Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 5
THE FIFT LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Coloſſians.
COLOS. Chap. 1. verſ. 15, 16, 17.
15 Who is the image of the inuiſible God, the firſt borne of euerie creature:
16 For by him were all things created which are in heauen, and which are in earth, things viſible and inuiſible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created by him, and for him,
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things conſiſt.
WE ſhewed you the laſt day (welbeloued in the Lord Ieſus) the Apoſtle when he ended his preface, he entred into the doctrine, and in it he beganne at the firſt grace and bleſſing that wee get in Ieſus Chriſt in time, which is our effectuall calling, and deliuerance from vnderunder the power of darknes, wherein we are conceiued and borne. EueryEvery man and woman is borne naturally a ſlaue to the diuel, hell, and darknes. The beſt of vsus all a ſlaue to hell, the diuell, and darknes: ſo by this benefit of our calling, wee are taken out from vnderunder this ſlauerie, and tranſlated to another kingdome, not of ſlauerie, but of libertie and light, to the kingdom of his deere ſonne, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt; that is the firſt grace and benefit which the Apoſtle handleth. Then from this hee comes to another benefit, and he calleth it redemption, or otherwiſe remiſſion of ſinnes. Being now by your effectuall calling tranſlated to the kingdome of Chriſt Ieſus, and being ingrafted into him: the next benefit and grace we get is abſolution; we get a free remillion of all our ſinnes, and conſequently we are freed from death and damnation, that followes vponupon ſin. This abſolution and ſetting of vsus at libertie from ſinne and death, is not without a price. The iuſtice of God, the wrath of God againſt ſinne, cannot ſuffer a ſinner to be abſolued, without a ranſome and price: ſo our remiſſion and abſolution muſt be by a price, and paying of a ranſome. But let vsus ſee who paies it? Indeede if wee our ſelues were bound to pay the ranſome, neuer any of vsus could be ſafe: no all the bloud of men and Angels, and it were all ſhed to be a price for ſinne, would not redeeme a ſinner. Then, who paies the ranſome? It is ſaid, we hauehave redemption, not through our bloud, but through his bloud. It is then the bloud of Chriſt that is the ranſome for our ſinnes; the Lord Ieſus hath bought vsus deere. There was neuer from the beginning of the world, nor ſhall not be vntounto the end of the world, ſuch a deere price giuen, as is the price of our ranſome, which the Lord Ieſus hath giuen for vsus. So that which he hath deerely bought to vsus, is nothing but a free remiſſion. Now, to ſpeake familiarly, wee hauehave not paid a farthing for it, but as it is ſaid in the Epheſians, It is the riches of his grace towards vsus; ſo it is nothing but merciemercy and grace to vsus.
Then to come forward: The Apoſtle when hee hath ſpoken of the ſecond benefit, which we receiued in Chriſt, to let vsus ſee that this bloud is no ſmall thing, he paſſeth out as it were, in a deſcription of the Redeemer, whoſe bloud this is: That firſt we may ſee the worthines of that perſonage. And ſecondly, conſidering his worthines, may ſee the preciouſnes of his bloud, by whom wee are redeemed. And thirdly, that conſidering theſe two, wee may ſee how faſt and ſure our redemption (made by that bloud) ſtandeth immoueable. It is no ſmall matter to know how faſt thy redemption ſtands: for if thy redemption were quarrelled or excepted againſt, thou wouldeſt giuegive if it were all the world for to know the aſſurance of thy redemption: for Sathan and his inſtruments are chiefly buſied about thee, to make thee diſtruſt of thy redemption, in the bloud of Chriſt. Therefore the ſpirit of God in this place and other places, is buſied to confirme thee of the certaintie of thy redemption, that Sathan nor his inſtruments deceiue thee not.
Then the firſt argument of the deſcription, is taken from his Diſcription.diuine ſubſtance, he is the image of the inuiſible God, that is, an eſſentiall image of God his father; and he is one God with the The firſt part.father in number, howbeit diſtinct in perſons. Then there is the firſt ground of our redemption in the Mediatour the Lord Ieſus, to wit, the Godhead of Chriſt. It is not vponupon the manhood that our redemption is firſt grounded, but vponupon Ieſus *Yet euer remember he is a Mediatour in reſpect of both natures, and not one only, diuine, or humane.Chriſt, God equal in glorie, and maieſtie with the father. This being the ground, then it muſt follow; that his bloud is a moſt precious bloud, as it is called Acts 20. 28, the bloud of God. It being ſo precious, of neceſſitie the redemption of man, that is made by that bloud, muſt hold and ſtand faſt. And all the world, yea all the diuels in hell, be not able to ſhake it, nor to moue it out of the place: keepe this for a ſure ground, when thou art tempted about thy redemption, and the certaintie of it.
