Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 14
THE FOVRTEENTH LECTVRE VPONUPON THE Epiſtle of PAVL to the Coloſsians.
COLOS. Chap. 2. verſ. 4, 5, 6, 7.
4 And this I ſay, leaſt any man ſhould beguile you with entiſing words:
5 For though I be abſent in the fleſh, yet am I with you in the ſpirit, reioycing and beholding your order, and your ſtedfaſt faith in Chriſt.
6 As ye hauehave therefore receiued Chriſt Ieſus the Lord, ſo walke in him,
7 Rooted and built in him, and ſtabliſhed in the faith, as ye hauehave been taught, abounding therein with thankeſgiuing.
AFter (brethren) that the Apoſtle hath ſpoken at large of his owne perſon, to purchaſe authoritie to his doctrine and exhortation: now in the firſt verſe which I hauehave read, hee returnes to the exhortation begun in the firſt chapter; taking the occaſion of the words going before. For there the Apoſtle ſhewed that in Ieſus Chriſt were all treaſures of wiſedome and Coherence.vnderſtanding hid. VponUpon this hee concludes in this verſe, ſeeing in him are hid all treaſures of wiſedome and knowledge, therfore be not wiſe without him: ſeeke not wiſdome without him. There are falſe teachers entred in that make you thinke there is wiſedome without him; but I ſay vntounto you, if you would not be deceiued, ſeeke no wiſedome without him: for in him is the treaſure of all wiſedome and knowledge. There is the force of the argument briefly. Now marke the order of the Apoſtle. Before hee exhorted them that they ſhould not be deceiued by the inticing of mens words and doctrine, and hee laies out the reaſon taken from the treaſure and riches of wiſdome and knowledge that is in Chriſt. So the Apoſtle to the Hebrues 13. 8. being about to exhort them, that they ſhould not be carried about with ſundrie and ſtrange doctrine; hee laies downe this ground; Chriſt is today and yesterday &c. therfore be not carried away from him. As if hee would ſay, there was neuer ſaluation without him, from the beginning of the world; and there ſhall be no ſaluation without him to the end thereof: therefore ſticke to him. This order teacheth vsus this leſſon: that after wee hauehave let men ſee what is in Chriſt, after we hauehave opened as it were, and laid abroad before the eyes of the world, all that ſtore of wiſedome and knowledge that is in him: then it is time to exhort men to leaue all their doctrine and vanitie, and inticing words of men; and to ſticke by this Chriſt, in whom there is ſuch wiſedome and knowledge. For brethren, you muſt vnderſtand; men if they ſee not true wiſedome, they will drinke in vanitie: the heart muſt be filled with The heart muſt be filled vvith ſomething.ſomething, if thou ſee not the truth, thou muſt drinke in lyes. And more, when thou haſt begun to receiue the truth (as theſe Coloſsians did) except that truth be opened and laid before thy eyes as it were to be ſeene what is in it, and what is the meaning and true ſenſe of the ſame: except this Goſpell (I ſay) be continually taught; O vaine man, thou wilt goe to the puddle of mens fancies; thou wilt fall againe to mens doctrine, The preaching of the Goſpell muſt be cō tinued.traditions and vanitie; thou wilt be a Papiſt, yea and an Atheiſt to. And therefore there is nothing more needfull then this, that theſe riches of Chriſt be laid out before our eyes, and euer tolde to vsus, that in Chriſt is all wiſdome and knowledge. I aske, what is the cauſe that this miſerable world, all men, and all nations for the moſt part be ſo drunke in mens dreames? (what is the Popes doctrine but dreames and poyſon? drinke it in, thou ſhalt be poyſoned with it) I tell thee, becauſe theſe falſe deceiuers cloſe vp the Goſpell, and ſwaddle vp Chriſt in the ſwaddle bands, this is the cauſe that theſe poore ſoules ſee no better; and therefore they are led to damnation blindfolded. O miſerable bodies! theſe foule ſpirits ſend out their poyſon to dampne the world withall, as alas the greateſt part of Europe this day can tell.
