Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 15
THE FIFTEENTH LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Coloſſians.
COLOS. Chap. 2. verſ. 8. 9. 10.
8 Beware leaſt there be any man that ſpoyles you through Philoſophie, and vaine deceit, through the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not after Chriſt:
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily.
10 Andye are compleate in him which is the head of all principalitie and power.
THe Apoſtle (brethren) hauing ſet downe his doctrine, as ye heard in the firſt chapter: he addes hereunto an exhortation and admonition. He hath exhorted to perſeuerance in faith, now hee admoniſheth to beware of falſe teachers and of falſe doctrine. He began his exhortation in the firſt chapter: then hauing ſpoken ſomething of himſelf, partly in the firſt, partly in the ſecond; he returnes and giues this admonition to beware of falſe teachers. Then after he returnes to the exhortation again, calling vponupon them to be conſtant in the doctrine once receiued. Now in the text that wee hauehave read this day, he returnes to the admonition, admoniſhing them to beware of falſe teachers. Then briefly to come to the words: Beware (ſaith he) leaſt there be any man that ſpoyles you. The word in the originall language ſignifies, Let no man The ſenſe of the word ſpoiles.carrie you away as a pray. The word is borrowed from robbers and theeues that come vponupon a folde of ſheepe, and carrie away the ſheepe as a pray. Euen ſo falſe teachers are naught elſe but robbers, brigands, theeues that come vponupon the ſheepfold of the Lord Ieſus, and carrie away his ſheepe as a pray. The manner how they doe this; is not by ſtrong hand or by violence, but it is by Philoſophie, by deceiuing of the ſheepe and ſnaring of them: firſt by ſophiſtrie, and then when they hauehave ſnared them, and trapped them, they binde them, and ſo take them on their ſhoulders, and they goe on willingly being deceiued. Therefore, wouldeſt thou not be a pray to a falſe teacher? keep thee from his deceit, keepe thee from the Papiſts traditions, mens Philoſophie. For all their religion is meere peltrie. I ſay to thee their Philoſophie, that is their deceit, and vanitie in doctrine, The philoſophie of the enemies of the Church more to be feared then their violence or power.is more to be feared then their violence and power, becauſe by it onelyonly they get their pray: if thou keepe thee from their deceit, they ſhall not bee able to take thee as a pray. As for their violence, if they beguile thee not, it ſhall neuer ſeuer thee from the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Yet to inſiſt vponupon this; hee calles it Philoſophie. A faire name to be called wiſedome, but hee giues it as foule a name afterward, when he names it vaine deceit, that is, vanitie that deceiues: there is no ſoliditie in all their doctrine. Search it who will? Indeede it is true, the wiſedome of man ſo long as it is within the bounds of things that are earthly and worldly, things naturall, things concerning policie; it will hauehave ſome ſoliditie: but ſo ſoone as the head of a man, albeit neuer ſo ingenious and learned, reacheth without the bounds of earthly and naturall things, & begins to climbe vp to heauen, and to ſeeke out God and his worſhip; there the head of man vaniſheth and becomes fooliſhnes. O how great diſtance is there betwixt the wiſedome of God and man! Therefore Paul to the Romanes chap. 1. 21. ſpeaking of the wiſe Philoſophers ſeeing to be wiſe, ſaith, they became ſtarke fooles. Diuine Plato, a very foole in the knowledge and worſhip of God, and all the reſt fooles concerning God.
Yet (brethren) he ſaith: This wiſedome of theirs is deceiuing. Although it be vaine, notwithſtanding it is effectuall to beguile thee, becauſe it will ſeeme to be wiſedome, and it is dyed with the colour of wiſedome: ſo that if thou wilt looke on it at the firſt face, it wil ſeeme wiſedome: for outwardly it hath a fairer ſhew, then the greateſt wiſdome of God. So I note here, alas how lightly, and with how light a thing is a bodie deceiued? Follie will ſeeme wiſedome, and vanitie will ſeeme ſtedfaſtnes vntounto him. There is none borne otherwiſe, if he hauehave no more then his natural birth. So there muſt be a deeper ground of this matter. What can be the cauſe that vanitie and follie can ſo ſoone deceiue a man? Alas, if the cauſe were not in thee, thou couldeſt not ſo ſoone be deceiued. Thou art borne with a vaine hart, and thou drinkeſt it vp as naturally as ſand doth water. If thou hadſt not this nature, and this vaine heart, none would be able to beguile thee. When I conſider this (O fie vponupon the deceit of the world) I wonder not to ſee millions of Papiſts, Poperie is a naturall religion.Kings and nations, to be ſo blinded this day, at the light of the Goſpell: for that is the naturall diſpoſition of all men: but rather I wonder to ſee one ſilly body, to hauehave that change, that he can drinke in the truth of God. And if thou hauehave it thy ſelfe, wonder at it, and giuegive him thanks that hath ſhewed ſuch grace and merciemercy on thee.