Now followeth the ſecond part of his deſcription, in theſe The ſecond part.words: He is the firſt borne of all creatures. This argument is from his eternitie, he is without beginning. The Redeemer by whoſe bloud we are redeemed, as he is God, ſo he is from all eternitie: he hath no beginning. So the ſecond ground of our redemption is his eternitie: and if hee had been but in time, and not from all eternitie, the price of his bloud would not hauehave redeemed thee. But the Redeemer being firſt God, and next being from all eternitie, the bloud of our redemption muſt be precious. Yet to inſiſt: The firſt borne, I ſeeke no other Commentarie to explane this, then the words which hereafter follow verſ. 17. and he is before all things: which is to the ſame effect, and it is that that is written Ioh. 1. In the beginning was the word. In theſe words, this his being and ſubſtance is ſet downe by a certaine alluſion to thoſe, yt were firſt borne in the families of fathers, vnderunder the old Teſtament: for as they were firſt borne, and the reſt borne after them; euen ſo the firſt borne of God the onelyonly begotten, he is not only before all the reſt, as Rom. 8. 29. but before all creatures men and Angels, borne from all eternitie, *VVho can declare his generatiō?vnſpeakeably. This would be marked, ſpeaking of the eternitie of the Redeemer, hee ſets it not downe ſimply, ſaying, he is from all eternitie, but he ſets downe his eternitie in compariſon with the creature. Wherefore doth he this? The eternitie and the glorie of God our Redeemer, appeares beſt by a compariſon with the creature. All things are euer beſt ſeene and knowne of vsus, by comparing them with the contrary. The vilenes and naughtines of the creature appeares beſt, in compariſon with the maieſtie and excellencie of God. Therefore the Scripture when it ſets downe the glorie of God, it ſets it downe in a compariſon with the creature: and by the contrarie, when it ſets downe the baſenes of the creature, it ſets it downe by a compariſon with the Creator; that the baſenes of the creature may be the better ſeene. Nay thou, who thinkeſt euer much of thy ſelfe, thou neuer ſaweſt God: if thou ſaw God, thou wouldeſt ſtinke in thine own eyes. All the creatures are but ſtinke and vanitie, in compariſon of their maker.
To goe forward. In the verſe following, when he hath ſet downe the eternitie of Chriſt, he proues it. The argument is, becauſe by him all things are made. Then neuer any thing eſcaped his hands, all paſt through his hand: the ſobereſt creature in the world paſt through his hand. There is the argument. He by whom all things were created, he muſt be before all things: but ſo it is, by our Mediatour, our Redeemer, the Lord Ieſus all things were created: Ergo, the Redeemer muſt be before all things, and conſequently eternall. There is the argument. The manner of ſpeaking imports, that the Father is the originall of the creation, and it is he who creates, and that by his ſonne, as the diſpenſer of the creation: not that there is difference in creation; nay the father and the ſonne had one power, Ioh. 5. verſ. 19. What euer the father doth, the ſame doth the ſonne. But how? Equally in power, howbeit the father be firſt in order; and then next the ſonne; and in the third place the holy ſpirit: yet all concurres with one equall power and maieſtie. Now as this is the reaſon, prouing the eternitie: ſo it is another part of his deſcription: and the third argument, taken from the creation. Then here thou ſeeſt, the third ground of thy redemption, is thy Creator. He who redeemes thee, created thee; thou haſt not one Creator, and another Redeemer: nay, hee who redeemes thee, is he who created thee. Then, thy Redeemer being the glorious and omnipotent Creator, the bloud wherewith thou art redeemed muſt be precious. Marke it (ye who count ſo little of the bloud of Chriſt) it being ſo precious a bloud, thy redemption muſt ſtand ſure and faſt: for it is founded vponupon the omnipotent Creator.
