Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 30
THE XXX. LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Coloſſians.
COLOS. Chap. 3. verſ. 14. 15.
14 And aboue all theſe things put on louelove, which is the bond of perfection.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which ye are called in one bodie, and be ye thankefull.
THe Apoſtle (brethren) after he had exhorted the Coloſſians to put off the cloathing of the olde man, which was made vp of foule affections, as peeces of his garment: he begins to exhort to put on the cloathing of the new man, which is made vp of ſundrie graces of Chriſt, vertues and holy affections. The laſt day we reckoned vp certaine pieces of this cloathing, Parts of the garment of the new man.namely ſixe: to wit, the bowels of pitie and compaſſion, kindnes, humblenes of minde, meekenes, long ſuffering, and laſtly, the forgiuing of offences. Now to come to the text wee hauehave in hand: yet hee continues in this raiment and cloathing, and reckons vp other parts of it. The ſeuenth part of this garment, he calles it LoueLove, charitie that one beares to another, neighbour to neighbour. Among all the reſt of the peeces, he deſires them to put on louelove. And whereon ſhould they put this peece of the garment? And aboue all theſe (ſaith he) put on louelove, as the vppermoſt garment, they being vnderunder it, & it being aboue thē all, as a cloake aboue all the reſt of the cloathing. Now (brethren) LoueLove muſt be the vppermoſt garment.you know commonly the vppermoſt cloath is the faireſt, and the honeſteſt, the preciouſeſt cloath, becauſe it is in the eyes of the world: therefore ſeeing hee craues that they ſhould put on charitie, as vppermoſt, it muſt follow, that it is the faireſt, comlieſt, and preciouſeſt peece of cloathing that is. I ſay more, when thou haſt put on all the reſt, as merciemercy, Obſerue.kindnes, humblenes, meekenes, long ſuffering, forgiuenes, if thou put not on louelove aboue all, all is nought worth. It is but a garment of hypocriſie, and there is no ſinceritie in thy merciemercy; thou ſheweſt no ſinceritie in thy humblenes, nor in none other of thy vertues. Looke what the Apoſtle ſpeakes of thy vertues that can be giuen to a man, 1. Cor. 13. without charitie the gift of tongues is nothing; the gift of propheſie, of wiſedome, of faith, of doing miracles, of almes deedes, all is nothing, and laſtly, of long ſuffering, it is nothing without this charitie. It may well be thou profit others, but as for thy ſelfe, without charitie thou ſhalt get no profit. Therfore the Apoſtle ſaith (ſpeaking of theſe gifts and many more) they be not profitable, if I want charitie, and what auailes it if it be not profitable to me? So without charitie all is nothing, of no value? and if theſe vertues want charitie, I ſay to thee, they are but dead images of vertues. Thy merciemercy is but a dead image of vertue, if thou want louelove, and ſo foorth in the reſt: for the life of all vertues is louelove; if the heart be not with the hand, that is, the heart with the action, it ſhall neuer doe thee good.
Then marke in eueryevery good action there are two things to be conſidered. The firſt is the good action it ſelfe. The ſecond, is the manner of the doing of the action. O there is no ſmall reſpect to be had of the manner of doing, which is the very habite and cloathing of it! Now the action comes from the hand: O but the forme, the manner, the habit, which is the ornament of it, comes from the heart! now the heart of him doth the good deede; if it be euill affected, the action if it were neuer ſo good, it hath an euill habit on it; it is euill fauoured to the Lord: how pleaſant ſo euer it ſeeme in the eyes of man, yet it is not acceptable to the Lord: all is loſt, yea all good workes, if they want this louelove, ſtinke in the ſight of the Lord, and thou ſhalt neuer get good of them. But if the heart be diſpoſed with louelove, that comes of faith in Ieſus Chriſt, then thy action appeares before the Lord in a faire beautie, and hee makes that deede thou doeſt to returne backe to thee to thy A good worke returnes back with much comfort to him which doth it.good, as it is good to him to whom thou doeſt it. Therefore let eueryevery one ſeeke to be clad with al vertues and good offices; but looke to this, that eueryevery one of them appeare before the Lord with louelove and charitie, that thy heart and hand may goe together. Put not out thy hand alone, put out heart and hand together: otherwiſe thy action ſhall neuer be good to thee; for thou art commaunded aboue all things to put on charitie.
