Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 39
THE XXXIX. LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Coloſſians.
COLOS. Chap. 4. verſ. 10. 11.
10 Ariſtarchus my priſon fellow ſaluteth you, and Marcus Barnab as couſin (concerning whom, yee hauehave receiued commaundements: If he come vntounto you, receiue him)
11 And Ieſus which is called Iuſtus, who are of the Circumciſion. Theſe only being helpers with me in the kingdome of God, hauehave been comfort vntounto me.
IF you remember (brethren) the things that hauehave been ſpoken before, you may perceiue, that in theſe verſes and the reſt following, there is contained, as wee may ſay, the ſeuenth part of the whole Epiſtle, and the fourth part of this particular chapter. And conſiſteth principally of ſalutations or greetings, which ſome that were with Paul, whē he wrote this Epiſtle, ſent to the Church of Coloſſe, and with commendatiōs alſo, which the ſaid Church was in Pauls name (and it may be in the name of diuers that were preſent with him) to do to another Church, & ſome particular members of it. The firſt ſort of theſe two ſalutations, are comprehended in theſe verſes that we hauehave read, and ſo on in the 12. 13. and 14. The other is contained in the fifteenth verſe. And wee are to mark, for the more cleere vnderſtanding of the text, that theſe greetings are ſent from two kinds of people, according as the world it ſelf was diuided, and as God was pleaſed out of them to gather a Church vntounto himſelfe: that is to ſay, they were ſent, partly from the circumciſed, meaning thereby the Iewes, becauſe that ſigne was in ſome vſe among them at that time: and partly from the vncircumciſed, that is from the Gentiles, who were not clogged, or to be clogged with that ceremonie. Of theis latter he ſpeaketh verſ. 12. 13. 14. and of the former in theſe two verſes, yet ſo as we muſt vnderſtand that one of thē alſo was a Gentile, namely Aristarchus, as we ſhal better perceiue anone. And this I would hauehave further to be marked, that hauing begun in ſome of the foregoing verſes to treate of priuate and particular affaires, hee holdeth on here in theſe and the reſt following, that ſo all and eueryevery one of the Church might vnderſtand, that he was both carefull for, and mindfull of the whole, and eueryevery one of them, and of al their good, ſpecially ſpirituall, which ſhould cauſe thē likewiſe to affect him.
Thoſe three perſons that are mentioned in theſe two verſes, are after a double manner deſcribed here. For either he doth by ſome particular deſcription commend them to the Coloſſians, and of this ſort are, my fellow in bands, attributed to Ariſtarchus; Barnabas kinſman, attributed to Marke; Iustus attributed to Ieſus: with ſome cōmon title, common I meane either to two of them; and that is that they were of the Circumciſion: or els to all three together, that they onelyonly helpe him in Gods kingdome, and were ſingular comforts vntounto him. The firſt of theſe is named here Aristarchus. He was of Theſſalonica in Macedonia, and was conuerted by Pauls miniſterie and preaching, and accompanying him in moſt of his iourneys, he was taken with him, as alſo was Gaius, in the tumult that was made at Epheſus againſt him, which being pacified, hee accompanied Paul going into Aſia, and was caried priſoner together with Paul vntounto Rome. If you would ſee theſe things more at large, look Act. 19. 28. & 20. 4. & 27. 2. Mention alſo is made of him in Pauls Epiſtle to Philemon, where among others named in that place, hee is ſaid to be Pauls helper: as in this text hee is counted and called his priſon fellow. All tending to this end, not onelyonly to ſhew the manifold graces that God had vouchſafed to ſhew to Ariſtarchus, which were manifeſted by ſound fruits euen from the time of his conuerſion to that preſent houre, and particularly his zeale and conſtancie in the truth, that by no tumults or trials did ſhrinke from it, and his care and louelove towards the Apoſtle, with whom he ſtood foorth and abode euen in bonds: but the better to moue the Coloſſians, with godly ioy and louelove to receiue a man of ſuch worthie parts, and to credit him in what he ſhould ſay, or in any thing they ſhould ſend by him. And this teacheth vsus, whom wee ſhould beſt eſteeme, like of or credit, euen thoſe that hauehave bin moſt faithfull and faſt to God, his trueth and miniſters. For as we moſt miſlike, or ſhould miſlike them that are moſt wicked, as the Prophet ſaith Pſal. 139. Doe not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? yea I hate them right ſore, as though they were mine enemies: ſo ſhould we moſt dearely eſteeme, and carefully commend the moſt godly and faithfull, that ſo we might ſay of our ſelues, as the Prophet Dauid doth, Pſal. 16. My goodnes reacheth not vntounto thee, O God, but to the Saints that are on the earth: all my delight is in them.