To go forward. In the ſecond word, when he hath ſet down this vaine deceit, he ſpecifies it more particularly, and ſaith: Through the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Chriſt. I aske the queſtion, what thinkeſt thou by the vaineſt doctrine that euer was taught? I anſwere out of this place of the Apoſtle, when hee hath ſaid Traditions of men the vaineſt deceit in the world.vaine deceit, hee expounds it mens traditions: ſo the vaineſt doctrine in the world is mens traditions. If thou wouldeſt be vaine, all the fables of the Poets be not ſo vaine, or will not make thee ſo vaine, as the vaine traditions of the Papiſts, called their vnwritten verities. O vaine Papiſt! I giuegive thee the ſoueraigntie of the vaineſt creature that euer ſtepped vponupon the ground.
In the words following he declares it yet more particularly, according to the rudiments of the world. This is one ſort of mens traditions. In this chapter, ye ſhall ſee two ſorts of mens traditions, one that neuer was knowne, ſuch as the holy Ghoſt Two kinds of traditions here ſpecified.neuer gaue, nor was ordained to be preached, as the inuocation vponupon Angels, or Saints; Satisfactions; Purgatorie; ſuch as God neuer knew. Another ſort called the Rudiments of the world, or the elements of the world, that is, the elements and ſhadowes of the law ceremoniall that God gaue to his people; which hee willed ſhould be aboliſhed, when the truth it ſelfe which they ſhadowed ſhould come; I meane the Meſſias: whē he came into the world, all theſe ceremonies ceaſed. Learne heere that euen thoſe ceremonies that were giuen by God to be obſerued, before Chriſt came into the world; now when Chriſt is come, are to be counted the doctrine and traditions of men. And now if God will not know theſe ceremonies, which he himſelfe gaue; O vaine Papiſt! will he acknowledge thee and thy dreames, and the reſt of that peltrie? No, in that great day thou ſhalt finde the Lord ſhall ſay; I know neither thee nor thy doctrine.
In the laſt of theſe words oppoſing to mens traditions, and ſpecially to the ceremonies of ye Iewes, he ſaith, not after Chriſt; that is, that Chriſt and his Goſpell hath not to doe with them. Then wouldeſt thou hauehave two oppoſite things, that will not ſtand together, where wilt thou ſeeke them? Thou thinkeſt water and fire, a wolfe and a lambe be moſt contrarie. No; I muſt tell thee, what is more contrarie, yea that it will neuer be glewed together: the ſincere word of the Goſpell, the written word of the Scriptures, and their vnwritten verities. Let the Papiſts endeuour as they will to glew and to ſoder them together, they ſhall neuer agree together. Heauen and hell ſhall bee as ſoone put together, as thou ſhalt put them together. And looke how ſoone thou putteſt to a part of mens traditions to the Goſpell, ſo ſoone thou putteſt to a peece of ſower leauen to ſweete; and ſo all is made ſower to thee. So thou haſt no ſweete bread in the Goſpell. Put me in a tradition to Ieſus Chriſt, paint him out in as good intention as thou canſt, I ſay in mans tradition Ieſus Chriſt is nothing but a maine Idol, and thou art an Idolater, and thy death ſhall be with Idolaters.
