Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 28
THE XXVIII. LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Coloſſians.
COLOS. Chap. 3. verſ. 11.
11 Where is neither Grecian, nor Iew, circumciſion, nor vncircumciſion, Barbarian, Scythian, bond, free: but Christ is all, and in all things.
THis whole place is an exhortation to the mortifying of theſe earthly members, theſe ſinfull luſts and affections, and to the putting off of them (for we hauehave been ouer long cloathed with them) ſo that they be not put on again. Ye hauehave heard theſe daies paſt ſundrie ſorts of them, and likewiſe ſundrie arguments to moue vsus to this mortification. To come briefly to the purpoſe. The laſt argument was from our regeneration begun in this life, ſtanding in two Coherence.parts, that is, firſt in putting off the old man, that is, corruption of nature, that we hauehave drawne not onelyonly out of our mothers wombe, but hauehave ſuckt out of the loynes of old Adam: ſo that looke how hee is, it is as old. It ſitteth on and pearceth through the skinne to the heart, and there is none that is free from it. The ſecond part was, the putting on of the new man. For certainly as I ſhewed you, no man is able to ſtand naked before God; cloathed muſt thou be, or els there is no appearance for thee, being naked before that tribunall ſeate: all muſt be cloathed with that righteouſnes, and ſprinkled with the bloud of Chriſt; and then next with this new man, that is, with that inherent holines that floweth out of the bloud of Chriſt. For he that is iuſtified by his bloud, muſt be ſanctified by his ſpirit.
Ye heard a deſcription of this new man; he is new made againe. In the firſt creation he loſt the image of God, and Chriſt came and renued that image of God againe: for there was not one ſparke of the ſpirit of God left in man. Therefore hee muſt be renued againe. Then ye hauehave heard his ſubſtance: The chiefe point is knowledge of things heauenly, of God, and his glorie by faith. To this wee added two other things; holines and righteouſnes: So there is the new man. The knowledge in the minde; holines in the heart, iuſt dealing in all thy actions with thy neighbour: and ſo he couereth vsus both inwardly and outwardly. There is not a part vncloathed; and happie is hee that is cloathed with this cloathing of Chriſt.
Laſtly, ye heard the paterne whereunto hee is made: hee is not made to the paterne of Angels, nor of Sunne and Moone; but he is made to the paterne of the Lord. O that glorie that thou haſt in this thy renuing! and bleſſed is hee that hath it. Theſe things ſhall be perfited at that day, at the appearance of the ſonne of glorie; and then it ſhal appeare that we are made to his paterne, and that wee are the ſons of God. For it appeareth not as yet, as Iohn ſaith, 1. Epiſt. chap. 3. verſ. 2. yet it ſhall appeare in that day.
Now to come to the text read. In the firſt verſe wee hauehave a certaine propertie of this new man ſet downe, and it is this. Where hee is, all theſe old things, theſe outward things which men moſt reſpect and make account of, as nation, kindred, bloud, honour, riches, bondage, freedome, beautie, deformitie, &c. where this new man commeth out, all theſe ceaſe: he hath no more regard to the King then to the beggar: he hath no more regard to the free, then to the ſlaue; but hee extendeth himſelfe alike to all. This is his propertie. But it ſhall appeare better in weighing the words of the text: therefore marke them with me. And to begin at the firſt word. Where he is, where this new man commeth, there is neither Grecian, nor Iew. That is to ſay, where he is, all theſe externall things, theſe carnall and old things, ſo the Apoſtle calleth them 2. Cor. 5. 17. all turne to aſhes: he knoweth none of them. All theſe things that were wont to put a difference betwixt man and man, he is a King, he is a ſubiect, and the reſt; all theſe ceaſe to this new man. But to goe to particulars: There are ſundrie of theſe old and worne things reckoned vp. The firſt is the nation wherein wee are borne; as the nation of the Iew, the nation of the Grecian. The nation wherein a man was borne, was wont to put a difference betwixt man and man: but when Chriſt commeth, and this new man with him, there is no regard of nation; this new man reſpecteth not one more then another, all is alike to him. To be homely with