Now to goe forward to the words following, he deſines this louelove, and by it he lets vsus ſee, that it is no ſmall grace: And firſt he calles it a Band. LoueLove is a band that binds things together. All the reſt of the graces are likewiſe bands; merciemercy, kindnes, humblenes, and the reſt binde vp the members of Ieſus Chriſt; but without charitie, all be but ſuperficiall bands, outward bands, binding the bodies of men, and not their hearts together. But louelove is an inward band, and it comes from the heart, and meetes with another heart, and bindes vp heart with LoueLove is a band.heart, and ſo the knot of louelove is knit: all the reſt giuegive outward things; but louelove giues inward things, euen the heart of him which loueth; I ſay he that loues thee, giues thee his heart. The word in the originall language imports not onelyonly a band, but a mutuall band, as my louelove to thee, and thine to me: ſo that thy louelove meetes my louelove; for if louelove be not met with louelove againe, it will not auaile: for friendſhip cannot ſtand on one ſide. Therefore looke that charitie be mutuall, otherwiſe be not content with thy ſelfe. This for the firſt word. The next is the band of perfection. This is the effect of this band. It perfecteth the man in whom it is; for it bindeth thee vp with the bodie, it perfects thee ſo, that thou ſhalt want nothing, but al ſhall be ſupplied till thou beeſt perfected. Now there is no member of the bodie that hath all perfection. The Lord hath not diſpoſed ſo, neither was it meete it ſhould ſo be; but that eueryevery member ioyned with another ſhould bee ſupplied. The eye cannot goe, therefore the foote comes in and carries the eye: the foote cannot ſee, but in comes the eye and lets the foote ſee and directs it: So in the bodie of man, there is not a member euen the vileſt and the fouleſt, but all the reſt be readie to couer that member, and to ſupplie the want of it. It is euen ſo with the ſpirituall bodie of Ieſus (howbeit man cannot ſee it, yet it is as true) for eueryevery member hath not all grace: no not the King, nor the Apoſtles, nor no man in any eſtate hath all graces; yet being vnited in that bodie of Chriſt, O thou lackeſt nothing! for all is communicated to thee. So that Paul had not a grace but it is mine, All is yours (ſaith the Apoſtle) and you are Chriſts, 1. Cor. 3. 21. 23. You may challenge all the graces that are in the bodie, that is a great benefit; yea the graces that are not in thee, thou maiſt challenge them being in thy brethren, members with thee of one bodie. Therefore enuie not any mans grace, but challenge it as thy owne. EueryEvery one would hauehave al, who is he or ſhe that would not hauehave all graces and perfectiō? But I ſhall teach thee how thou ſhalt be perfect: Wilt thou ſtand vp thy ſelf alone like an A, per ſe, A; and ſay, I wil not be in any mans Common, and ſo ſeuer thy ſelf frō the body? I ſay thou ſhalt hauehave no perfection, thou ſhalt be as a rottē branch caſt into ye fire; if thou were a King, the Lord ſhall cauſe thee ſtinke and die in thine owne pollution. Away with a proude headed lowne, who cannot humble himſelfe to creepe in to the bodie. Then the way to be perfect, is to ſeeke to the body; for there eueryevery member ſhall ſupplie thy want. Thus for this faire peece of garment LoueLove, or charitie. Goe to the reſt that followes.