When he hath giuen them the admonition, that they ſhould beware of falſe teachers, & their doctrine, whereby they were led away captiue as a pray to perdition; he ſubioynes a good reaſon in the next verſe, wherefore they ſhould not feede vponupon vanitie: For in Christ (ſaith he) dwels all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily. As if hee would ſay; would ye be filled? And certainly The heart deſires to be filled with ſomething.the harts of mē naturally craue to be filled, either with one knowledge of God or other: yea and ere it will want a filling, it wilinuent a God to it ſelfe. Nature tels this. So would ye be filled, ſaith he? Leaue not the full plenitude that is in Ieſus Chriſt, and runne to puddles that will turne to poyſon in the end. Then before I come to the words in particular, marke this. There is ſuch a fulnes in Chriſt, that thou needeſt not to be emptie, or to ſeeke to be filled without him, with any thing in this world. Thou art bound to ſeeke out of this plenitude to be filled, and not elſewhere. That fulnes in him is offered to thee, and if thou ſeeke without him to be filled, his fulnes ſhall make thy damnation double. Remember I tell thee, the fuller he is of grace and glorie, if thou get not a ſhare of it, the greater ſhall be thy damnation in that day: either ſhalt thou get grace; or elſe his fulnes ſhall aggrauate thy iudgement.
In whom (ſaith he) dwels the fulnes of the Godhead bodily. Then what is in him? Firſt not onelyonly grace (as we ſay) by participation, as it is in vsus; but in Ieſus is the God of grace himſelfe. The deitie, the Godhead, Gods owne eſſence, and nature is in Ieſus Chriſt. He ſaith not ſimply, the Godhead is in him, but hee ſaith, the fulnes of it; not a part of it: ſo that one part is here, and another there; one part in him, and another part without him: but hee ſaith, the fulnes of the Godhead is in Ioh. 14.him. He is full of God, the perfect God is in him; yea the Godhead of the Father is within him. The full Godhead is in him, in ſubſtance, nature, and eſſence. Hee ſaith not ſimply (looke eueryevery word) that the fulnes of the Godhead is in him, but hee All the fulnes of the Godhead is in Chriſt.ſaith, all the fulnes is in him: as if hee would ſay, The fulnes of the Godhead in eueryevery ſort and manner of way is in him. The fulnes not in wiſedome onelyonly, in power onelyonly, in iuſtice only, in merciemercy only; but the fulnes in all theſe together, and eueryevery propertie of the Godhead is in him. In a word, the whole glorie and maieſtie of God is in him. And not this onelyonly, but hee ſaith, it dwels in him. God is not in Ieſus, ſimply to ſpeake it ſo, in him today, and tomorrow out of him, but he abides in him euerlaſtingly. He ſhall neuer leaue him. Then he ſaith, he dwels in him. How? not after a common manner, but bodily, that is to ſay, eſſentially. So that the very ſubſtance of the Godhead in Ieſus Chriſt, is become corporall in the perſon of the ſonne: The word was made fleſh, Ioh. 1. 14. The very eſſence of God is become incarnate, as it were: a marueilous coniunction there is of two natures in Chriſt. For that the nature of man in Ieſus Chriſt is conioyned with the nature of the Godhead; and the two natures are become one perſon, to wit, the perſon of God is become one, ioyned with the nature of man. No creature hath this prerogatiue, only Ieſus hath it: and ſo in this reſpect it is ſaid, the Godhead dwels bodily in him. This is the meaning of the words. This is the third time that he hath ſpoken of his fulnes. Note.In the firſt chapter verſ. 19. he ſaith, In him dwels all fulnes, and then in this ſecond chapter verſ. 3. In him are hid all the treaſures of wiſedome and knowledge. Where ye ſee in his ſecond ſpeaking, hee ſpeakes more fully then he did in the firſt. Now laſtly in the third roome hee ſaith, In him dwels dwels all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily; there is a more full ſpeaking then before. So by his example (wee that cannot ſpeake as the Apoſtles and Saints of God did) wee ſhould learne how to ſpeake of God. Paul the more he inſiſts in ſpeaking of Chriſt, and his fulnes; the more his heart aboundeth, and the more How to ſpeake of Chriſt with grace.his mouth is filled with words to his praiſe, degree by degree. So the mans heart being filled with Ieſus, his mouth is filled: & a full mouth ſpeaking of Chriſt, wil fill the harts of the hearers. Then brethren learne: the more yt one ſpeakes of the fulnes of Chriſt and of his glorie, the more & more ſhall he finde his hart abound, & his mouth filled. And it is impoſſible if thy heart be full of him, but thy mouth muſt be full, and thou wilt ſpeake of him with a full mouth, and not lightly a word and away. And then who wots, but the Lord will make that fulnes to fill ſome of the hearts of the hearers? Bleſſed is that heart that can get any part of that fulnes of Ieſus: for thy heart was neuer ſtabliſhed with grace that neuer got no part of the fulnes of Ieſus.