But to ſticke to the words: The Apoſtle ſaith, I ſpeake this, leaſt any man ſhould beguile you with inticing words. foreign are ſet out in faire flattring talke. Then ye ſee here, he oppoſeth to all the treaſures of Chriſt inticing words: to wiſedome he oppoſeth flattring words. There is no wiſedome without Chriſt, all is plaine ſophiſtrie, as it is called in the Schooles. Then in a word, all wiſdome being in Chriſt, if thou yt wilt be wiſe without him, ſeeke thy wiſedome where thou wilt, runne to Rome, runne here and there, to the Ieſuites to get wiſedome out of them; thou ſhalt be filled with dreames, thou ſhalt finde nothing but ſophiſtrie; thou ſhalt not meete with wiſedome. All that thou ſhalt ſee and finde, ſhall be but inticing words. And what wilt thou winne by this? He ſaith, that ye be not deceiued, and tooke in a grin. Thou ſhalt be taken in a grin as a beaſt, if thou ſeeke ought without him. Alas brethren, when I remember Antichriſt and his wofully deceiue ſoulesthis miſerable world, it is a pitie to ſee how it is abuſed by theſe traitors and deceiuers of mens ſoules. O that damnation and iudgement that ſhall fall on that curſed kingdome of Antichriſt! For I aſſure you, this world for the greateſt part are taken in the grins by Antichriſt; and ſo reſerued to iudgement. And the more miſerable are they, that are in the grin of Antichriſt, that they thinke that they are in ſweete bands; for the end ſhall let ye ſee how bitter the bands were: let them now be to thee as ſweete as they will, thou ſhalt finde in the end that of all bands in this world, they are the worſt.
To goe forward. He hath vttered a great care to the Coloſſians, whom hee neuer ſaw nor knew. Therefore they might hauehave ſaid; what care is this thou haſt of vsus? thou neuer ſawſt vsus, nor we thee. He meetes with this in the next words: O ye Coloſſians (ſaith he) though I be abſent from you in the fleſh, yet am I with you in the ſpirit. Then ye ſee the Saints the true members of Chriſt, they hauehave a ſight and knowledge of others, that the world knowes not of. This world and naturall men, that hauehave Iudgement. and louelove of the world concerning other men.not the ſpirit of Ieſus, thinke that none can reach out to the worlds end, and can hauehave knowledge of another, nor any care ouer him if he ſee him not with his bodily eye; but al is vaine. For a ſpirituall man will ſend his ſoule to the end of the world, and vponupon this hee will vtter his care vntounto him by his exhortation. And this is a token of a greater thing, euen of this ioyning of the godly together, that one day they ſhalbe together ſoule and bodie. If thou hauehave a heart and care with the Church of God, thou ſhalt raigne with her in heauen for euer. And in deede if thou hauehave not this, it is a venture if euer thou raigne with her.
Now when he hath ſet downe this ſpirituall preſence with them, he ſubioynes the effect of it, reioycing (ſaith he) there is the effect of that ſpirituall preſence, his ſoule was with them, Spirituall preſence of the faithfull one with another.and with ioy hee reioyced to ſee them. So this preſence ſpiritual, whē the heart of the faithfull is with others, it is no fantacie, as a vaine head will thinke: but I ſay thou hadſt neuer ſuch ioy, as the faithfull will hauehave with others in a ſpirituall preſence. Thou neuer kneweſt this ioy, that haſt not this ſpiritual preſence. And brethren, it is euen with the Church, as it is with Chriſt, 1. Pet. 1. 8. he ſaith, you hauehave not ſeene Chriſt with your eyes, yet beleeuing in him who is farre from vsus in his bodily preſence, and louing him, howbeit he be away, ye reioyce with a ioy that is vnſpeakable and glorious. It is euen ſo with the Church, howbeit wee ſee not the members of Chriſt in the bodie; yet if we hauehave the ſpirituall eye, we ſhall ſee them and they vsus, and ſhall hauehave this ſpirituall ioy, ſpoken of in this place. And this ſame ioy that is in this life, with the Saints, is a ſure argument of a paſsing ioy, that wee ſhall hauehave with the Church, when we are gathered to our head Ieſus Chriſt, when with the eye of the bodie we ſhall ſee thoſe glorified bodies. O vaine bodie! thou neuer wiſt what ioy, glorie, and beautie meaneth, if thou attaine not to this, to be a member of Ieſus Chriſt, and to hauehave a ſpirituall preſence with others.
Now followes what matter of ioy he heard in them. Beholding (ſaith he) your order: then the ſtedfastnes of your faith. Hee ſaw this in ſpirit, and not with the eye of the bodie. Brethren, certainly the thing that man walkes in, if it be in the ioy of the heart, it muſt be pleaſant; it muſt be a pleaſant ſight, that will make a man to reioyce. Ye ſee when a man ſees a thing that is not pleaſant, he wil not reioyce. So that except the man of God ſee that that is pleaſant, he will not, neither can he reioyce in heart. Now what is more beautifull then the ſpouſe of Ieſus, ſauing the Lord himſelfe, who is the bridegroome? There is nothing more beautifull to the ſpirituall eye, then the Church of Chriſt; howſoeuer ſhe ſeemes to be vile in this world.