The eight peece of this garment is ſet down in theſe words: And let the peace of God beare rule in your hearts. So the eight 8 The eight part of the garment of the nevv man.peece of this garment, is vnitie of minde; concord followes vppon charitie: for he that loues muſt be a peaceable man. They will not be reſtles ſpirits, full of enmitie and ſtrife. I will not inſiſt much to ſpeake of this peace; onelyonly this, I call this peace nothing els but a ſweete quietnes in the heart of man and woman, together with amitie and concord with thy neighbour; for when thy heart hath peace within thee, then thy heart is in Peace.vnitie with thy neighbour: and therefore it is oppoſed to that reſtleſneſſe of the affections of mens hearts. Alas, what pleaſure canſt thou hauehave when thy heart cannot reſt within thee? The peace of heart comes not of nature: no, no, by nature thy heart is troubled, and out of tune, and all is vnruly, reeling and rumbling within thee. From whence comes it then? Of grace that God giues in Ieſus Chriſt. If thou hauehave a pacified heart, the Lord hath giuen it thee, and therefore it is called the peace of God: and it is not of one ſort: for there is a peace Note of the kinds of peace.that is with God himſelfe, and that is the firſt peace: there is another peace, that is with thy neighbour. The peace that thou haſt with God, is a pacified heart with God, ſo that thy Peace with God.heart is ſetled with him, that it ſtirres thee not vp to enmitie againſt God. When thou findeſt that thou art iuſtified by faith in Chriſt, O the peace of heart that thou ſhalt hauehave with God! thou wilt appeare before his tribunall with boldnes, Rom. 5. 1. For being iustified by faith, wee hauehave peace with God through our Lord Ieſus Christ.
The peace with man is a pacified heart with man, when the affection is ioyned in louelove with man. This peace comes of the other; for being at peace with God, thou art at peace with all the world: get once a ſetled heart towards God, of neceſſitie Peace with man.thou muſt be at vnitie and peace with all men. O then begin at God! What is the cauſe of all theſe variances & debates, and al theſe ſlaughters? It is the want of the peace with God. O murtherer! thou haſt no peace with God, thou haſt nothing to do with God, and therefore that wrath of God ſhall conſume thee. O murtherer! when thou fighteſt with man, thou haſt to doe with the great God. O reſtles ſpirit, that canſt not reſt till thou hauehave bathed thy ſelfe in thy neighbours bloud! thou art at warres both with thy ſelfe, and with the great God, who ſhall at one time, or other, meete with thee, and plucke off all thy harneſſe, and then thou ſhalt neuer get peace nor reſt.
Now to come to this peace that is with man, that is ſpoken of here. This peace, it muſt beare rule in thee: it muſt be a commaunder of thee. She muſt ſit ouer thee, and hold downe thy foule affections, when they are fighting within thee. Where muſt ſhe ſit? In thy heart, and not in thy hand; for oftentimes when thy hand will be hindred to murther, thy heart will be perſecuting thy neighbour to death: therefore it muſt be in thy heart.
Now marke the order. When hee hath required all good vertues, at laſt hee requires peace. Whereunto? To be commaunder of thine affections. This teacheth thee, that except they be commaunded and put in order, looke not that thou Affections muſt be cō manded.can doe any good turne in the world. Canſt thou, who art diſordred in thine affection, doe any good to thy neighbour? No, therefore minde not to doe any good without this peace. Then beſeech the Lord that hee will put this peace in thy heart, to put theſe affections into an order. For when enmitie poſſeſſeth the heart, what good canſt thou doe? Well is that bodie that can lie downe in peace with God and man. Therefore aske the peace of God, that thou maiſt reſt in peace with thy ſelfe, and liue in peace with thy neighbour. O villaine thou that lieſt downe with anger and a reſtles affection, and riſeſt vp, and goeſt out and ſtabſt thy neighbour, what diſorder is in thee? and what peace haſt thou with God? No, thou art in rage with God himſelfe, when thine affections be not ruled with louelove to thy neighbour; and peace thou canſt not hauehave with thy neighbour, if thou hauehave not the firſt peace which is with God. And ſo thou in bearing hatred againſt thy neighbour, telleſt plainly, thou haſt no peace with God; and wanting this, thou telleſt plainly that thou art yet in thy ſinnes, and therefore vnderunder the wrath of God.
