Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 13
THE THIRTEENTH LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Coloſſians.
COLOS. Chap. 2. verſ. 1. 2. 3
1 For I would ye knew what great fighting I hauehave for your ſakes, and for them of Laodicea, and for as many as hauehave not ſeene my perſon in the fleſh,
2 That their hearts might be comforted, and they knit together in louelove, and in all riches of the full aſſurance of vnderſtanding, to know the myſterie of God euen the father and of Christ:
3 In whom are hid all the treaſures of wiſdome and of knowledge.
YE hauehave heard, brethren, from the foure and twentith verſe of the firſt chapter of this epiſtle, how Paul hath inſiſted vponupon his owne perſon, purchaſing authority to his doctrine yt he hath propounded, and to the exhortation begun. As yet he continues in ſpeaking of himſelfe, from the beginning of this ſecond chapter, vntounto the ſixt verſe thereof. Then after he returnes to his exhortation, exhorting the Coloſſians to perſeuerance in that faith which they had receiued, The ſum of the former Lecture.and exhorting them from vaine traditions, obtruded or layd on them by the falſe teachers; letting them vnderſtand that there was nothing, except Chriſt and his Goſpell to be acknowledged or receiued by them; and that all other things without him, are but vanitie.
Then to come briefly to our purpoſe, and this text now read: in the laſt verſe of the chapter preceding, yee heard the Apoſtle vttered what paines he tooke, and what ſtrife he ſuffered, and all for this end; to preſent eueryevery man without exception perfect before God, eſpecially in that great day. Now the Coloſſians to whom he writes, whom he neuer ſaw bodily, nor they him, might hauehave obiected againſt this his paine, labor and ſtrife which he ſuſtained. Well Paul, thou pineſt thy ſelfe; but for whom? what is that to vsus? It is not for vsus, thou neuer ſaweſt vsus, nor we thee: ſo all thy labour, fighting and trauell, Obiection.is nothing profitable for vsus. The Apoſtle in the firſt verſe meets Anſwere.with and anſwers it, I would you knew (ſaith he) what great fighting I hauehave for your ſakes, and not for you onelyonly, but for your neighbours them of Laodicea: (this is a towne in Phrygia) and not for them only, but for as many (of the Gentiles) as hauehave not ſeene my perſon in the fleſh. There is his anſwere: it is plaine: onelyonly hereout I ſhall gather ſome ſhort notes for our inſtruction. Then firſt I marke in the perſon of the Coloſſians, that moues the queſtion. They thought he could hauehave no care of them, except he had ſeene them: ſo commonly men thinke that they, who are abſent from them, and neuer ſee them, neither know them by their face (as we ſay, whom they hauehave not ſeene face to face) can hauehave no care of them, nor louelove to them. This is the iudgement commonly of the world, and it is ſo indeede, for naturall men, that hauehave no more than naturall louelove, will ſpeake thus of them, with whom they hauehave not been acquainted; I knew him not, what hauehave I to doe with them, whom I neuer ſaw nor knew? What good can ſuch men doe to me, or I to them? This is the faſhion of the worldly men. But this is all wrong as you The difference betweene the regenerate and vnregenerate. The louelove of the Saints exceedes the louelove of the world.ſhall ſee, and therefore marke in the anſwere of Paul, what great difference is betwixt naturall men, and renewed men: the common ſort of men, and the ſeruants of God.
