſcorner Prayer.wilt be met with, and ſhalt finde thy prayer to be but fooliſhnes. Eccleſ. 2. 17.Then when he hath done this in generall, he comes in ſpeciall to himſelfe, and deſires them to pray together for him among the reſt; conſidering that there was none that needed more then he, becauſe he was lying in bands for the Goſpell: and therefore had an impediment to vtter with libertie that myſterie of Ieſus Chriſt, which is nothing els but the Goſpell hid vp in a myſterie, to the conſolation and ſaluation of the world.
Now to come to the text, here followeth the ſecond generall exhortation, and it is to walke, but with wiſedome: ſo in a word it is an exhortation to vſe wiſedom in their actions, and proceedings whatſoeuer. For what auailes it to doe ought, except it be done wiſely? But to weigh the words as the Lord will giuegive grace. Walke (ſaith he) You ſhall finde this oft recommended, you are neuer bidden ſleepe, or ſit idle, but euer walking: Walke.occupation, buſines, doing is recommended. This Chriſtian calling that wee hauehave in Chriſt Ieſus, it is not to ſit idle, to be ſluggiſh, to ſleepe and ſlumber, to ſit, to lie and to ſtand ſtill in one place; but it is to walke, to goe, to be on your iourney. Wee are pilgrims, and a pilgrime would euer be on his feet; and if he reſt, it would be ſhortly and ſpeedily diſpatched, and euer to the iourney. Our calling is to occupation, and labouring here, but thou ſhalt ceaſe from thy labour after this life. To whom is this promiſe made to ceaſe from your labour? but to thoſe who are diligently and earneſtly occupied here in the vineyard of the Lord, euer taking heede to their waies, that they offend not the great God of heauen: and therefore thou ſhouldeſt labour if thou wouldeſt reſt after this life. And I ſay (brethren) a true Chriſtian is not a ſluggard or The true Christian labours in a lawfull calling.an idle bodie, but a doing man, and of all ſorts of men he is the moſt actiue. Take the example of the Apoſtle, he ſaid not only that he walked with a ſlow pace, repoſing himſelfe in this world, but he ranne as a man in a race, the firſt Epiſtle Cor. 9. chap. with great ſpeed, and in that race he ranne ſo faſt, that he looked not behind him, to look ouer his ſhoulder, he took no time, but his eye was ſtill on the marke: for ſtanding in the race is the loſſe of time. Therefore ſit not downe to count what thou haſt done, but ouer thy ſhoulder with it, and ſtill goe forward. Well (ſaith he) walke, be occupied, be doing, it is not enough to be doing eueryevery way, for it were better for ſome to be idle when they are doing. The greater part runs to miſchiefe, and are doing wickedly. How ſhould they walke? Wiſely. In the Epiſtle to the Epheſians fift chapter, he expreſſeth this in more words, Walke (ſaith he) circumſpectly, conſideratly, diligently, not as fooles, but as wiſe men: theſe are his words, then walking is commended. But how? with wiſedome. The Lord giues wiſedome to men: yea, walke ſo circumſpectly, that thou take heede to each footſtep, when thou lifts thy foote take heede where thou ſets it: The life of a Chriſtian is ſo preciſe: therefore looke about thee; for the world lookes vponupon thee. Thou walkeſt in the light, walke then in a comely manner. Finally, in thy walking walke ſo wiſely, that thou let paſſe no circumſtance neither of time, place, nor perſon; but hauehave an eye to all, euen to all. Then to giuegive you the leſſon: Our honourable calling is to labour, walking and occupation, but with al wiſdome, conſideration and diſcretion; and a Chriſtian man or woman muſt be wiſe as they are laborious. They muſt not be fooles, ruſhing and rumbling, running headlong to eueryevery thing without taking any regard, which is a ſhaming of themſelues oftentimes. Thou muſt not walke ſo: this is common to eueryevery Chriſtian, but eſpecially to thoſe whom God hath ſet ouer others it chiefly appertaines; I meane the miniſters: they muſt bee moſt circumſpect. The eyes of the world are vponupon them; they are vponupon the mountain, nothing can eſcape them; but all is marked: therefore this wiſedome is ſpecially required of them. Paul in the ſecond Epiſtle to Timothie chap. 2. he Miniſters muſt pray they may walke circumſpectly.ſaith, conſider theſe things, then with a prayer he ſayth, The Lord giuegive thee wiſedome in all things. The Lord giuegive a Miniſter wiſedome in all things: for there was neuer more neede then there is now. And Ieſus Chriſt ſaith, Be prudent and wiſe like Serpents, and ſimple like doues. So this wiſedome that he craues is not the wiſedome of this falſe double world, but wiſedome that is in the ſimplicitie of the heart. The Lord ſaue vsus from the wiſedome of theſe politike heads; it is not that wiſedome Serpentine wiſedome with ſimplicitie.that the Lord commends to vsus. The Lord ſhall iuſtifie our wiſdome, when their wiſedome ſhall be counted falſe policie in that great day. Would ye hauehave example of both theſe wiſedomes, of the wiſedome of the Serpent, and of the wiſedome of ſimplicitie like the Doue? To make that plaine, I ſhall let you ſee both in the 23. of the Acts. Paul is accuſed, he is ſtanding before Ananias the high Prieſt, making his defence: The firſt word he vtters, he ſaith, In all good conſcience I hauehave ſerued my God to this day. This is the preface, here appeares not the wiſedome of Serpents, but the ſimplicitie of a doue, laying out before them that life hee had led in a good conſcience before God. We muſt follow him, and muſt in all delations and accuſations ſtand vp and proteſt before that God that ſeeth all, that in a good conſcience we hauehave ſtriuen in al things to ſeeke