But to goe to the text, when hee hath ſet downe generally this worke of the creation, he deſcends to ſpeake in particular of the creatures, and he laies out them as it were abroad; and the firſt difference he makes of them, is from the place of their habitation. Some are in heauen, and otherſome in the earth; he made all theſe earthly creatures, man, and beaſt; yea hee created the Toade it ſelfe; al is made by his omnipotent hand. Will you looke to the heauenly creatures? the Sunne, the Moone, the Angels, thy Redeemer made them all. The next difference he makes, is from their ſubſtance and nature, ſome viſible, that may be griped and handled; ſome inuiſible, amongſt the which is thy ſoule, that thy owne eye cannot ſee: thy ſoule is a glorious creature. Then laſtly, among theſe inuiſible creatures, he makes a difference, and it is not taken from the degrees of them, as though he would make many degrees; that is but a fantaſie of men. But it is from the ſtiles of honour. He hath made all theſe inuiſible creatures, call them as you will, call them Thrones, Principalities, Powers, and whatſoeuer ye pleaſe, thy Redeemer hath made them all: none hath eſcaped his hands. Looke not that I will curiouſly ſcan vponupon Curioſitie.theſe words; nay this is not the minde of the Apoſtle: It is but curioſitie to ſatisfie a vaine headed bodie, in laying abroad the diuers ſorts of theſe creatures, made by the Lord Ieſus. Whereto tends this? While he doth this, he laieth out the glorie, not of the creatures, but of him that made them, thy Creator, thy Redeemer. Therefore when we looke to the glorie of any creature, we ſhould be ſo farre from that, to take the glorie of the maker and giuegive it to the ſtinking creature (as men hauehave done, who by nature are ſo inclined to Idolatrie, to pull the glorie from God, and aſcribe it to the creature) that by the contrarie, ſeeing he is the maker of all, wee ſhould take all from the creature, and giuegive it to the God of glorie: though he were an Angell, a king, a fellow, or ſeruant, wee ſhould take all from them, and giuegive glorie to the Creator of them. Sticke neuer vponupon the creature, but runne to the Creator: for if the creature be glorious, O how glorious is he that created him! For I aſſure thee, that neuer creature hath the thouſand part of that glorie, and maieſtie, that is in God the maker of all: nay it is a vanitie to enter in compariſon, all the glorie of men, Angels, and of the firmament, that are very glorious and beautifull creatures; yet all in compariſon of their maker and Creator, they and their glorie both, are but dirt. When that glorie of God ſhall ſhew it ſelfe, they will be aſhamed to enter into compariſon with ſo glorious a maieſtie: nay the very Angels hide their face for ſhame, they doe not behold the glorious maieſtie of their maker; and wilt thou then, vile ſtinking creature, take this glorie of God, or any part of it, and giuegive it to the creature? O the Lord ſhall take thee one day in his wrath, and throw that proud neck of thine aſunder, and ſhall ſhew himſelfe glorious to thy euerlaſting ſhame and confuſion! O theſe Idolaters ſhall be aſhamed then of themſelues, and of theſe creatures; to whom they hauehave giuen ſuch worſhip, which onelyonly belongeth to God!
In the end of the verſe, when he hath fallen out in the particular creatures, he reiterates again: All things are made by him; ſo he turnes backe againe, he tires not to tell it ouer againe. Brethren, will you looke to the heart of the man that ſpeakes? (for theſe words are come from the heart of the man) Theſe words riſe vponupon a deep apprehenſion of the Creator, that glorious maieſtie. He hath created all things: and againe, He hath made all things. For when the heart of man or woman is full of the deepe apprehenſion of the glorious maieſtie of God, the mouth is full of ſounding, and ſetting forth his praiſe. When thy heart is emptie of God, thy mouth will be emptie of his praiſes: and if thy heart be full of God, thy mouth will be full of his glorie.