Now, when hee hath exhorted them to this peace, hee ſubioynes the argument, To the which (ſaith he) ye are called in one bodie. They, who are in one bodie, ſhould liue in peace together. An argument to moue vsus to peace.The firſt argument then is from our Chriſtian calling. It is a ſhame to a man not to be anſwerable to his calling: if thou be called to ſuch a thing, why ſhouldeſt thou not doe it? But aboue all, a Chriſtian man is called to this peace, and therefore woe is to him in that great day, if he bee one who hath wanted it! Now take the leſſon: As ye ſee a man is called to be a member in any citie, not to liue at variance or debate with his neighbours: no, no, he is called to peace, and to be a quiet man: an vnquiet man is an euill neighbour; a reſtleſſe ſpirit, a ſeditious and an vnpeaceable ſpirit, is an euill neighbour: euen ſo a man called to be a member in the citie of God, in the kingdome of Chriſt (for that is our calling) he is called to be a quiet and peaceable body. For (ſaith the Apoſtle) what is the kingdome of God? It is peace and ioy in the holie Ghoſt, Rom. 14. 17. So if thou be one of that kingdome, thou wilt be a peaceable bodie. Then the man that cannot liue in peace, but is full of variance, euer troubling and renting the members of the Common-weale, who will not ſay that that man is not to bee ſuffered in the towne, hee is not worthie to dwell in it? much more a reſtles ſpirit in the kingdome of Ieſus Chriſt, Diſturbers of the peace of Church and Common wealthſhould bee driuen out of the towne. Looke if our text ſpeakes not this: Theſe reſtles ſpirits that trouble not only the Common-weale, this whole kingdom, and hauehave ſtudied to the ſubuerſion of the whole land, but hauehave by their meanes gone about to trouble the whole kingdome of Chriſt, they ſhould hauehave no place neither in Church nor Common-weale; they are vnworthie of any calling either in Church, or policie: they hauehave pulled themſelues aſunder from both.
The ſecond argument is from the body, wherein we are vnited. Were it not a monſtrous thing to ſee the hand ſtrike the face? if thou hadſt ſpiritual eyes, it would ſeeme as monſtrous a thing to thee to ſee a member of that body of Chriſt, to ſtrike another. Then briefly, as the ioyning of men in a citie requires a peaceable life, and that they ſhould liue in peace: much more this vnion of the members, not in a citie and Commonweale onelyonly, but in a body: ſo that ſome of them are the hand, ſome the eye, ſome the foot, and ſo foorth. This vnion requires peace and quietnes, they ſhould not be reſtles ſpirits, nor full of variance: and therefore thou that art a reſtles ſpirit in the Church of God, and yet ſaiſt thou art of the Church, and wilt ſay thou beleeueſt: I ſay to thee thou ſheweſt plainly thou haſt nought to doe with the bodie. And as I ſaid before, theſe troubleſome men full of debate, I will affirme it againe, they neuer wiſt what that vnion with Chriſt is; for if they had that vnion with Chriſt, that grace of Chriſt would come downe from the head, and bind them with the bodie. So thou ſheweſt Such as louelove not peace, hauehave nothing to doe with Chriſt nor his Church.plainly, that thou haſt not to doe, neither with the bodie, nor with the head. O murtherers! your hearts are full of diſſenſion; ye ſhall periſh in that great day, I giuegive you this doome, ye ſhall not eſcape. Thus much for the eight peece of this garment of regeneration and ſanctification.
In the end of this verſe, wee hauehave the ninth grace and peece of this garment, and it is this, Be thankefull, that is the force of The ninth part of the garment of the nevv man.the word; ſo it is thankfulnes that he requires. All the reſt before are offices, and graces that preuent a good deede done: As when a man begins to bee mercifull to any, or merciemercy bee ſhewen to him of that perſon, that is a good deede done, and ſo the former graces ſtand in doing. But this grace of thankfulnes, VVhat thankefulnes is.it is ſuch as ſtands in recompencing a good deede done: In rendring good for good. If thou wilt compare this grace with them that went before, it is leſſe then any of them: for it is a greater matter to be the beginner of any good deede, then to recompence a good deede done to thee. And thou art a wretched bodie that neither canſt doe good, nor when good is done to thee canſt not render thankes for it. There be three Three ſorts of good mē.ſorts of good men. Firſt, he is a good man that can begin to do any good to another, not prouoked by any thing that is done to him, which for Gods cauſe can bee beneficiall to his neighbour. Secondly, he is a good man, that can render good for good; and recompence the good done to him: but there can no true recompencing come without the ſpirit of grace. Laſtly, he is the beſt man, that can render good for euill, that can finde in his heart to meete an euill deede with any good. There be as many ſorts of euill men: he is an euill man that cannot ſhew merciemercy to another, nor begin to doe any good; but hath Three ſorts of euill mē.his heart locked vp. Againe, hee is farre worſe, that when hee hath gotten good cannot recompence it with good againe, eſpecially to them to whom he hath been moſt indebted, as to his parents. This countrie is full of ſuch: this man is a wretch, he is worſe then an Infidell. An Ethnick can render good for good, thou ſhameſt thy parents. What if this ingratitude were to common men? but it is to them to whom they are moſt bound to, and it is an argument that thou art vngratefull to the Lord. But the worſt of all is he, that for good repaies euill; and this land is full of ſuch alſo; yea they who hauehave done them moſt good, they will meete them with an euill turne. All theſe are vngratefull men; and when thou haſt called a man an vngratefull man, thou haſt called him all the euill in the world: for ſuch a one is vnworthie to liue. Therefore ſtudie to be thankfull, and thou that getteſt any good done to thee by any man, at the leaſt meete him with thankfulnes. It is meruaile how a man can lie downe without this conſideration: for if thou ſuffer thy ſelfe to be oppreſt with ingratitude, thou ſhalt periſh.