you; Frenchman, Dutchman, Italian, Indian, Scottiſhman, Engliſhman, all is alike to him. The pooreſt nation that is, the new man wil account of it. This is plaine by experience: for if Chriſt had reſpected this nation, hee had neuer come this way. The ſecond particular of theſe outward things, that was wont to be accounted of, is of theſe outward markes that the Iew and Gentile had. The Iew had circumciſion; the Gentile had vncircumciſion; whereby they were diſcerned. But Chriſt when he commeth out, hee looketh not to theſe things; he putteth no difference betwixt the one and the other: he accounteth all alike to him. And to come home to our ſelues, wee were of the vncircumciſed number; and if Chriſt had had reſpect to this, Scotland had not been called to grace. The third particular is, the language. It put a difference betweene man and man. The Greeke had a trim and eloquent language: all others beſides the Grecians, had but barbarous languages. But when Chriſt commeth, and this new man with him, he reſpecteth not one more then another: but Grecian and Barbarian all is one to him. This pertaineth to vsus all, we were Barbarians; ſo that if Chriſt had reſpected barbarouſnes and exempted it from grace, Scotland had not gotten grace. So wee ſhould draw comfort out of this, and ſay, grace pertaineth to me, as well as to the Iew or Grecian. The laſt particular is, the eſtate of men in policie; ſome are free; ſome are bond; ſome maſters; ſome ſeruants: This diuerſitie of eſtate put difference betwixt man and man: but Chriſt comming reſpecteth not one more then another, but all are alike to him. And ſo ſeruants hauehave to reioyce; for they are not ſecluded from grace more then their maſters: otherwiſe ſlaues had been moſt miſerable creatures, and better had it been for them that they had bin made beaſts. Reade the Galat. chap. 3. verſ. 28. ye ſhall finde this matter handled. There is another particular reckoned vp there, male and female, that was wont to put a difference betwixt man and man; but all is alike to Chriſt, he reſpecteth not one more then another. The female is no more exempted from grace, then the male; but this new man extēdeth to al. Now I aſſure you, if God had had reſpect to the ſex, your eſtate of women had bin miſerable. So that there is not one word here, but it offereth conſolation to vsus. Brethren, there be many other particulars; for theſe old things are infinite, and that that I hauehave ſpoken is to be vnderſtoode likewiſe of riches and pouertie: al is alike to Chriſt: his grace extendeth to all. Therefore our leſſon is, in the matter of ſaluation Obſerue.the Lord hath no reſpect to perſons, to men, to women, there is the generall; but all that will beleeue, all is alike to him, Iew and Gentile, male, female, rich, poore, honourable, vnhonourable. If thou beleeue in Chriſt, thy eſtate in grace is as good, as the Kings: thou art as high in grace as the greateſt Monarch that euer was. And to bee more plaine; in the matter of our Chriſtian calling, iuſtifying, glorifying, and ſanctifying, there is no difference, al is alike to him. I might proue this by Scripture, Rom. 8. verſ. 30. Whom he hath called, them alſo he hath iustified, &c. There ye ſee this Chriſtian calling to be vniuerſall. And in the Romanes chap. 3. verſ. 21. ſpeaking of iuſtification: hee ſaith, the righteouſnes of God is made manifeſt. Againe in this place of regeneration, there is no difference: ſo this abideth ſure; in the matters of ſaluation, and all poynts thereof, there is no difference of perſons, all is alike to him. It is to be noted that I ſay (in the matters of ſaluation) leaſt that I ſhould ſeeme to take away policie, and ſome wicked ſpirit hath brought in ſuch a concluſion, as the Anabaptiſts: but all is but vanity. For brethren, as in the matters of ſaluation there The Goſpell and Christian policie doe well agree.is no difference: euen ſo the Lord hath ordained a difference in policie: he hath ordained, that there ſhould ſome be kings, ſome ſubiects; ſome maſters, and ſome ſeruants: for otherwiſe an horrible confuſion ſhould follow. And the Goſpell is ſo far from that, that by the contrarie it ſanctifieth policie. So that if any King before the Goſpell was ſetled, after the Goſpell he is better ſetled. And if a maſter of a houſe was ſetled before the Goſpell, he is now farre better ſetled after the Goſpell. And this is the rule of the Apoſtle 1. Cor. chap. 7. verſ. 17. 