the glorie of God and his ſeruice. Then Ananias hearing this proteſtation, he commaunds to ſtrike the man on the mouth. Alas, the world cannot abide to heare that the ſeruant of God keepes a good conſcience! Then he ſaith, O whited wall, the time 1 The ſimplicitie of a doue in Paul.will come when the Lord ſhall ſtrike thee: ſo the Apoſtle ſtands ſtiffe in defence of his good conſcience before God, and will not hold his tongue of that, but foretels to Ananias the iudgement that was to come vponupon him. Well, ſhould wee holde our tongues here? No brethren, ſo long as the Lord opens our mouthes to ſpeake, I ſay, we were traytors aboue all traytors to King, Church, and Countrey, if we foretold not that heauie iudgement that ſhall follow vponupon ſuch proceedings; nay, if we ſhould hold our tongue, the earth, and the walles ſhall crie out that a iudgement ſhall come vponupon ſinners. Then hitherto he hath vttered his ſimplicitie, and fooliſh ſimplicitie, as they 2 The wiſedome of a Serpent in Paul.eſteemed it. The foreſt enemies that then purſued him were the Phariſies and Sadduces: then the Lord giues him the wiſedome of a Serpent, and he ſhewes that he is a Phariſie, and the ſonne of a Phariſie, and that hee was brought there in iudgement for the hopes ſake he had of the reſurrection of the dead, and in this he ſpeakes no lye, but ſpeakes the trueth, as it was. The Phariſies hearing that, they fell by the eares with the Sadduces, and ſo he eſcapes. The Lord giuegive vsus this wiſedome and ſimplicitie in the like danger.
Walke wiſely. In the Epiſtle to the Epheſians chap. 5. verſ. 15. he deſires this wiſedome, and he makes it to be the vnderſtanding of the will of God. Wiſedome then what is it? The vnderſtanding of Gods will. The wiſe man what is he? He that vnderſtands Wiſedome what it is.Gods will, the rule of our actions. What is our owne will? Nothing but crooked, and backward, and makes an ouerthwart and backward action: but Gods will is ſtraight, and makes all our actions that are done after his will, ſtraight and euen. Who is the wiſe man? not he that followes his own will, wit and reaſon, but he who in all his doings followes the rule of Gods will, and renounceth his owne reaſon. Take thy reaſon and thy will and binde them, and either conforme them to the will of God, or elſe they ſhall carrie thee to damnation, Naturall reaſon and will.and thou who wouldſt be wiſe, be a foole. There was neuer mā that followed his owne wit and will from the firſt to the laſt, but in the end (howbeit it was plauſible for the time) he hath lamented miſerably, and hath found that hee hath run without a rule or marke, and that he was a foole. Nay, if thou follow thine owne will, it ſhall miſcarie thee, and thou ſhalt find that thou haſt wraſtled with thine owne ſhadow, and it ſhall diſappoynt thee of thy proceedings. Would to God that men could conſider this.
To goe forward: Walke wiſely. Toward whom? Toward them that are without, that is, without that bodie of Ieſus Chriſt, that are ſtraungers from that folde, ſuch as were the Gentiles in thoſe daies: for all the Coloſsians were not conuerted at that Eph. 2. 12time. This is the eſtate of this world, there are ſome within and domeſtickes in the houſe of God, through Ieſus Chriſt; and there are ſome without, as ſtraungers that want the faith of Ieſus as yet. This is the diuiſion of the whole world. For the Church of God is compared to a citie that is placed in the middeſt of a naughtie and crooked generation: within this The Church like a citie.are the faithfull, at the leaſt they that profeſſe the faith; without are the faithleſſe. They that are within, are as many lights holding out the light of life; and they that are without, are in darknes, without Chriſt; aliants from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, without the life of God, yea, without God. This is their miſerie. Woe is them that are without! Now wiſedome ſhould be vſed in reſpect of both, but eſpecially in reſpect of the ſtraungers, and that for ſundrie cauſes: Firſt, in reſpect of the enemies themſelues, that wee giuegive not them iuſt offence to abide out of the Church: for who delights to ſee men keepe away from Chriſt? And I proteſt, I wiſh that thoſe men that hauehave gone back, that they creepe in againe into the Church of God. Our walking with wiſedome ſhould be, that we giuegive them not iuſt offence to keepe backe. Next, it ſhould be in reſpect of our ſelues: Thou that haſt adoe with prophane men, beware of thy ſelfe; forthou that wilt eate and drinke with them, and make merchandiſe with them, to ſpeake with them, I will aſſure thee they are able to make thee prophane. Beware then, there are ſome that care not what company they haunt: Companie.well, knowes thou of what mettall thou art? thy bodie is no more readie to receiue the peſtilence, and to be infected with Note.it, then thy ſoule is to receiue the peſtilence of idolatrie and ſinne. Woe worth euill companie, as many hauehave ſaid at the place of their execution. Be not deceiued (ſaith the Apoſtle) euill ſpeeches corrupt good manners, 1. Epiſtle to the Corinthians chap. 15. verſ. 33. T he third is in reſpect of this Goſpell, that the enemie that is readie to blaſpeme the Goſpell, get no occaſion to ſpeake euill of it, that ſhould be our chiefe reſpect. Make much of this glorious Goſpell, account of the myſterie of Ieſus Chriſt, eſteeme it the moſt precious pearle that euer was. For I ſhall tell you what they are doing, thy eye is not ſo vponupon others, as their eye is vponupon thee to marke thy doings, ſeeking occaſion to diſgrace thee, and through thy ſides to ſmite Chriſt in blaſpheming his Goſpell.