All this ſpeaking tels thee Chriſt is no winde, nor vanitie. If thou hadſt no other thing to know ſtedfaſtnes by, this ſame ſpeaking of Paul tels thee that all ſoliditie and fulnes is in Ieſus Chriſt. Therefore when thou readeſt this, marke it, and ſay: I ſee here a fulnes: Alas, that there ſhould be ſuch fulnes in Chriſt, and I hauing ſo ſmall part of it. Lord let me finde this fulnes in ſome meaſure. Ceaſe not while thou finde it, for it ſtands thee vponupon life and life, and the heart that is not filled with Chriſt here in ſome meaſure, ſhall neuer be filled with his preſence and ioyes in heauen hereafter. And therefore thou that wouldeſt hauehave that onelyonly fulnes, which ſhall be in heauen, by the ſweete preſence of Ieſus there, where thou ſhalt ſee him, as hee is in our nature, full of glorie and maieſtie; which ſight ſhall make thee reioyce exceedingly: looke as thou wouldſt hauehave ioy for euermore, that thou be filled with Ieſus here on earth in ſome meaſure, otherwaies away with thee, thou art a caſt away, and thy end ſhall be in euerlaſting woe, woe vponupon woe, and euer in woe. So then you may ſee all the glorie in heauen is in Ieſus Chriſt; there is not a iot of glorie out of him, but all is in him, that is, in thy Sauiour. Wouldeſt thou hauehave a Sauiour? where wouldeſt thou get one if thou miſſe this Sauiour? See the honour of thy nature in him. All the glorie of heauen ſhines through the vaile of thy nature in him: thy nature is the very vaile, that hangs about that glorious Chriſt God manifested in our fleſhmaieſtie, that light that hath no acceſſe, and it ſhines to thee through the vaile. I ſpeake this, for this cauſe, that thou preſſe not to ſeeke heauen, nor no ioy, nor glorie therein, but in this Lord Ieſus Chriſt. No, looke not here nor there, but directly ſet thine eye vponupon him, that ſits at the right hand of the Father. For in him is all the glorie of the Father, and looke that thou imagine not to ſee any glorie, but that that is in thy head. Where is thine heauen? Ieſus is thine heauen. All thy heauen here, and hence is as it were included in him. Seeke it where thou wilt, thou ſhalt finde no heauen without Chriſt.
Now to come to the next verſe, the Coloſſians might hauehave ſaid: What is that to vsus, that thou haſt told vsus of the great fulnes that is in him? he is full, but we are emptie: what vantage hauehave wee by it? Euen as if one would tell of a glorious King: another will anſwere, what is that to me? The Apoſtle meetes with this obiection, and ſaith, In whom ye are complete, who is the head of all principalitie and power. As if he would ſay: O Coloſſians, in him ye are filled, his fulnes is yours: it ſerues for your profit. So you ſee, that not onelyonly all fulnes of glorie is in Ieſus Chriſt, in his owne perſon; but with the beames of it, as it were all creatures are filled: yea heauen it ſelfe is filled with his glorie; and the earth is filled with his glorie: and this is the felicitie of all the creatures in the world. Wherein troweſt thou ſtands the bleſſednes of the earth? of the heauen? and of all the elements? Note.Looke the eight chapter to the Romanes, verſ. 21. 22. and there you ſhall finde that the bleſſednes of the creature ſtands in the gloriouſnes of Rom. 8. 21 22Chriſt, one day to be reuealed. And therefore Paul ſaith, that the world groanes, ſighing for the reuelation of his glorie: for the glorie of the earth and heauen, is not yet reuealed. Peter ſaith in his ſecond Epiſtle chap. 3. 12. 13. When that the Lord ſhall come in his glorie, that the heauens ſhall burne, and be diſſolued, and the elements ſhall melt: then there ſhall be new heauens A new heauen and a new earth.made, and a new earth: So that thou ſhalt ſee another glorie in heauen and earth, then euer was before, or is now ſeene. But to ſpeake of man eſpecially; they that would beleeue and would be in him, they ſhall be ingrafted as it were into him, and ſet as it were in his fulnes, aboue all other creatures: for they ſhall be filled with his own fulnes. If thou be ſet in him as the Sunne is in the firmament, the fulnes of the glorie that is in him, ſhall ſhine in thee, aboue the earth, aboue the Moone, & aboue the Sun it ſelfe. So that this is felicitie, to hauehave a ſhare and portion of the grace and glorie of Chriſt, to receiue of his fulnes; for he is full of grace, and veritie, ſaith Iohn 1. 