The firſt part of this beautie, is Order, that is, a well ordered The beautie of the Church.life, holines of manners, according to the rule of the Goſpell: ſo holines of life is the order he ſaw among them: and thou ſhalt neuer ſee a face ſo pleaſant as holines is, when it is vttered by a well ordred life. That is the faireſt beautie that a man or woman can hauehave: if thou want this, waſh and decke thy ſelfe as well as thou canſt, thou art no better then dirt and dung, that is troden vnderunder feete. If a man looke vponupon thee with a ſpirituall eye, if thou wert a Queene, pamper thy ſelfe vp as thou wilt, want thou holines, thou art but dirt and filthie dung, for all thy outward brauerie of attire.
The ſecond thing that made him to reioyce with them in Faith.ſpirit, it was deeper then the firſt: Holines is outward: therefore he goes further downe, and in through their life he looks and ſees the faith that lay in the heart: that is to ſay, of the outward behauiour, he gathers more of their inward faith, from the which holines proceedeth. For certaine it is, that thou canſt not be holy, if thou hauehave not a good action in thy hand; nor an holy word in thy mouth, if faith be not in thy heart. So when a man hath a ſpirituall eye, hee will preſſe into the heart, and not ſtand vponupon outward appearances. O then how great is the beautie of faith! Thy outward actions are nothing without this faith in thy heart; and it is a thing moſt pleaſant to God, when hee ſeeth faith in thy heart, and that thou beleeueſt in Ieſus. He calles it not ſimply faith, but hee calles it that ſolidnes, that ſtedfaſtnes of faith in Ieſus Chriſt. Well, thou that wouldeſt hauehave faith, thou muſt hauehave a ſolide faith: if thou be wagging and wauering, & nodding here and there; ſo that when thou art in Scotland, thou art of the religion there profeſſed; when thou art in France & Germany, of Trauellers into Spaine and Italy.the religions profeſſed there; and when thou art in Spaine, Italy and Rome, thou art of their religion: Is that thy faith? That faith of thine ſhall doe thee no good, thou art but a vaine bodie, there is no ſtedfaſtneſſe in thee; and except there bee ſtedfaſtneſſe of faith in thy heart, thou ſhalt neuer be a holy liuer. Many will profeſſe at this day, I hauehave faith in Chriſt Ieſus, I beleeue: but to come to their life, there is no ſuch thing: and this is becauſe there is no ſound faith in their heart; but their faith is onelyonly in the tip of their tongue. For thou that leadeſt a life contrary to faith, thou haſt no faith at al. For the Apoſtle ſeeing a godly life in theſe Coloſsians, hee gathers that there was a ſolide faith in them. Then in a word, there is the matter of ioy, that the godly hauehave, when they ſee firſt that outward How wee may truly ioy in our brethren, when vve ſee them ſtand faſt in faith, & liue godly and righteouſly.beautie of holines and godlines of conuerſation in thee or in any man; and then that ſtedfaſt faith from whence it ſprings, there is matter of ioy. When wee ſee a Church liue godly, and then hauehave faith ſtedfaſt in Chriſt, here the ioy of the heart will ariſe: and by the contrary, there cannot be a greater diſpleaſure, then to ſee a Church out of order, liuing a life directly contrary to their profeſion; there is the diſpleaſure and grief of the faithfull.
And ſo to come to our ſelues, if we would be pleaſant to others that neuer ſaw vsus, let vsus liue after this order, and ſeeke to hauehave faith in Ieſus: otherwiſe be ſure, they that neuer ſawe thee, will be witneſſes againſt thee to thy iuſt damnation, that thou profeſſeſt one way, and haſt liued cleane contrary to thy profeſſion.