In his anſwere we learne, that they that are of God, which hauehave gotten that new birth aboue nature and contrarie to nature, the ſeruants of Chriſt, eſpecially ſuch as Paul was, they louelove them whom they neuer ſawe; hauehave a care ouer them whom they neuer knew: yea they will ſtriue and fight to the death for them. For why brethren, you muſt vnderſtand, concerning them that are conioyned in the bodie of Chriſt, one hand will not know another better, then they will know one another although they hauehave not ſeene one another bodily, being far diſtant in perſon and place the one from the other: becauſe it is the ſpirit of Ieſus who ioynes them together, and giues eueryevery one a ſure knowledge of the other conioyned with Chriſt, as a member of that body. Hence commeth this liuely knowledge which one chriſtian will hauehave of another, whom otherwiſe he neuer ſawe in properperſon. For they hauehave not onelyonly this fleſhly ſight of naturall men, and bodily eye to ſee a mans body and face before them, but they hauehave a ſpirituall eye, whereby they can ſee to the fartheſt nooke and corner of the world, and will ſend as it were the very ſpirit and ſoule out of the body to the vtmoſt part of the world, where they know there is any of Chriſts members. Therefore Paul ſaith 1. Cor. 5. 4. When ye are gathered together and my ſpirit, &c. Thou that haſt no care of the Saints of God, where euer they be ſcattered, thou hadſt neuer this ſpirituall and heauenly eye of Paul. Suſpect thy ſelfe; thou art but a naturall man: and if thou hauehave not a louelove to them to embrace and fixe them as it were in thy heart; alas, it is a token that thou art not in that body of Chriſt as yet. Thirdly, in this anſwere I ſee it is requiſit that we louelove them that are Saints, howbeit we neuer ſaw them, nor they vsus in this world; for when the conſcience is touched with a feeling of that louelove, there ariſeth The feeling of louelove in our hearts.a conſolation to the ſoule. When thou feeleſt in thy ſoule that the Saints louelove thee, thou maiſt be aſſured that God alſo loues thee: and therefore it hath pleaſed the Lord to leaue in regiſter the acts of the Apoſtles, containing that louelove and care they had for the Saints, not onelyonly for their owne time, but alſo for all who ſhould liue to the end of the world. For Paul he had not onelyonly a care of the Coloſſians, but alſo of the whole gentils, his louelove and care extended ſo far, that it reached out to the end of the world. If thou be a member of Chriſt, the care of Paul reacheth to thee, as one of that body. Then laſtly I note, it is ſo requiſit that we vnderſtand of this louelove of the We must endeuour to make our louelove knowne to the Saints.Saints to vsus, whether we hauehave ſeene them, or they vsus or not: that the man that loues vsus although hee be abſent; yet he ſhould ſtriue to make his louelove knowne to vsus, by a regiſter and putting of it in writing, as Paul did. He writes vp and regiſters his louelove to vsus. It is no ſhame to Paul to tell vsus that he loues vsus, if ſo be he hauehave the glorie of God and our conſolation before his eyes. So all comes to this in a word: it is a comfortable thing for thee to know, that the Saints of God louelove thee; and that thy paſtor loues thee; and it is an argument that God loues thee, and that thou art deere to him. This for Pauls anſwere in the firſt verſe.
To come to the ſecond verſe, and to goe forward word by word, he ſets downe the end of his care he had of them, and his ſtrife he ſuſtayned for them: the end is, that their harts might be comforted, that they might get conſolation, not in their head, Conſolation is felt in the heart.but in their heart. Conſolation is in the heart: It is not a fleeting thing in the head; it is not an imagination or phantaſie in the braine: it is not ſuperficiall, but it occupies the whole heart: it takes roote in the heart, and it ſpreads all the roots of it through all the parts of the ſame: and this is the true conſolation. Then brethren, you may perceiue by theſe words, that all men by nature are comfortles: no man by nature hath EueryEvery man comfortles by nature.any conſolation. O comfortles miſerable creatures are we! if thou wert borne a king, thou art borne a comfortles body, and miſerable by nature: for by nature there is no conſolation to mankinde after the fall of Adam, but woe and miſerie. For as touching theſe earthly things and benefits, what ſound conſolation is in them? The light of the ſun miniſters no true conſolation to man, that hath no more but nature; nay the more bleſſings, which might miniſter of themſelues conſolation, the more curſes to thee if thou ſtand in nature: the greater honor, the greater miſery, if thou ſtand in nature onelyonly. And againe, all theſe benefits ſhall ſerue to thy welfare if thou be in Chriſt, through faith. This preaching of the word, it miniſters conſolatiō to thy ſilly ſoule. For the end of it (as this place lets you ſee) is, to miniſter true conſolation to the comfortles. And this is the end of all the care, trauell and ſtrife that the Apoſtle The end of the goſpel and miniſtery therof is to bring conſolation vntounto men.takes to miniſter comfort vntounto thee. And therefore Iohn ſaith in his 1 Epiſtle chap. 1. 4. Theſe things write I vntounto you, that your ioy may be full. So all that is ſpoken and written in the Scriptures, ſerues this end, that thou mayeſt hauehave ſound ioy in thy heart. And thou that wilt not take conſolation at the hand of the miniſter, I denounce againſt thee though thou werſt a king, thou ſhalt get no conſolation in this world, and thou ſhalt ſee no ioy nor conſolation in the life to come.