Now when hee hath repeated theſe words to the praiſes of the Redeemer, the Creator of all things Ieſus Chriſt, he turnes to the fourth part of his deſcription: All things were created for him, that is, a further point of his glorie, then the former: hee The fourth part.made all things, and that for his owne honour, that he himſelfe might be honoured in them. That is a higher degree indeed. If the Creator had made them for anothers glorie, his glorie had bin the leſſe: but ſeeing al is made for himſelfe, O the glorie of him! nay, all the tongues of men & Angels are not able to expreſſe the thouſand part of his glorie. All that men & Angels can ſpeak of it, is but like the blabbery and babling of a child: ſo infinite and incomprehenſible is the glorie of that high maieſtie. All then is for his honour, and all honour and glorie be to him for euer, Amen. You ſee a Craftſman will build vp a faire building, but not to himſelfe; but to a more honourable then himſelfe. The Lord is not ſuch a builder, becauſe there is none more worthie then hee himſelfe. Then you hauehave the fourth ground of your redemption, as it is builded vponupon one God, and vponupon one eternall God, and one Creator: So all is built for his honour, hee is Alpha and Omega. Then precious muſt the bloud be, wherewith thou art redeemed. The bloud being ſo precious, the redemption ſo honourable, thy redemption muſt ſtand faſt and ſure. Yet to inſiſt vponupon this: You ſee the ſonne of God, who with the father made all things of nothing. The chiefeſt reſpect that hee had in the creation, it was all to himſelfe (and why ſhould not that glorious God hauehave reſpect to himſelfe?) and as he had chiefe reſpect to himſelfe, ſo it cannot faile him: nay there is neuer a creature made with his hand, but al ſhall come about and ſerue to his honor. He ſhall be honoured by the very gnat, and the flye; for hee cannot be diſappointed. Looke that circuit Rom. 11. 36. Of him, through him, and for him are all things: all goeth about and turnes againe to him. Seeing this is his reſpect, thou, who art his creature, looke that thou hauehave that reſpect to him, and that aboue all things; yea aboue thy life. Preferre the honour of this God thy Redeemer, and if thou doe it, honoured ſhalt thou be with him. Wouldeſt thou looke to it (I appeale to thy conſcience) can there be ioy in thy heart, and in thy conſcience, when the Lord is not in thy heart? It is true, thou maiſt be like a beaſt, hauehave a beaſtly pleaſure; but thou that haſt not the glorie of God before thine eyes, all the pleaſure in the world, will not make thee hauehave a ioyfull heart. And if thou wilt not reſpect his honour, thou ſhalt neuer be honoured of him. Yea I tell thee (and the world ſhall not bring it backe againe) thou ſhalt be ſhamed and ſhent, if thou wert an Emperour: thou maiſt well run and range for a time, but the Lord ſhall honour himſelfe in thy euerlaſting ſhame and damnation, be aſſured of it. Brethren, this is a deepe myſterie of Ieſus Chriſt, and I ſay to you, that ye may thinke of the glorie of the Redeemer more highly then you doe. Fie on theſe miſcreants that know it not. Mark it, there was neuer thing done in time, nor out of time, but all was done for him, and for the honour and glorie of the Lord Ieſus thy Redeemer. And not for him, and his glorie, as he is the ſonne of God onelyonly; but I tell thee more, all was done for the man Chriſt, for thy fleſh and bloud. Thy predeſtination that is before all eternitie, this election of men and women to life euerlaſting (as Paul Rom. 8 29. ſaith) tels thee, it was all for him and his glorie as man. There is the end of it then, that he might be the firſt borne among many brethren. Will you come to that that was done in time, the creation of all creatures? All was done for the man Ieſus Chriſt. The fall of man was ſuffered for the glorie and honour of Chriſt the man, that thou mighteſt bee redeemed with his precious bloud; ſo that the redemption of man is for the glorie of ye man Chriſt. I ſhal tell you the ground of it. That incōprehenſible God in his vnſearchable wiſedome hath laid this plot, that he would be glorified in his ſonne man; and therefore he would hauehave all to be done for the honour of that man Ieſus Chriſt. Our predeſtination, our election, our creation, redemption and all hee would hauehave ſo done, that they might ſerue for the honour of his ſonne clad with our nature. Therefore thinke thou, that the end of all is his owne glorie: Nay, we know not the glorie of Chriſt, wee know not how all things ſerues for his glorie; and therefore we count ſo little of all things.
Then againe hee repeates that part of the deſcription, from the eternitie. And he was before all things: as he ſaid, All things were made by him; ſo he ſaith he was before al things. This cannot goe out of his minde, few words cannot content him: would to God wee could follow him, and the men of God in this point. They tire not to ſpeake of him, and of his glorie in his creatures: ſo deepe is their apprehenſion which they hauehave of him. O it is for fault of apprehenſion, that we let the praiſes of our Redeemer Ieſus Chriſt goe by vsus ſo lightly! Well, well, LoueLove to meditate of the excellencie of Ieſus Christ, and to ſpeake of his praiſes.I tell thee O man, if thou findeſt Ieſus Chriſt at thy heart, and ſaw his glorie in the creatures, thou wouldeſt not ſo lightly paſſe ouer his praiſes. No certainly, but men they neuer felt Ieſus, nor neuer apprehended him, as the men of God of old did. Therefore what is Chriſt to them, but a word that pearces the eare and no more? But woe is me for thee, that in this wiſe eſteemes of thy Redeemer. I pray you all in his name, as yee would be ſaued, ſeeke to apprehend Chriſt, & neuer reſt while you finde him, in a manner ſenſible in your heart; and then I aſſure thee, thou ſhalt neuer reſt to ſpeake of his praiſe, and to glorifie him in his creatures.