20. Let eueryevery man abide in that vocation, wherein he is called. And then he ſaith, Art thou a ſlaue? art thou called to it? abide ſtill in it, vntill by lawfull meanes thou get freedome. Will ye hauehave example of this? There was Oneſimus that ranne from Philemon his maſter, Paul after that he had made him a Chriſtian man, hee ſendeth him againe to his ſeruice. So it is but vanitie to thinke that religion is enemie to policie, or maketh any alteration in policie; nay it rather eſtabliſheth all in policie. This one thing is to be marked. The ſecond is, ſeeing in matters of grace, the Lord hath no reſpect to the perſons of men, hee will not iuſtifie a King, becauſe he is a King; and denie it to a beggar, becauſe he is a beggar: but he will iuſtifie the one and the other, without all reſpect of perſons. Seeing then this is his doing, what ſhould we doe? Looke what Paul ſaith 2. Cor. 5. according to the fleſh, I will not account of one man more then of another; I will offer grace to the beggar as well as to the rich. And againe, in policie I giuegive thee leaue to account of the King, as much as thou wilt; and why ſhouldeſt not thou that art a ſeruant account of thy maſter? otherwiſe thou offendeſt. Thinke that thou art an inferiour to him, albeit thou be equall in grace with him. And ſo let eueryevery one in policie, in commonweales and families, hauehave their owne place: let the King hauehave his place, the Lord his place in his own ranke and roume, and ſo foorth. And I ſay to thee if thou doe it not, thou haſt no grace. For if thou hadſt grace, thou wouldeſt be ſo ſanctified, that thou wouldeſt not faile in any wiſe to honour thy ſuperiours here on earth: and yet when the compariſon falleth out betwixt the gracious man or ſanctified man, and old things; count more of a regenerate man, then of all the prophane Kings of the world. What did Paul? hee had many of theſe outward things; as ye may reade in the Epiſtle to the Philippians chap. 3. I am an Hebrue (ſaith he) as ye are; O, but when Chriſt came in, all theſe aduantages became to me not onelyonly domages, but they became as dung. So all theſe externall things, are but as nothing in compariſon of regeneration. It is better to be a renued man being a beggar, then to be the greateſt Monarch in the world, wanting regeneration.
Now laſtly in this place ye ſee, when Chriſt commeth, there is a ſtrange change in the world. Thinke ye he came in vaine, or for nothing? Is there not a great change, when a great Monarch commeth into the countrey? Thinke ye not but when Chriſt came there was a great change, ſuch as was neuer at the comming of all the Monarches in the world? Paul 2. Cor. 5. verſ. 17. ſaith, ſpeaking of this change; Whoſoeuer is in Chriſt is a new creature, all things are made new in him: but there is ſuch a ſtupiditie in men, that they cannot ſee this. Thou art euer harping on theſe old things: will ye heare him boaſt? it will be of theſe old things. O ſenſeles creature! thou ſheweſt thou art not renewed. O theſe braue Courteours! all their ſpeech is of theſe old things, by the which they teſtifie that they wote not what Chriſt meaneth. Yet in a word, ſome may doubt: Are all things ſo renewed, that theſe olde things hauehave no place? Is there no difference of nations, of riches, of honours? ſtand not theſe things, theſe old things, fleſhly things, notwithſtanding this innouation? I anſwere, they ſtand: but I adde this, if euer it be well with them, they muſt be renued; that old ſhape muſt be put off them. Thou that art a King, muſt be made a new creature; and thou that art a ſubiect, thou muſt be renewed againe, and obey thy Prince in the Lord. The Gentiles knew not this; thou yt art a ſeruant, thou muſt obey thy maſter in the Lord; and thou that art a maſter, thou muſt doe thy dutie to thy ſeruant in the Lord: ſo as theſe outward things muſt be renewed in Chriſt. I ſay more, the firſt comming of Chriſt made ſome change; but the next comming ſhall make it palpable. Thou ſhalt ſee it, and feele it: for there ſhall be no kings, but the kings of heauen: there ſhall be no ſuperiours or maſters, but all ſhall be glorified; there ſhall be ſuch an alteration then. And thou that wilt not ſee it now, thou ſhalt then be compelled to ſee it, nill thou will thou. This for the firſt part of this verſe: the next part followeth.