To come to the next word. By what meanes come they to this conſolation? by being ioyned and compacted in one, altogether as the members of a man: there is the meane to obtaine this conſolation. This leſſon is eaſie, the meane of true conſolation and comfort, of ſound ioy, tranquillity and peace of conſcience is this, a bleſſed coniunction with the members Communion with Chriſt and his members brings ſound conſolation.of Ieſus Chriſt. This is it that we call the communion of Saints, and to be ioyned in the ſocietie of the Church here in earth. And thou that wilt ſtand thy ſelfe alone, if thou cut thy ſelfe off as a rotten member, and diſdaine the ſocietie of the Saints, and runne from them, run thy way if it were to the end of the world, the curſe of God followes thee. And therefore this being the meane of this conſolation, without the which no ſaluation nor ioy can be, he that would hauehave that comfort, let him be ioyned with the members; and the miniſter that would comfort any, let him labour to make them members of that body of Chriſt; that the ioy of Ieſus Chriſt may flow downe from Chriſt to them.
To come to the next word. Hee ſets downe the meane, wherby this coniunctiō is brought to paſſe, being conioyned together (ſaith he) through louelove. Albeit that faith goes before by nature, yet I will follow the text as the words lie. The meane whereby thou art ioyned with the body of Chriſt, and ſtandeſt The firſt meane of the communion of Saints. LoueLove the band to binde vsus with men, but faith with God.with that ſocietie of the Church in the earth, is louelove. Wouldſt thou be coupled with the body? louelove thy neighbour. One member of this naturall body will louelove another: So if thou be a member of the body of Chriſt, thou muſt needes louelove thy neighbour truely. And he that cannot louelove, nor will not louelove, he ſhall neuer be ioyned with the body; for wanting louelove, no band can binde thee to Chriſt, nor his Church. A malitious euill body that cannot louelove (call him as ye will a chriſtian) he is not in the body; and ſo hath no conſolation; for without the coniunction with Chriſt, there is no comfort. Therefore he that will hauehave comfort, let him be conioyned with the body, and hee that would be conioyned with the bodie, let him louelove the members of the bodie. LoueLove God firſt aboue all; and then thy neighbour as thy ſelfe. And therefore Iohn in his firſt chapter of his Epiſtle, when he had ſpoken of this coniunction, hee euer in the reſt ſpeakes of louelove. For without this louelove, there is no coniunction, nor ſocietie with his Church.
The ſecond meane of this coniunction is in theſe words, The ſecond meane of our communion with the Church.And in all riches of the full aſſurance of vnderstanding: by theſe words he meanes nothing els, but this faith in Ieſus, which by nature in this coniunction is formoſt, and louelove followes. For (to ſpeake it ſo) faith is the maſter ſinew, that binds the members with the head, and this louelove is the band which bindes vp the members among themſelues. Then to come briefly to the matter: here ye ſee the chiefe meane of this ſocietie with the Church. One faith in Ieſus Chriſt, not two, or three, or foure faiths: ſundrie faiths will not make thee a member of the bodie True faith.of Ieſus Chriſt. If thou be of another faith then this true faith, which hath this full aſſurance; then the Church will not be conioyned with thee: it will be like a braſen and firie wall to hold thee backe from that ſocietie. So that without one faith there cannot be one bodie. Therefore Paul when he hath ſpoken of one bodie, then he ſubioynes one faith; meaning that there cannot be one bodie without one faith. Marke the place Epheſ. 4. 5. All theſe bands of bloud, of conſanguinitie, will not ioyne men together, if faith ioyne them not: if thou wert all my kinne, if thou hauehave not one faith with me, we cannot be ioyned together. And therefore conſidering this, whatſoeuer thou bee that wouldeſt labour to conioyne a bodie with the Church, ſtriue day and night to bring that perſon to the faith of the Church. For he will neuer be conioyned with the body, that hath not this faith of the body.