14. It is true indeed, and ſo long as wee liue here, this appeares not. There is neuer a one that beleeues, but he is a Kings ſonne, and a Kings daughter. But ſaith John, 1. Ioh. 3. 2. it appeares not as yet; but when hee comes, then it ſhall appeare, wee ſhall all ſhine in glorie. And the reprobate that thought thee but a loſt creature, ſhall wonder that euer there ſhould be ſuch a glorie prepared for thee. Albeit thou ſhine not now, yet if thou beleeue, thou haſt this vantage: all that glorie that is in Chriſt is thine. I ſay to thee, a man is not ſo ſurely clad with his ſhirt, as thou that beleeueſt in Chriſt art clad with him. He is a garment to thee, hauehave what clothing thou wilt; if thou hadſt but a ragged coate, yet if thou beleeueſt in him, thou art clad with him. Goe where thou wilt, if thou caſt off thy coate, Ieſus will ſticke by thee: There is neuer a faithfull Saint wants Ieſus. And therefore thou maiſt ſay, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance. OnelyOnly beleeue in him, be ingrafted in him by faith: OnelyOnly poſſeſſe him in thy heart. Thou haſt all his glorie and maieſtie. And againe, you ſee no man needes to enuie the glorie that Chriſt hath in him; for he communicates that glorie to vsus; you ſee we enuie the glorie of earthly Princes. This wee hauehave by nature, we would hauehave it all our ſelues, and the ſeed of ambition is in the beaſtlieſt bodie that is vponupon earth, which Ambition.raiſeth all theſe ſeditions, tumults, warres and vprores that is now adaies, and hath been from the beginning. Such is the enuie that eueryevery man hath againſt another mans preferment, his honour, and eſtimation, that hee cannot away with it, except he hauehave all in himſelfe. And therefore hee leaues nothing vndone, if it were to cut his throte, ſo be it he may get his glory and renowne. But thou that beleeueſt, needs not in ſuch wiſe to enuie the glorie of Ieſus Chriſt. A King will not communicate his glorie with thee, no not a iot of it; but Ieſus Chriſt communicates all his glorie with thee: and therefore thou ſhouldeſt louelove him the more; yea and the faithfull man, the more he ſees God glorified, the more is his ioy: but a reprobate wil enuie the glorie of God. Nay, there was neuer ſuch a ſubiect that enuied the glorie and honour of a Prince, or of his maſter, as a reprobate will enuie the glorie of Ieſus. Hee would if he might plucke him from his glorie: ſuch is the malice of his heart againſt Ieſus Chriſt. Yea the reprobate would The reprobate.if it were poſſible, bereaue the Saints of their glorie: and whē this glorie of the Saints ſhall be reuealed, the reprobate ſhall fret and fume: they deſire not to heare tell of the glorie of Chriſt and of his Saints. And when they heare of it (for they ſhall heare of it in deſpite of their teeth) they heare it with the ſadnes of their heart; it is no comfort nor conſolation to them to heare of it. And by the contrary, the faithfull one reioyceth, when he heares of it, it makes his hart to leape for ioy, as Iohns did in his mothers belly, when Mary the mother of Chriſt A ſure token of election.ſpake to Elizabeth, Luk. 1. 41. Therefore if thou canſt reioyce, when thou heareſt of Gods glorie in Ieſus Chriſt, it is a good and ſure token of thy election. And againe, ſeeing that in Ieſus there is this fulnes, thou needes neuer to be emptie, or feare to want. Thou that findeſt any waſtnes or emptines, put out thy hand to the ambrie of the Goſpel, wherein this fulnes of grace The Goſpel is the meane whereby Chriſt communicates his fulnes vntounto vsus.and glorie is to be had. A contemner of the Goſpell if he were a King, he ſhall not taſte of this fulnes, and of this glorie of Ieſus, for there is no way to be partaker of this fulnes, but by the Goſpell. It is the ambrie wherein it is contained. And if thou miſſe it, thou ſhalt neuer get a cheekefull or morfell of any fulnes in thy ſoule.