The ſecond mentioned here is named Marke, whom ſome interpreters make the ſecond amongſt them that were circumciſed, and are mentioned in this place. I will not greatly contend about this, though I hauehave before expreſſed my minde touching the ſame. To me it ſeemeth, that becauſe Ariſtarchus was a Gentile, and we reade nothing of his circumciſion, that it is manifeſt to thinke Marke to be the firſt of them, who as it ſhould ſeeme was a Iew, or at leaſtwiſe deſcended of ſome Iewiſh parents and kinred, and therefore likely yea certaine, that he was circumciſed. Who this man was, and what he was, the holie hiſtorie will ſufficiently declare: and particularly wee may reade of him, Act. 12. 12. and 13. 5. 13. and 15. 27. and in other places. It ſhould ſeeme he had two names, Iohn & Mark, but this latter being his ſurname, as appeareth Acts 12. 12. where alſo it appeareth that he was the ſonne of one Mary a godly woman, which likewiſe is manifeſted by this, that the Church met in her houſe, and that Peter after hee was deliuered out of priſon, came to the ſame place. This man, when Paul and Barnabas returned from Ieruſalem, was taken into their companie, and miniſtred vntounto them all their iourney, euen vntill they came to Perga a citie of Pamphilia, where departing from them he returned to Ieruſalem, by meanes whereof there aroſe that great controuerſie betweene Paul and Barnabas, mentioned in the Acts, and that after they came from the Synod or Councell held at Ieruſelem, Act. 15. through which contention, Paul and Barnabas were ſeuered, and Barnabas tooke Marke who went with him into Cyprus. But theſe iars and diuiſions notwithſtanding, Mark was reconciled to Paul, and was with him when he was priſoner at Rome, and miniſtred vntounto him in his bands, as appeareth both in this place, and alſo in the epiſtle to Philemon verſ. 24. and 2. Timot. 4. 11. where hee ſaith: Take Marke and bring him with thee, for he is profitable vntounto me to minister. And hee is deſcribed here by two adiuncts, as I may ſay: the firſt is his affinitie with Barnabas, whoſe couſin he is ſaid to be. From whence we learne, that affinitie amongſt great men in the Church, ſpecially if they be godly and faithfull indeed, ſhould make them more eſteemed among the Saints, and ſhould worke a greater eſtimation of them in our hearts, euen for their kinreds ſake, by whom the Lord hath inlarged the glorie of his name amongſt vsus. Otherwiſe wee ſhould ſhew our ſelues to be ſuch as would not be moued, neither by the graces of God in their callings, nor by the gift of nature in their kinred & fleſh, God hauing ioyned both together as it were in one perſon, that by all meanes wee might learne to draw nigh vntounto him, and to ſay indeede, amongſt our ſelues, O how beautifull are the feete of them that bring glad tidings, euen the glad tidings of the Goſpell! Secondly, he is ſet foorth as a man furniſhed with commandements from Paul and others, in theſe words: concerning whom ye hauehave receiued commaundements. Theſe commandements touching him, were directed vntounto diuers Churches, and amongſt the reſt to that of Coloſſe. The tenour or effect of the commaund was, that if he came vntounto them, they ſhould receiue him reuerently, intertaine him kindly, and purſue him with due honour, as we would ſay, as the true and faithfull ſeruant of Chriſt Ieſus. There might be many cauſes of this commaund: but two eſpecially worthie to be conſidered. Men are backward to good workes generally, and particularly to religious intertainment of the Saints. This iniquitie Paul laboureth to preuent in the Coloſſians, by this good caueat. Againe, becauſe Paul had before refuſed to take him with him, and that for this reaſon, becauſe he departed from Paul and Barnabas in Pamphilia, and refuſed to be their companion in that worke and labour of the Lord: and thereupon men might ſuppoſe, that Paul caried that hard conceit of him ſtill, and particularly the Coloſsians might happily deeme, that if hee ſhould come vntounto them, hee was not meete to be admitted. But the Apoſtle hauing proued his repentance, and ſeene his ſyncere care to promote the Goſpell, did againe commend him to the Church. And from hence we ſhould learne, that no former offences ſhould be remembred or thought vponupon, after the heart is truly touched for them, and men are mutually reconciled: but that as God forgetteth and forgiueth whatſoeuer is paſt, when men hauehave No vpbraiding with paſt tranſgreſſions after repentancevnfainedly repented; ſo ſhould his Saints and ſeruants doe vponupon earth, neuer remembring other mens paſt iniquities, much leſſe vpbrayding them with them, ſpecially when they hauehave ſhewed ſure ſignes of amendment. And therefore wee may ſee how much they are out of the way and miſlead by Satans malice, and their owne corrupt heart, that will vponupon eueryevery light occaſion hit men in the teeth with their former falles, plainly manifeſting by this, that they neuer felt ſin in themſelues, nor vnfainedly remitted the ſame in others: for had they done ſo, theſe and ſuch like corruptions could not hauehave caried ſway in them, as we ſee it doth.