But let vsus marke the words; All riches (a high word) of the full aſſurance of vnderſtanding. To begin at this, hee calles faith Faith is an vnderſtanding. The wofull ſtate of ſuch as be ignorant of the Goſpell.an vnderſtanding. Faith is not ignorance and blindnes, but it is an vnderſtanding; and thou that art altogether ignorant of God and of Ieſus Chriſt, thou haſt no more faith then a dogge. Bragge as thou wilt of it, ignorant men will begin to crake of faith, as though they knew it. Faith is an eye that ſeeth more cleerely, then all the eyes of the world. It is a light Faith is an eye.and vnderſtanding, the eye of the ſoule whereby we ſee God, and his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt our Sauiour: yea faith is more then an vnderſtanding, it is a certaintie of the whole truth of God, eſpecially of the promiſes in Ieſus Chriſt. When thou art ſure that eueryevery word of the Goſpell is true, that is the aſſurance of faith: and with this there is conioyned a heartie imbracing of the heart: for when thou art ſure of the promiſes, O how the heart wil fold about ye promiſes of God! HaueHave you not aſſaied it yet? Whē the heart hath aſſurance of the truth, O how it wil cleaue to it! For as it is ſaid, A true ſaying is worthie to be imbraced. Now faith is not onelyonly this full aſſurance, but it is a riches. The beleeuer moſt rich and moſt ioyfull.Ye that would be rich, take heede; faith is not a poore thing, a beggerly thing. A faithfull bodie is no begger, but he is rich. But yet more, he calles it not only riches, but he calles it all riches. So there is no riches without it: thou that haſt not faith, haſt no riches: for howbeit thy hand be full, yet if thou want faith thy hand is emptie. He that hath not faith is euer poore, and the beggerlieſt creature that is: but he that hath faith, giuegive him but a coate on his backe, he is rich enough, and he is the ioyfulleſt body that euer was, ioyfuller by ten thouſand times, then theſe worldlings that gruntle on this pelfe of this world. Well, well, then get faith, and thinke that without it, thou art not rich: for if thou hauehave an emptie bag in thy hart, thou art but a poore miſerable creature.
Brethren, ye heard how Paul ſpeaking of this myſterie of the Goſpel, he called it the riches of God hid: now ſpeaking of faith he calles it riches alſo, and all riches. So I ſee all is riches, Ieſus is riches, all things concerning Ieſus be riches. That myſterie of him, is the riches of glorie. This faith and full perſwaſion is riches. And therefore wilt thou be rich? ſeeke to Chriſt, ſeeke to this Goſpell, ſwallow it vp, ſeeke to faith. And be not content till thou haſt got a heartfull of this faith of Ieſus Chriſt: and then I promiſe thee thou ſhalt be rich, and more ioyfull then if thou hadſt all the world, howbeit thou leaue not a peny behind thee.
