Lectures Upon Colossians, To the reader
The Epistle to the Christian Readers.
THe Citie Coloſſe was a very auncient, populous, rich, aZenophon. lib. 1. de expeditione Cyriminoris, ad Coloſſas venit, celebrem vrbē, magnam, & opulentam. Plin. lib. 5. c. 32and flouriſhing Citie; but much bHerodotus lib. 7. qui inſcribitur Polymnia. Xerxes praetergreſſus vrbem Anaua inuenit Coloſſas Phrigiae oppidum. So Strabo. li 12decayed (as ſome report) long before the birth of Christ. And ſince this Church of Christ was founded among the Coloſsians, theſe three Cities mentioned in this Epistle, Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Coloſſe, were much ſhaken, if not vtterly ruinate with an Earthquake (which happened in cPaulus Oroſius. lib. 4. c. 10. Ioh. Cal. ep. ad Coloſſ.Neros time) a fearefull ſpectacle, and iudgement ſent of God, for the dExod. 5. 3. 1. Cor. 11. 30. Num. 14. 11.contempt of the Goſpell, as we may ſee the Citie of Corinth for the ſame cauſe, euen then, ſmitten with the Pestilence, for the inſtruction, no doubt, of all ſucceeding ages to the worldes ende.
As touching the writing of this Epistle, albeit this bleſſed Apostle had trauailed twiſe or eActs. 15. 32. & 16. 18. 23.thriſe thorough Phrigia, where theſe three Cities were, yet came he not to Coloſſe, for that Epaphras, Oneſimus, Tychicus, with others, had first planted the Church of Christ in thoſe parts. The reaſon is rendred by himſelfe, when he ſaith, I fRom. 15. 20. 1. Cor. 3. 9.enforced my ſelfe to preach the Goſpell, not where Chriſt was, leaſt I ſhould hauehave built on another mans foundation. Being therefore afterwards occaſioned, as is most like by Epaphras and Tychicus, with other ſeruants of Christ, he wrote this worthy Epistle, being priſoner in Rome, to the Coloſsians for their further inſtruction and confirmation in the faith of Christ.
The argument is this in effect: Becauſe the turbulent and ſuperstitious Iewes diſquieted the peace of the Coloſſians, intending, as elſe where often, to make a mixture of the Lawe and the Goſpell: therefore the Apostle giues The argument of the Epiſtle to the Coloſſians.in this Epistle, a ſhort abridgement of all the heauenly doctrine of our ſaluation, deſcribing vntounto vsus in a most liuely manner what Chriſt is in his natures and offices, working most powerfully in all his liuing members vnited vntounto him: and not to be (as the world imagineth) a dead, deformed, idle, painted, Popiſh Christ. So that this Epiſtle will teach Chriſtians, ſoundly and truly, to diſcerne betweene the ſhadow and ſubstance of true Religion, betweene the true Chriſt and fained, and conſequently betweene the true and falſe profeſſors of the Goſpell.