Now after this, followes the other part of his deſcription. Before he hath deſcribed him from his eſſence, eternitie, creation, and from the end of things created: now in the fift roome he deſcribes him from that, that he ſustaines the creatures. The The fift part.hand that made them, holds them vp. A man that builds a houſe, as ſoone as he hath builded it, he takes away his hand: In like manner, a man that builds a ſhip, when he hath built her, he holds her not vp, but incontinently he takes away his hand from it. It is not ſo with our Lord Ieſus who hath made all things: nay the Lords hand is ſtill with the worke that he hath made, and hee holds it vp continually. For if hee take his hand from thee, and hold thee not vp, thou wouldeſt fall down in ye duſt and turne to nothing. Nay the hand of his maieſtie is euen with thee when thou art dead, his hand ſhall keepe the duſt of his owne: And if thou ſhouldeſt caſt it in the ayre, in the water, and where thou wilt; yet he ſhall gather it together, and ſhall keepe the leaſt picke of duſt, that thou ſhalt be reſolued into. Then there is the fift ground of thy redemption: As it is builded vponupon a Creator, ſo it is built vponupon a preſeruer and keeper. Thy Redeemer being ſuch an high perſonage, the bloud muſt be precious wherewith thou art redeemed; and thy redemption muſt ſtand faſt and ſure. Thou maiſt well ſhatter and ſhake, but thou ſhalt neuer fall from it; for if once thou hauehave griped it by a liuely faith, thy redemption ſhall ſtand euer ſure and immoueable. You ſee here then a paſſing maieſtie in our Redeemer. He is a God, an eternall God, a Creator, the end of all creatures, and the preſeruer of all creatures. Whereunto ſhould I tell this? The maieſtie of Ieſus Chriſt paſſeth in glorie and excellencie. The fulnes of God is in him; yea, euen in thy nature. The eternall God is in him; what is it that thou wouldeſt hauehave, that thou ſhalt not finde in him? Seeke nothing without him; and thy redemptiō behooued to be wrought by ſuch a perſon; and the price of thy redemptiō behooued to be by the bloud of ſuch a perſon: otherwiſe thou wouldeſt neuer hauehave been redeemed. Alas, fie on their mouthes that ſpeake ſo lightly of this bloud! Seeing then it behooued to be ſuch a maieſtie, and ſuch a bloud, that Swearers.ſhould redeeme thee; it tels thee two things. It ſpeakes as the Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 12. the firſt thing that it ſpeakes is of ſinne. O ſinne is a great thing that procured ſuch a bloud, if it were no more then a foule motion in thine heart! it is ſo great, that Vſe of the former doctrine.it cannot be taken away without this bloud. Muſt it not then be a great thing that cannot be forgiuen, except thou get ſuch a bloud? ſo if there were no more, this one thing is ſufficient to tell thee, of the heauines of thy ſinne. Then againe it ſpeakes to thee of the greatnes of that infinite iuſtice, that ſtrikes vponupon ſinne. Muſt not that be great that could not be ranſomed but by that bloud of God, in the nature of man the preſeruer of all the creatures? Nay, and thou wouldeſt ſhed all the bloud of men, or Angels, all could not ranſome one ſinne. So if there were no more to tell the greatnes of that iuſtice, and wrath that abides ſinne, this bloud of Ieſus Chriſt thy Redeemer that was ſhed for it, tels thee ſufficiently. Well, look to that bloud, and let no man dallie with God after the ſight of that bloud. Now would to God wee could conſider the thouſand part of ſin, and of that wrath of God for ſinne: for then there would follow a feare of iudgement, and a deteſtation of ſinne. And then no queſtion we ſhould get remiſſion of ſinne, and ſhould be freed from the wrath of God, and that onelyonly in that bloud of Ieſus Chriſt. To whom with the Father, and the bleſſed ſpirit, be all honour,
Amen.