Now to come to the reſt of the words that I hauehave read, they tend to the declaration of that, that is ſpoken, eſpecially of the riches of faith. Defining firſt the riches of faith, hee cals it the knowledge that was hid vp in a myſterie; and at laſt reuealed to the world, to the euerlaſting conſolation of the world. Then I ſee this faith is a relatiue to the myſterie, that is, to the Goſpel, and to ſpeake it ſo, the obiect of faith, which faith ſeeth and vnderſtandeth, is the Goſpell. Now concerning this myſterie, you heard before, it was the riches of glorie. Well, if the obiect of faith bee the riches of glorie, of neceſsitie thy faith muſt be glorious & rich. For a rich obiect, makes a rich knowledge. The Goſpel the obiect of faith.Knoweſt thou all the Sciences in the world? all is but beggerly knowledge, if thou want the knowledge of faith. Therefore thou who wouldeſt know, ſtriue to know this rich myſterie; for it ſhall giuegive theefull riches. Now in the words God the ſubiect of the Goſpel.following he inſiſts vponupon this ſubiect of faith. It is the mysterie of God; then the ſubiect of it is God: O that is a faire ſcience that ſpeakes of God! All other ſciences that ſpeake of the creatures, it is but of dirt they ſpeake of, in reſpect of him who made them all. One will come of, and ſpeake of the earth, of fiſhes, and paint out a faire ſtorie of this King, or that King, of cornes, of lands, and that will be his ſubiect. Another will goe vpward, and ſpeake of the heauen, and ſtarres: but what is all that, in reſpect of that glorious Creator, but dirt? So this Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt, is onelyonly the eminent ſcience, that mounts The Goſpel the ſcience of ſciences.vp aboue all ſciences. And therefore this myſterie and this Goſpell that ſpeakes of this ſubiect, muſt be glorious, albeit the coate of it be but ſober and ſimple; howbeit it be preached by ſimple men, and therefore our great men thinke nothing of it. But if thou ſaw the glorie and riches that is in this Goſpell; O thou wouldeſt ſeeke it before all riches and all glorie! It would be thy ioy day & night, teach it who will. Well then, take the Lord Ieſus, who is offred to thee in this baſe clothing, as thou wouldeſt be partaker of him in glorie, when this coate ſhall be ſhaken off.
The Apoſtle hauing made mention of God, he leaues not off ſo; but laies him out in two glorious perſonages, and ſaith, God euen the father, and of Christ. God (ſaith he) that ſtands in theſe two perſonages, glorious and equall in glorie, the Father and the Sonne. So what place would ye hauehave to know the Chriſt proued very God.Godhead of the Lord our Sauiour, if this place will not tell you? For when hee hath ſet downe the Father to be the onelyonly true God, he ſets down his ſone Ieſus Chriſt to be God equall with him in all things eueryevery way. So that Ieſus thy redeemer he is ſo man, that he is God glorious for euer. I ſee againe there is no true vnderſtanding of God, but that whereby hee is knowne diſtinct in perſons. It is not enough to know that he The true knowledge of God.is one in eſſence, but if thou know him well, thou muſt know him diſtinguiſhed in three perſons, the Father, Sonne, and holy Spirit: all eternall, all equall in power, glorie, and maieſtie; onelyonly one true and euerliuing God. If this (brethren) be the true knowledge of God, as it is indeede; O the blindnes the world hath lien long in! eſpecially the Gentiles. Plato ſeemed to hauehave great knowledge of God, he was called diuine Plato, but he had no knowledge in deede: for he knewe him not diſtinct in perſons. And all other knowledge is to damnation: for there was neuer a ſcience that made this plaine, but this Goſpell of Ieſus preached by the Apoſtles, and left to this day in regiſter to vsus. All the ſcience of Philoſophers is meere follie, in reſpect of this ſcience of the Goſpell. The knowledge that the Iewes had of God, was but as a glimmering: for all were vnderunder ſhadowes and types; but in the Goſpell there is the full ſight. So that as thou ſeeſt the Sunne ſhining, whereby thou art able to diſcerne and iudge of eueryevery obiect: ſo thou hauing this Goſpell ſhining in thy ſoule, thou ſhalt ſee diſtinctly the God of heauen in his eſſence, and ſhalt diſcerne the perſons of the Trinitie, wherein thou ſhalt finde ioy.
O the ioy that ariſeth vponupon this ſpirituall knowledge and ſight of God, as hee hath reuealed himſelfe in his word! Alwaies (brethren) marke the gloriouſnes of this Goſpell. It lets thee ſee cleerely and diſtinctly thy God, thy redeemer: if thou 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4.wilt preaſe to looke without it to ſee him, thou ſhalt be the more blinde, and the more dimme, and the further from ſeeing of him. Therefore ſtriue to get a ſight of God in his Goſpell; otherwiſe thou ſhalt not get a ſight of him to thy comfort.