In the firſt ye heard he hath taken away all reſpect of theſe outward things: now it might hauehave been thought, if this new man hath caſt off all theſe outward things, what hath hee in ſteed of them? for it were a great loſſe if he gat not ſomething in ſteed of them. He anſwereth in a word, Chriſt is all, and in all things. There is the anſwere. So that the thing that graceth a new man is one onelyonly thing, and what is it? Ieſus Chriſt the Lord is in ſteed of all: he ſupplieth the want of all theſe earthly things. So that if yee will aske of this new man, what is thy nation (ſuppoſing he be of the beſt nation on earth) he will anſwere, Chriſt is my nation. If thou aske, what is thy kindred, (let him come of Kings) he will ſay Ieſus Chriſt is my kindred. It is a wofull bloud thou art come of, if thou be nothing renewed in Chriſt. Wilt thou aske what is thy kingdome? He will anſwere, Ieſus Chriſt is my kingdome. An earthly bodie will ſay and anſwere, I am King of France, and I am King of Spaine, and I am Emperour, and will caſt his head vp. If thou wilt aske, what is thy riches, thy honour and eſtate? hee will anſwere, Chriſt is all things to me, and ſo there is no prerogatiue in this world. Hee will put Chriſt in the roume of all, whether he hauehave or want it. Ye remember Matth. 12. when the mother of Chriſt would hauehave come to him, and the Diſciples telling him that, ſaying: Behold thy mother, & thy brethren ſtand without, deſiring to ſpeake with thee: he anſwereth, Who is my mother, my brethren and ſisters? Euen they that doe my fathers will. Then generally he telleth: whoſoeuer will doe the will of his father, are his mother, brother, and ſiſters. Then turne it ouer: if thou be a faithfull man, thou art brother to him, and all: and againe, he is all to thee. Now certainly this meeting is much more worth to vsus, then it is to him: for what hauehave wee but all of him? and ſo Chriſt is in ſteed of all; becauſe he is all: otherwiſe he could not be in ſteed of all. What is this that Chriſt is all? He hath ſaid in the firſt chapter of this Epiſtle, verſ. 19. that in him dwelleth all fulnes. And in the ſecond chapter he ſaith, in him dwell all the treaſures: and againe, in him dwelleth the Godhead bodily. And yet to come more particularly, 1. Cor. chap. 1. verſ. 30. hee ſaith, hee is made to vsus wiſedome, and righteouſnes, and holines, and redemption. So, wanteſt thou theſe things? he is all to thee if thou beleeue in him; he is full of all. Yet brethren, ſome will think, there wanteth yet ſomethings, I finde not all: I ſeeke ſaith the auaricious, riches; I would hauehave houſe and cheſts full: The ambitious ſaith, I want honour, I cannot get this in him: The leacherous ſaith, I cannot get my luſt, he is an enemie to me in that, and ſo forth, as man is inclined, he would hauehave Chriſt made thereafter to him. But vnderſtand this brethren, he ſpeaketh not of a foule old man, but of a new man; not of an auaricious man and ſuch others, but of a new ſanctified man; and this man findeth all in him: there is nothing that he wanteth, but he findeth it in his Chriſt. And I ſay, ſuppoſe thou get not theſe earthly things in that meaſure, that others get; yet thou getteſt better in him. What, and if thou get the better, what haſt thou loſt? Thou art a ſeruant, yet thou art a freeman of the Lord Ieſus. And yet thinke ye that the Lord Ieſus wanteth