There are ſeuen parts of this Epiſtle: I finde them ſo Seuen parts of the Epiſtle to the Coloſſians.ſet downe in Maiſter Rollocks latine Commentarie, very briefely and truly obſerued as followeth. The firſt part is the Salutation, chapter 1. verſe 1, 2. The ſecond is the Preface, wherein he reioyceth for their faith in Chriſt, and louelove to the Saints, from the 3. verſe to the 12. The third part containes his doctrine of Chriſts benefits to the Saints, namely their calling and redemption, where the Apostle proceedeth vntounto an high deſcription of the Sonne of God, into whoſe kingdome they were called and tranſlated by the Goſpell, applying all things to the Coloſſians, from the 12. verſe of the first chapter, to the 23. of the ſame. In the fourth part, he exhorteth to perſeuerance in the faith, and admoniſheth that they take heede of falſe teachers, from the 23. verſe of the first chapter, to the end of the ſecond chapter. In this part he intermingleth admonition with exhortation, for verſe 23. of the first chapter, he exhorteth to perſeuerance in the faith: verſe 4. of the ſecond chapter, he admoniſheth them to take heede of falſe teachers, and in the ſixt verſe of the ſame chapter, he returnes againe to his exhortation: but verſe 8. he fals againe to his admonition, and doth inſist therein to the end of that chapter. The fift part begins at the third chapter, verſe 1. and continueth to the ſeuenth verſe of the fourth chapter. This part containeth exhortations to holineſſe of life. And here yee hauehave againe admonitions partly generall, concerning all Christians, from the firſt verſe of the third chapter, to the 18. of the ſame, partly ſpeciall, which concerne certaine particular ſtates of men, as of Husbands and Wiues, Children and Parents, Seruants and Maiſters, from the 18. verſe of the third chapter, to the ſecond verſe of the fourth chapter, where he returnes againe to generall exhortations, which be continued to the ſeuenth verſe of the fourth chapter. The ſixt part is from the ſeuenth verſe of the fourth chapter, to the tenth of the ſame: wherein he ſignifieth to the Coloſsians, that as touching his priuat affaires, he had committed them to Tychicus and Oneſimus, who ſhould report of all things vntounto them as they deſired. The ſeuenth and laſt part, is the concluſion of the Epiſtie, containing Salutations mixt with ſome Apoſtolicall iniunctions, and this is from the tenth verſe of the laſt chapter, to the end.
Moreouer, as concerning Maiſter Rollocke and his workes: becauſe this is the firſt fruite of his labours, publiſhed in the Engliſh tongue: he was (as may appeare by many teſtimonies) a moſt reuerend and faithfull ſeruant of Ieſus Chriſt. His name is very pretious and great in all reformed Churches and Nations, which hauehave receiued the Goſpell of Chriſt. His learned and holy Commentaries on the Prophecie of Daniel, on the Goſpell of Iohn, on the Epiſtle to the Romans, Epheſians, Galathians, Coloſſians, Theſſalonians, with his other workes extant in the Latine tongue, teſtifie aboundantly of his gifts and graces. And leaſt any ſhould except againſt my iudgement, Epiſtola in Tractar. de vocatione efficac. ad D. Iohnſton.which I confeſſe is but meane, or nothing, heare one to ſpeake for all, whoſe wiſdome and learning is reuerenced of all the godly Churches (I meane Maiſter BEZA) concerning this mans workes. He ſaith, That his labours on the Epiſtle to the Romans and Epheſians, be as a rich treaſure ſent from God to his people. Next (ſaith he) without all flatterie be it ſpoken, I hauehave neuer as yet read any thing written in this kinde, more briefe, more eloquent, and more indicious. And then he proceedeth, ſaying, When I had viewed his workes, I could not containe my ſelfe, but as I was bound, I gaue God thankes for him, reioycing for his bleſſing on the Churches.
This part of his workes, I meane theſe Lectures on this Epiſtle, they were firſt preached in the Scottiſh tongue, not much differing from our ſpeech ſpecially in the North parts of this land; but now they are publiſhed in the moſt common and vſuall Engliſh phraſe, for the comfort and edification, I truſt, of all ſuch as vnderſtand not the Latine tongue in both kingdomes. I could wiſh in mine heart, that all Preachers in both Churches, would learne of this man to Preach the Goſpell of Chriſt; who, wanting neither wit nor learning to ſet forth his exerciſes: yet reſpects he (as the Apoſtle taught him) neither excellency of words nor humane wiſdome, nor deſires to ſauour of any thing, but of Ieſus Chriſt and him crucified. His continuall care is ſo to ſpeake, as that the ſpirituall power and grace of the 1. Cor. 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.Goſpell, might ſpeake onelyonly to the conſciences of the hearers to worke in them: and not himſelfe by any perſwaſions of his learning and eloquence. Theſe workes are now publiſhed after his death, ſo that he hath not performed what he could and would hauehave done, if his owne hand had been laſt vponupon them. The Chriſtian readers will therefore pardon (I doubt not) all faults louingly, which hauehave paſt in this firſt impreſsion. And thus hauing commended this worke vntounto thee, recommend me and it vntounto the protection and bleſsing of the Almightie in Christ Ieſus.
Thine in Chriſt Ieſus, Henry Holland.