Now making mention of Chriſt, he ſubioynes a deſcription of Chriſt, In whom, ſaith he, that is, in Chriſt Ieſus, is all treaſure (weigh eueryevery word) of wiſedome and knowledge. I cannot ſee when euer he names Chriſt, that he can let him goe ſo, but the heart is ſo full of him, that his mouth is full of him alſo. He before called him that hope of glorie: and now naming him, hee ſaith, In whom is all treaſure of knowledge and wiſedome. Alas brethren, to ſpeake this by the way, this taſtleſſe ſpeaking of Chriſt, teſtifies that there is little of Chriſt in the heart of men How to ſpeak comfortablie and cheerefully of Christ.and women now adaies. If thy heart were filled of him in any meaſure, thou wouldeſt euer be ſpeaking of him, and ſo fully as thy heart could deuiſe. Now the Lord teach vsus to ſpeake of him ſo ioyfully, as wee may euer more and more take pleaſure to ſpeake of his name, to his euerlaſting praiſe; that wee may finde what vertues be in the Lord Chriſt Ieſus, Amen.
But to come to the words, he laies out the rich merchandiſe that is in him (take heed ye that would be merchants) and that The riches of Chriſt.that is in him, he calles wiſedome and knowledge. I will not be curious to diſtinguiſh them, except ye will call wiſedome that hid myſterie; and knowledge, this knowledge of earthly and heauenly things: all is in Chriſt, hee hath this knowledge: theſe two are diſtinguiſhed Rom. 11. 33. O the deepnes of this riches both of the wiſedome and knowledge of God! For there is no other wiſedome but in Ieſus Chriſt; for the fulnes of God is in him. Now he calles it not bare knowledge and wiſedome, but he ſaith, In whom are the treaſures of all wiſedome and knowledge. Many will hauehave wiſedome and knowledge, but neuer a one hath the ſtorehouſe of it, ſaue Ieſus Chriſt. Now hee ſaith not the treaſures, but all treaſures; to ſhew you that there is not a treaſure without him. Ye hauehave heard before of this fulnes: In him (ſaith he) this fulnes dwels. Now againe hee ſaith, In whom are all treaſures: And againe in a higher ſtile, hereafter verſ. 9. In whom dwels the fulnes of the Godhead bodily: looke what a Sauiour ye hauehave, all is included within the vaile and nature of man, and ſhines as it were through the vaile. Then of this I conclude, there is nothing to be ſought without him. Thou that haſt need, ſeeke nothing without Ieſus. For he that would be wiſe without Ieſus Chriſt, hee would be wiſe without God, becauſe the father is in him. So thou that wilt hauehave all fulnes, ſeeke it in him. Brethren, if this Ieſus that is reuealed this day, were ſought earneſtly, we would finde it by plaine experience in our ſelues, that there was nothing lacking in him that might doe vsus good; but he would miniſter vntounto vsus wiſedome and knowledge, and all other benefits. And I charge thee vnderunder the paine of thy life, that thou goe to no other, to ſeeke for ought without him. Seeke not to mans traditions, to theſe deceiuers of Gods people. May not their deceits be perceiued by you? May you not ſee that poyſon of theirs in their doctrine? Fie on that man of ſinne; fie on him that drownes all the world with his foule ſtinke of traditions. Reſt vponupon this Goſpell, and ſpit at this beaſt, and this poyſon that hee offers to the world. Content thee with this Goſpell. Would to God I or thou could attaine to the thouſand part of this Goſpell. If thou wiſt what this Goſpell were, and what treaſures of wiſdome were in it, thou wouldeſt neuer let it be out of thy ſight night nor day. Thou wouldeſt ſpit at all other doctrine and tradition, that ſauoured not of this Goſpel. For in this Goſpel is light and life; but in mans tradition, thou ſhalt finde no light nor life. Darknes and damnation ſhall be the end to them which imbrace them. O damnation to thee ô man that leaues the fountaine of liuing waters, and diggeſt vp to thy ſelfe ceſternes of rotten water! Woe vntounto thee that leaues the truth of the Goſpell, to follow the traditions and fantaſies of mans braine! Lord deliuer vsus from that poyſonfull doctrine, and they that are in the chaines of it, the Lord deliuer them out of the ſame, and giuegive them this full riches of the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt. To whom with the Father, and the holie Spirit, one euerlaſting God be praiſe for euer,
Amen.