theſe earthly things? Think ye that riches are not at his diſpoſition? He that diuideth acres is aboue the earth, the Lords all are at his commaund, if it were to wring them in peeces. Therefore hee ſaith, Seeke firſt the kingdome of heauen. There is the firſt that wee ſhould be occupied about, if we would hauehave Chriſt: to wit, that we buſie our ſelues about heauenly things: and what ſhall follow? He maketh a faire promiſe, and all theſe earthly things ſhall be caſt to you. What are they worth? they are but bits that are caſt to thee. There is no compariſon betwixt them, they are but things Matth. 6.that are adiected. They are as it were additaments: and yee will not thinke when this kingdome is gotten, how ſmall a thing of this world wil giuegive cōtent to a creature. No, he will vſe it with greater contentation of mind, then any hauing all this world, wanting Chriſt, will doe. No, if thou haſt Chriſt, thou lackeſt nothing; all our want is, that we cannot get him: get him, and thou ſhalt find that thou haſt no want. Now it might be ſaid, Chriſt is all; but what is that to me? he is full of glorie, maieſtie, and power, what is that to me? He anſwereth, he is all to all, that is, his grace is thy grace, his abundance is thy abundance. In the ſecond chapter verſ. 9. when he had ſaid, that in him dwelleth all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily, he addeth, ye are full in him. Note.It is to be marked that he ſaith not, Chriſt is all to ſome, but to all. The riches that are in Ieſus extend not onelyonly to ſome, they are not contained within the compaſſe of one nation, within Iewrie: it could not hold them. No, tenne nations The riches of Christ common to all nations.could not hold the riches of Ieſus, but it behooued that they ſhould reach to the vtmoſt corners in the world: yea I ſay, if it were to tenne thouſand millions of nations, the riches of Ieſus is ſo infinite, that they are ſufficient to ſerue all. His glorie alſo is infinite, ſo that it would fill infinite worlds. All theſe things are but plain ſpeech, but would to God they were weighed. Againe hee ſaith, not onelyonly to all, but in all, meaning Ieſus himſelfe is in vsus firſt ere any thing of his be in vsus. And as he ſaith to the Epheſians chap. 3. verſ. 17. he muſt dwell in thy heart firſt, or euer thou get any thing that is his: now where he is in proper perſon, there of neceſsitie thou haſt all his graces. Thou needeſt not to goe here and there to ſeeke grace. And this is the difference betwixt the ſufficiencie of the old and new man: if thou bee an old man, Ieſus nor his grace is not within thee. Where is the honour of the King? in his own boſome? No, it is out of him: if he want Chriſt, he will ſtand vp ſtript ſtarke naked of all things. Where is his riches and ſtrength? where is his dinner? all are without him, and he hath nought, if he be an old man; and hee will dye for hunger, if it be not giuen to him. But to come to the new man, where is his riches? in his boſome, in the heart of him. It will paſſe the power of all the Tyrants in the world to take that from him: ſo all his ſufficiencie is within him by faith. It is written that a certaine Philoſopher ſaid, Omnia mea mecum porto: Chriſt is his ſufficiencie. O the aduantage that a Chriſtian man hath, in reſpect of one that is not in Chriſt! for there is ſuch ſufficiencie in Chriſt, as no tongue can expreſſe.