To goe forward: This wiſedome here commended ſtands eſpecially in taking opportunitie of well doing, when it is offered. And therefore the Apoſtle makes mention of this circumſtance, that he that would be wiſe ſhould take the opportunitie. He is neuer to be accounted wiſe, who when God offers the occaſion, miſſeth the opportunitie; and he is the wiſe man that takes the opportunitie when it is offered. For the Lord in that counſell, as he hath ordained things to be done, ſo hee hath preſcribed the opportunitie and time when each thing ſhould be done. Nay, if it were but a ſtraw or a haire to fall to the ground, hee hath appoynted the time of it. Behold the prouidence of God, for as he hath ordained the action, ſo hath he preſcribed the time of the action in ſuch ſort, that if men loſe the time to doe well and ſpeake well, they ſhall loſe Take time when it is offered.their turne: for let time goe by thee, then adiew, thou ſhalt neuer lay hold of it againe. Time is painted with a balde hinder part of the head: thou canſt not draw it backe againe: All the Kings of the world hauehave no power to bring time once paſt backe againe. The worldly wiſe men conſider this, when opportunitie is offered, O how they wil take hold of occaſion! and will condemne themſelues if they let it ſlip. If this be the wiſedome of the world, what ſhould be our wiſedome? for this houre, wherein I am ſpeaking, is the acceptable time, wherein Ieſus Chriſt is offered. It is the day of grace, and ſo long as you heare this ſaluation, vnderſtand it. It is the time of grace, therfore lay hold of this time, let not an houre eſcape you; and when thou heareſt this Goſpel, take hold of grace, and let thy prayer be ardent. MercieMercy is offered, Lord giuegive me the hand to receiue merciemercy. Now (brethren) this day is paſsing, it is going, ſo they who would be ſaued, let them take hold of grace this day: for it will not alwaies be with you. And be aſſured, when it ſhall goe away, many ſhall periſh; and if it goe away, many in Scotland ſhall goe to hell. Therefore foreſlow not your time, apprehend grace while it may be had.
Now brethren, it is hard to get this ſeaſon; for it is ſayd in the Epiſtle to the Epheſ. chap. 5. verſ. 16. that the daies are euill, and euill daies will ſtand vp betwixt thee and this time of grace, therefore (ſaith he) redeeme the time. It will not come to thy hand, but many impediments ſhall ſtand vp betwixt thee and it; yea death it ſelfe: therefore thou muſt redeeme it. The word is borowed from Merchants, who when they ſee opportunitie of merchandiſe, they will goe ſpeedily to it, and let all other things goe, to get their gaines of it: Euen ſo a good Chriſtian man and woman, when they ſee occaſion of well doing, they muſt hazard and if it were their life, to get a grip of that occaſion. And I ſay rather then wee ſhould loſe this occaſion of the Goſpell, if it were to the loſſe of our life, wee ſhould not be ſlouthfull in it. What ſhould we loſe thereby? nay nothing, but we ſhall be reſtored a thouſand folde. So the good Chriſtian will bee buſie and vigilant to redeeme the time, and will buy the firſt occaſion to doe well, becauſe it is not at his hands. Paul ſaith, there is a doore opened to me, &c. but there be many impediments: ſo if thou be a merchant in Chriſts cauſe, thou ſhalt neuer repent thee, buy the occaſion to glorifie God, if it were with thy life. This lieth not in the hand of fleſh and bloud, but it muſt come of God. Paul ſaith, be partakers of afflictions, &c. And ſeeing it lieth not in thy hand to buy this occaſion, but that it muſt come of God, therefore be earneſt to ſeeke power of him. Now the Lorde ſtrengthen vsus in theſe dangerous daies, and grant vsus grace to keepe this time and occaſion of the Goſpell, that we hold vp the light of it before the faces of men. Now the Lord heare vsus for his ſonnes ſake Ieſus Chriſt, to whom with the Father and holie Ghoſt, be aſcribed, as moſt due is, all power and praiſe for euer and euer,
Amen.