If the time would ſerue I would goe forward, I will marke onelyonly this: All theſe graces are grounded vponupon the word of Ieſus Chriſt, vponupon this Goſpell. Wouldeſt thou be mercifull? let the word dwell in thee. Wouldeſt thou be kind? wouldeſt thou be humblie minded? and ſo foorth of the reſt of the graces; let the word of Ieſus Chriſt raigne in thee. This is the meane that ingenders theſe graces, and keepes them in thy heart, to wit, the word of Ieſus. So thou, who wouldeſt be gracious The Goſpell is Gods hand to fill vsus vvith graces.and full of grace, be full of the Goſpell. For it is that word that purifieth the heart: neuer reſt til thou get thy heart full of the Goſpell. Thou thinkeſt that nothing can fill thee, but a bodily foode: no, no, the word of Ieſus is as effectuall to fill the heart, as ſenſible as euer thou foundeſt thy ſtomacke fed with foode. But conſider this: this fulnes of the heart is not gotten ſo long as we liue here. Therefore let our pleaſure bee euer in filling of our hearts with the Goſpel, as thou haſt pleaſure to fill thy ſtomacke with meate and drinke: ſo fill thy Simile.heart, thine emptie heart, that is full of nothing but winde, fill it with the Goſpell. Alas, if we could get an hunger of the word; for the ſoule that hungers for the foode of the word, it ſhall be filled, and it ſhall feele the ſweetnes of the word. But the heart is ſo filled with the filthines of nature, that it cannot hunger for the word, nor feele the ſweetnes of it: therefore emptie thy heart of this filth which is in it, that being emptied thou maiſt hauehave ſome greedines of ſpirituall things. Know you not the neceſſitie of this? If in ſome meaſure thou emptie it not, and fill it not with this word of grace, I giuegive thee this doome, looke not for a life to come. For there is no fulnes of glorie, except the fulnes of the word goe before in thee. So if thou be not filled with the word in this life, looke not to hauehave a life with Ieſus in that day. Seeing then it ſtands vponupon ſuch a paine, take pleaſure in this word, albeit he be but a baſe ſillie man that vtters it to thee: for it is the meane that the Lord hath vſed to fill thy ſoule with; and it hath pleaſed the Lord to put this iewell in earthen veſſels; therefore take heede to them 2. Cor. 5. 18. 19. 20.and fill thy ſelfe: for els at that day, thou ſhalt repent the time that thou wouldeſt not take grace, when grace was offered, being offended at the baſenes of men in the Miniſterie. O let not the baſenes of Chriſts ſeruants be a let to thee, but be thou euer greedie to fill thy ſelf with the word. And woe be to them that would put this word away from thee, and ſtuffe in vanities in ſteede of it! woe to thee with thine Earldome, except the Lord conuert thee in time! The Lord in his merciemercy giuegive vsus grace to keepe this word of Ieſus, and to feede thereupon. To this Lord, with the Sonne and holy Spirit, be all praiſe for euermore,
Amen.