It followeth in the text. And Ieſus, which is called Iuſtus. Of this man being the ſecond, I take it of the circumciſed mentioned here, as we hauehave ſaid before, I finde no mention in any other place of the New Teſtament but in this: and therefore cannot ſay much. Euen here he hath two names: the one Hebrue, that is Ieſus: the other Latin, that is Iuſtus. Both his names imply and ſignifie good things, by which alſo it ſhould ſeeme he was a good man. But becauſe we hauehave no more certaintie of his life and qualities, this ſhall be ſufficient that hath been generally ſpoken.
Now it followeth, to ſee what the Apoſtle ſaith of all theſe together. Theſe onelyonly are my workefellowes vntounto the kingdome of God, which hauehave been vntounto my conſolation. This is a general commendation of them, and in it concerning them he affirmeth two things. The firſt, that they were fellow-labourers or workmen with him, in aduauncing the kingdome of God, they all ioyning hearts and hands together in ſetting forward that excellent A good thing when faithfull men ioyne together in well doing.worke. The ſecond, and it doth in part proceed from the former, namely that they were no ſmall comfort vntounto him, meaning thereby, not onelyonly as in regard of aduauncing the worke of the miniſterie, but alſo yeelding him ſound conſolation in his impriſonment and bands, and that made me to ſay before, in part proceeding from the former. By the kingdome of God in this place, omitting the diuers acceptions of the word in the Scriptures, ſpecially of the New Teſtament, is meant the glorious Goſpell of Chriſt, by which, as it were by What is meant by the kingdome of God.a ſtanderd lifted vp, God gathereth a Church vntounto himſelfe, and thereby manifeſteth to men a meanes, whereby they may hauehave entrance into the ſaid Church: yea by which he guideth and gouerneth, both the Church it ſelfe, and all thoſe that are gathered thereinto: the Goſpell ſeruing not onelyonly to begin and beget faith and a good conſcience, but to hold men on in the ſame, and to cauſe them to grow therein. And yet this double commendation of them, is amplified by theſe words in the text, that theſe were they alone of the Circumciſion, who holpe him in promoting Chriſts kingdome at Rome, and did much comfort him, as before hath bin ſhewed. And that word onelyonly would be marked, becauſe that from it we may probably conclude, either that Peter was neuer at Rome at all: or elſe that if he were there, he was not ſo good and faithfull a head to Peter not at Rome.the Church, nor ſo comfortable a companion to his fellow Apoſtle, as the Romane Catholikes do make him. For if he were at any time at Rome, I would faine know what time we ſhould rather thinke him to hauehave been at Rome, then a little before that time, which they themſelues aſſigne to his paſſion or ſuffering there, which in their owne opinion is the very ſelfeſame time in which this Epiſtle was written, they affirming that both Peter and Paul ſuffered and were crucified at Rome in one and the ſelfeſame yeere. But it appeareth by this which is ſaid here, that Peter was not then at Rome, when from thence he wrote this Epiſtle. And beſides, how can it be credible, that if hee had been then at Rome, hee ſhould not hauehave furthered Paul in aduauncing Chriſts kingdome? or ſhould not hauehave yeelded him comfort in his bands? To ſay or thinke the firſt, is at the leaſt to make him a diſſembler of his religion, or a denier of Chriſt, as once he had done before: but they hold, that after he had receiued the holie Ghoſt, he was freed from all error, ſpecially in faith, though they forget his fall mentioned in the Galathians, & remember not, that if that intituled him into not erring, the reſt of the Apoſtles had as great a priuiledge that way as he, becauſe they al equally receiued the ſpirit. And to affirme the other, is to make him vncharitable, and to note him to be a forſaker of the brethren, and not a fellow ſufferer with them in their bands and afflictions. So that whileſt they goe about to bring him to Rome, they hauehave ſpunne a fayre threed, in that they pull vponupon him, and by conſequent vponupon themſelues, theſe inconueniences at the leaſt. But the truth is, hee was not there. And for the further ſtrongthening of vsus therein, we are to be perſwaded, that if he had been there, the Apoſtle, who is ſo carefull, yea ſo curious as it were, both in this and other Epiſtles of his written from Rome, mentioning ſo many men of meane note in the Church, and the names of ſo many faithfull teachers alſo, as then were preſent with him there, and yet maketh no mention at all of Peter, whom yet notwithſtanding in another place, he calleth the Pillar of the Church, Galath. 2. verſ. 9. But to leaue this and to proceed to another point.