Now there are one or two things that I will ſpeake of. This is a great word; Chriſt is all in all; before that day of the great reſurrection. For looke 1. Cor. chap. 15. it is ſaid, that God ſhall not be all vntill then, at what time this ſhall come to paſſe. But the anſwere is eaſie. There are two eſtates of the elect, here they are called the faithfull, and in the life to come they are called the bleſſed. O that bleſsing, who ſhall abide to ſee it! In deede ſo long as we are the faithfull, Chriſt is not perfectly all in all: ſo long as we ſtand in the eſtate of faith only, he beginneth in thee by faith to be all in all: and that is the Apoſtles meaning here. But in the eſtate of that celeſtiall bleſſednes, it ſhall be farre otherwiſe: then Chriſt ſhall be all in all in full perfection; there is the difference. Yet to make this more plaine. There are two things required to make Chriſt all in al. A perfection of grace, a perfection of glorie.Firſt there is required a perfection of grace. And ſecondly, there is required a perfection of glorie, that there be nothing but the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, when he is al in al. There is nothing but he, and the fulnes of his glorie. Theſe are the two things required, that Chriſt may be all in all. Now brethren, to applie this to the two eſtates. So long as wee abide in earth, howbeit there be no grace in Ieſus, but that we hauehave ſome ſhare of it; yet the perfection in the degrees of grace is not yet: thou art holie in him, but it is not perfected. Then in this life in the faithfull, Chriſt is not all in vsus: for there is much ill ſtuffe beſides grace in vsus. Goe thy way to thy heart, and thou ſhalt finde it thus, and thou ſhouldeſt thinke it a marueile, that one ſparke of grace ſhould abide within thee. But come to that life to come: In the reſurrection when faith ſhall goe away, Ieſus Chriſt ſhall be in thee in his full glorie. Then in that eſtate there ſhall be nothing but Chriſt. Al this vncleannes and vilenes ſhall be caſt away, and that heart of thine ſhall be inlightened, and ſhine in thy bodie. It ſhall not hold in thee, but it ſhall breake out in thy face, and make all glorious both thy hands and feete, and all this mortalitie ſhall be ſcoured out of thee, and then it ſhall be truly ſpoken, Christ is all in all.
Now one thing and ſo I end. Comparing this place with that to the Galath. chap. 3. verſ. 28. I finde there one end of the comming of Chriſt, and of the new man in this word, that is not ſpecified here: and it is, that all might be made one in Ieſus Chriſt: for as long as hee is a Iew, and a Grecian, they are two; but when once this commeth, that they are new men, they are made one in Chriſt: ſo the words ſpoken import. For Chriſt being in all, who is one, of neceſsitie all muſt be one. And againe, if hee be all in all, it being but one, of neceſſarie force it muſt be one. Ye ſee the end of Chriſts comming into this world, & of the new man, it is this, to make all one, to put Communiō of Saints.away all this variance, and to ioyne all in one. There is much adoe to ioyne altogether: wouldeſt thou hauehave thy bleſſednes to ſtand? it ſtandeth in ioyning thee firſt with thy head Ieſus Chriſt: and then in making thee a member of his bodie. If it were but one ioynt of his little finger, if thou be but one toe of that bodie, thou ſhalt be ſafe. Well, wanton men and women goe out from the Church. But O that terrible wrath, if thou be not found in that bleſſed ſocietie! make a ieſt of it as long as thou wilt, if thou be not of the militant Church, thou ſhalt not ſee the triumphant Church: and thou ſhalt not be of the number of them that ſhall be glorified.
I might let you ſee the example, what danger it is to be cut off from this bodie of the Church. I aske, what is a mans arme worth when it is cut off? it ſerueth for nothing, it dieth and periſheth. Now it is euen as ſure if thou be cut off from this militant Church, thou ſhalt die and periſh, and thou ſhalt neuer hauehave part with thy head Ieſus Chriſt; if thou abide cut off, thou ſhalt die euerlaſtingly. Wherefore count it your bleſſednes, to be firſt conioyned with Chriſt; and then with his members. Now what is the bleſſednes of the true God? euen an vnitie in trinitie. So thou art bleſſed, when thou art one with the members of Chriſt, and all thy ioy is to be in the Lord Ieſus. Now the Lord graunt we may abide one, vntill we obtaine this vnitie in perfection in Ieſus Chriſt: to whom be all honour and praiſe now and for euer,
Amen.