In the next verſes, hee returnes to his exhortation, and gathers his concluſion. Therefore (ſaith the Apoſtle) as ye hauehave receiued Chriſt Ieſus the Lord, and begun exceeding well both in life and faith; ſo walke in him, perſeuere in him: there is the exhortation. Note heere firſt, the thing that ſhould moue a Church, or any perſon to perſeuerance. What ſhould moue thee to hold on to the end? Haſt thou begun in holines of life and faith in the heart? The beginning ſhould moue thee to goe forward to the end. A good beginning would hauehave a good end: otherwiſe it had been better thou hadſt neuer begun. I ſhall giuegive thee a faithfull counſell, either minde neuer to be a Chriſtian man or woman, or elſe beginning once, and taking that name vponupon thee, hold on, perſeuere for euer. For if thou Perſeuerance.perſeuere not, thy damnation ſhall be double, and thou ſhalt curſe the day that euer thou heardſt of Ieſus: ſo Ieſus ſhall be either ſaluation to thee or damnation. Peter ſaith in his ſecond Epiſtle chap. 2. 21. It had been better for them, not to hauehave knowne the way of righteouſnes, thē after they hauehave knowne it, to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vntounto them. It had been better for thee neuer to hauehave receiued this word and doctrine of the Goſpell, then to hauehave fallen backe from this holy doctrine.
Then I note the manner of perſeuering: Euen as thou haſt receiued him walke in him. As if he would ſay, ye hauehave receiued him in ſimplicitie of heart, ye hauehave receiued the Goſpell without the traditions of men, perſeuere in the ſame manner, and put not to it ſo much as one tradition of any man. The Lord TraditionsIeſus cannot abide that the inuention of mans braine ſhould be foyſted into his Goſpell. So either keepe the Goſpell in the owne ſimplicitie, and ſpit out the dreames and traditions of men (which they labour to put to it, as though it were not ſufficient;) or elſe neuer know it, let it goe by thee, and then woe to thee euermore. Keepe it in it owne ſimplicitie: for if thou mingle of thy inuentions with it, thou ſhalt loſe the efficacie and force of the Goſpell. Imbrace once Papiſtrie, I aſſure thee thou haſt fallen from Chriſt: thou haſt but fancied to thy ſelfe the name of a Chriſtian. Therefore either lay the Goſpell from thee, and take thee to traditions, or elſe keepe it in it owne ſimplicitie.
Then thirdly I ſee what faith is. Faith is nothing els but the VVhat faith is, and perſeuerance.receiuing of Chriſt, not with the hand, but with the hart. He is giuen thee; thou receiueſt nothing but that that is offered. And what is preſeuerance? A walking, and going forward in Chriſt. Wouldeſt thou perſeuere? Thou muſt not ſit downe, thou muſt not ſtand ſtill, but thou muſt goe forward in him, and make progreſſe: at the leaſt thou muſt ſtriue to goe on, vntounto the time thou meete with him. A bodie that ſits downe ſhall neuer meere with him: thou muſt therefore goe on thy way, and be on thy iourney, or elſe thou ſhalt loſe him. If thou make not progreſſe, thou ſhalt goe backward. Therefore run, hauing thy eye vponupon the goale, and count not that thou haſt done, till thou get the goale, which ſhall be in the day of the reſurrection.
In the next verſe when hee hath exhorted them to perſeuerance, hee lets them ſee how they ſhall come by this perſcuerance. Marke the way, if thou perſeuere in him: Thou muſt be well knit vp and faſt ioyned with him; or elſe thou canſt neuer goe on foote for foote with him. This coniunction is ſet downe in two borrowed words. The firſt is rooted in him: no, neuer tree tooke ſuch roote in the earth, as thou muſt take in Chriſt, if thou goe with him. And therefore he borrowed this word from a tree, and if thou be rooted in Ieſus, that ſappe of life muſt runne from that roote, and make thee to grow. The ſecond word is, as wee would goe forward with him, wee muſt be grounded vponupon him, as a building builded vponupon a foundation. Nay, there was neuer building ſo builded and ſetled, as thou muſt be in Chriſt, if euer thou wilt perſeuere, or elſe the leaſt blaſt of winde ſhall blow thee away. As the Lord in the Goſpell in the ſimilitude of the houſe, builded vponupon the ſea ſand doth declare, Matth. 7. 26. 27. Then marke: wee muſt hauehave a ſtreight coniunction with Chriſt, if we wil goe forward with him. Therefore our care ſhould be euer to ſee, that wee take roote further and further in Chriſt, and to ſee that ſtedfaſt foundation laide vp vnderunder our hearts, and that wee grow eueryevery day more and more on him. Well is the man that can enter into this count with himſelfe. Then learne thy leſſon at the tree, when thou ſeeſt it rooted in the earth: ſay, O Lord let my heart be builded on thee, and as the building riſeth, ſo raiſe thou A prayer.vp my heart on thee. And the Lord ſhall make thee a fairer building then all the buildings in the world. Then that which he hath ſpoken in borrowed ſpeeches, he ſpeakes it plainly, and he ſaith, establiſhed in faith. As if hee would ſay, it is nothing that I meane, but your ſtabliſhing in faith. O the vnſtabilitie of man without faith! O vaine man that hath not faith! If thou finde any ſtabilitie in faith, thou ſhalt ſay; O my heart where haſt thou been ſtragling? there is no anchor that can faſten or ſtabliſh thine heart, but faith and hope in Ieſus Chriſt. When by this anchor thou art anchored on him, then thou ſhalt ſtand ſo faſt, that no winde nor waue of the ſea ſhall be able to remoue thee. And therefore except thou wouldeſt goe loſe thy ſelfe, ſeeke to get thy heart anchored on Ieſus, who is only able to make it faſt. A Papiſts heart hath no ſtedfaſtnes nor ſtabilitie, becauſe it is grounded on the wrong place; it is founded vponupon Antichriſt.