In that the Apoſtle is ſo carefull to giuegive charge and order touching Marke and the receiuing of him, we may ſee firſt that Marke was a good man, and ſo learne by that, who ſhould be deare and precious vntounto vsus, euen the Saints that are vponupon the Whom Gods people ſhould moſt affect.earth, as the Prophet ſaith Pſal. 16. and find in our ſelues thereby, the true note, that wee are ſound members of the Church militant, and therfore ſhall be gathered to the Church triumphant, in that a vile perſon is deſpiſed in our eyes, but wee make much of them that feare the Lord, Pſal. 15. But the world is quite and cleane contrarie, for it loueth her owne, and hateth the godly. So that wee may ſay as the Prophet ſaith: He that frameth himſelfe vntounto righteouſneſſe, maketh himſelfe a pray. And ſurely, if it bee a great ſinne to condemne the generation of the iuſt, then it cannot but be a tranſgreſſion alſo, not to commend and eſteeme the godly: for beſides that, God accounteth the fauours done to them, as done to himſelfe: and on the other ſide reckoneth the indignities offered them, as accompliſhed againſt his own Maieſty, the very graces yt he hath ſhed abroad into their hearts, ſhould make vsus to eſteeme thē. So that if we would not behold their perſons, yet we ſhuld acknowledge his mercies & graces in thē, and accordingly reuerence and regard thē. Secondly, in this act of Paul, what great care & diligence the Primitiue Church had, in giuing teſtimonies vntounto men. No doubt the cauſe mouing them thereto was, many ſeducers and falſe brethren went abroad, and they To whom the Church ſhould veeld teſtimonie.would not willingly hauehave had the godly and faithfull deceiued by them, which ſinne no doubt they might the more eaſily hauehave fallen into, if the Church had not kept this good courſe, in yeelding faithfull teſtimonie to the holie profeſſors, yea preachers it may bee of Chriſts Goſpell. It there were at this day the like diligence and care, amongſt ſuch Chriſtians as dwell in diuers regions and parts of the world, or amongſt them that liue in one and the ſelfeſame kingdome, countrey and Church: theſe vagrant men, that ſo much runne vp and downe from place to place, and from countrey to countrey, and trauaile ſo ſore to ſeduce and carrie men away from Chriſt, could not ſo much preuaile as they doe. Which I doe not meane onelyonly of Ieſuites and Seminarie Prieſts, though I take them to be the moſt daungerous enemies of the Church, but others both of corrupt life and corrupt doctrine alſo, who hauing ſpued themſelues by their euil dealing, labour by running vp and downe, in propounding poyſonfull doctrine, and bad example of life, to leaue a miſerable yea infectiue ſtinch behind them whereſoeuer they come. Theſe ſhuld the Church and Magiſtrates hauehave great regard to repreſſe, as on the other ſide to exalt the godly and faithfull. But ſith they are cold and careleſſe both in the one and the other, and wee know that God regardeth his owne vineyard, let vsus intreate him that is the Lord of the vineyard, not onelyonly to thruſt foorth workmen into his harueſt, Matth. 9. but alſo to repreſſe rouers and wanderers, which ſeeke nothing but their owne bellies, and the ſupplanting of the truth of doctrine, and honeſtie of life: which he vouchſafe to bring to paſſe euen for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake, to whom be praiſe in the Church for euer,
Amen.