When hee hath ſaid, And in him ye are filled, he ſubioynes a glorious deſcription of him, who is the head of all principalitie and power. He cannot leaue of to ſpeake of that glorious maieſtie: he ſaid before, In him are hid all treaſures of wiſedome and knowledge: and againe, in him dwelleth the Godhead bodily, and ſo foorth, as you hauehave heard: now againe, when he hath caſt in a word of him, he leaues him not ſo, but hee will yet paint him out in his glorie. Then learne to ſpeake fully of Chriſt. Alas this hungry ſpeaking of Chriſt teſtifies the emptines and voidnes To ſpeake fully of Chriſt.of God in our hearts. It is a true ſaying, Of the aboundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh. If thy heart were full of him, as I hauehave ſaid, thy mouth would be full, and thou wouldeſt ſpeak fully of him: but thy heart being ſo emptie, what marueile is it, to heare thee ſpeake coldly of this Lord full of glorie. Well, there is no queſtion, but by this deſcription, wherein he makes him Lord ouer all, both in heauen and earth, hee meanes this, that he is not onelyonly Lord aboue them all, but that alſo they are caſt downe vnderunder his feete, hee is mounted aboue them all.
Now there be two things that will make vsus chiefly to account of this gloriouſnes, that is in Chriſt Ieſus. The one Two things do cauſe vsus to thinke highly of Chriſt.thing is his highnes, a maieſtie about all maieſties. There is not a maieſtie but that maieſtie. The other thing is, thy lowlines and thy baſenes; thou art but a worme on earth, hee is aboue all heauens. Is not this a great goodnes, that he that is ſo high, ſhould ſo lowly humble himſelfe, ſo that he ſhould abaſe himſelfe as it were, to become a worme? Men would wonder that euer the God of glorie ſhould ſo hauehave humbled himſelf; yea the Angels wonder at this, that euer ſinfull man ſhould hauehave gotten a ſhare or portion of that grace of God. So this is my counſell, if thou feele a ſmacke of grace, of conſolation, or A ſpeciall conſolatiō.of faith, if it were but as a muſtard ſeede, count more of it, then of all the kingdomes of the earth. For it will weigh downe all, keepe it well in thy heart, and loſe thy life and all before thou wilt loſe it. I counſell thee to looke vp to heauen firſt, and ſay: yet this Lord will giuegive me more of his grace and glorie: when I ſhall ſee him with this eye of the bodie; then the Lord will fill me with glorie, and I will hope and be content to loſe all before I ſhould loſe this. Keepe this earneſt peny, for it is the ioy of the creature, to keepe this earneſt peny: for one day thou ſhalt get the full ſumme and fulnes of ioy. If thou keepe it not, and hauehave no regard of it, and hold not vp thy eye by night and by day, by looking to Ieſus in this Goſpell, thou ſhalt neuer get the full ſumme and entire payment. The ſucking of the hearts of the faithfull, and the drinking in this milke of the word, is the way to get Ieſus to The way to get Ieſus into the heart.thy heart, and to keepe him night and day: yea it is the way appointed from all eternitie. Abraham ſought for him, and got faith in him by the word of promiſe, which is the Goſpell. Therefore it is ſaid, that he ſawe him and reioyced, Ioh. 8. 56. Nay, Abraham neuer ſuffered himſelfe to be ſeuered from that grace that was in him. So the Goſpel is the way to bring Chriſt out of heauen to thee, and to fill the elect with all ioy and glorie. To him therefore be euerlaſting glorie, praiſe and dominion, for euer,
Amen.