Now to the eſtabliſhing of thy heart, he requires two properties. To ſtabliſh thine heart in the faith note two things.The firſt is, in the faith that ye hauehave been instructed into, that is by the Goſpell of Chriſt. Then (brethren) there is nothing will ſtabliſh thy heart, but that faith that is taught out of the Goſpell. If thou get not thy faith out of this Goſpell, the Scripture of God, and that onelyonly without paring or adding of mens dreames, thou ſhalt neuer get it. The Lord ſhall iuſtifie this one day; ſeeke it where thou wilt, thou ſhalt not find it without the Goſpel. Seeke it in the Councels of the Fathers; ſeeke it among the Popes Clergie; thou ſhalt not finde it amongſt them; thou ſhalt euer be the further from it. For the Apoſtle ſtreightens them ſore: he ſees lownes creeping in vnderunder the cloake of Chriſt, and ſtealing in traditions of mens wiſedome: Therefore he warnes them, and ſaith, I charge you that ye ſeeke ſaith only out of this Goſpell. And this day alſo, I charge all fleſh from Kings to beggers, to ſeeke faith onelyonly out of this Goſpell; and ſpit at the vile inuentions of men: or elſe thou ſhalt neuer ſee the face of God, nor the ioyes of that life in him. Therefore ſticke by this Goſpell, and ſuffer not thy ſelfe to be ſeuered from it: yea rather ſuffer thy skinne be pulled off thee as the Martyrs did, before thou ſhouldeſt be parted from the Goſpell.
The ſecond propertie that is required to the eſtabliſhing of thy heart in faith, is; Thy faith must abound, abounding (ſaith he) with thankeſgiuing. It muſt abound, it muſt grow aboundantly; it muſt not begin onelyonly, but it muſt grow degree by degree. For (brethren) O how voide is the heart of man of grace, and ful of vanitie. It wil not be a degree of grace yt will fill thy heart, nor two, nor three, &c. but there muſt be aboundance. Faith muſt abound and grow, ſo long as thou abideſt in this world: thy heart muſt euer be filling. But alas thou art euer filling thy bodie, and forgets thy heart. O but thou muſt be more carefull to fill thy heart, then thy bodie! Crie therefore euer to hauehave thy heart filled with faith in Ieſus: and ſay, Lord, as thou filleſt my bodie, ſo fill my heart alſo. For thy body being Pray that thy heart may be filled with faith.filled ſhall periſh: but if thy ſoule be filled with the faith of Ieſus, thou ſhalt liue for euer and euer. And therefore ſeeke this aboundance, and be not content with one degree of grace or two, or ſixe or ſeauen: for there is no facietie till thou get that ſight of the countenance of Ieſus in the heauen, as he is.
Now he ioynes with this aboundance, thankeſgiuing: as if he would ſay, as thou findeſt thy faith grow, euer thanke him that giues thee it. For theſe two are inſeparably coupled together; ſo that if you take thankes away, there will be no abounding of faith. Thou that canſt not thanke God, thou haſt no faith: thou that canſt not perſeuere in thankſgiuing, thou groweſt not in faith. For thankſgiuing is an vnſeparable companion of faith. Groweſt thou in thankſgiuing? thou groweſt in faith: True ſignes of faith.for it is a plaine argument of the growth of faith in thee. Haſt thou a pleaſure to pray, and to aske, and to thanke God? thou canſt not get a ſurer token of the aboundance of faith then that. Then thou maiſt reioyce and ſay, Praiſed be God, my faith growes, and I ſhall get daily a cleerer ſight of the face of Chriſt, and ſo ſhall be made conformable to my Sauiour the Lord Ieſus. Now the Lord worke this grace and earneſtnes in our hearts, for this his Chriſts ſake. To whom with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be praiſe for euer,
Amen.