Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 8
THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Coloſſians.
COLOS. Chap. 1. verſ. 21, 22.
21 And you which were in times paſt ſtrangers and enemies, becauſe your mindes were ſet in euill workes, hath he now alſo reconciled,
22 In that bodie of his fleſh through death, to make you holy and vnblameable, and without fault in his ſight.
THeſe daies paſt (beloued in Ieſus Chriſt) wee hauehave heard a high deſcription of the Sonne of God the Lord Ieſus, in the which he is painted out in a marueilous glorie. In the laſt part of this deſcription, ye heard it was ſaid, that by him, as the Mediatour, it pleaſed the Father to reconcile to himſelfe all things both in heauen and earth, making the peace by the bloud of his croſſe. In the which words the Apoſtle turnes ouer vponupon the whole Church, that hee hath ſpoken of the ſonne of God. For all his glorie tends to the weale of his Church; all to the reconciling of the Church with God the head, in him as the Mediatour. Now brethren, in this text that we hauehave read, verſ. 21. he applies this bleſsing of reconciliation to the Church of the Coloſſians in ſpeciall; And you alſo (ſaith he) hath he reconciled. In the which words, as before he turneth ouer the whole glorie of Ieſus Chriſt vponupon the vniuerſall Church; ſo now he turnes it ouer vponupon this particular Church of Coloſſe. For the glorie of Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God, as it is the glorie of the whole Church; ſo it is the glorie of eueryevery particular Church: and in ſo doing, no queſtion hee applies it to eueryevery particular perſon in the Church: ſo that the glorie of the ſonne of God is mine, and thine. Beleeueſt thou in him? All this glorie is thine. There is no point of it in him, but thou ſhalt hauehave the vſe of it: ſo that no man or woman that is in the Church, needs to enuie this glory in Ieſus Chriſt. It is naturall to men and women, to enuie the glorie that others hauehave aboue them: yea, ſubiects will enuie the honour and glorie of Princes aboue them. But thou who art a ſubiect in Chriſts Church, thou needes not to enuie Chriſts glorie. All his glorie is thine; yea thou oughteſt to hauehave no pleaſure but when thou lookeſt vponupon his glorie and exaltation.
But to come to the words. We ſee then in theſe words, there is a particular application of this benefit of reconciliation to the Church of the Coloſſians. The text firſt offers vsus to be conſidered, who is the reconciler. Now (ſaith the Apoſtle) he hath The Reconciler.reconciled. Who is this that hath reconciled the Coloſſians to God: Before ſpeaking of the reconciliation in generall with the whole Church, he ſaid, It hath pleaſed the Father to reconcile all things to himſelfe in him: but now plainly in the text the Reconciler is changed. It was the father before; now the ſonne of God, the ſecond perſon of that glorious Trinitie, hee is the Reconciler. Wherein the Apoſtle lets vsus ſee that in this worke of reconciliation, this ſonne of God is not onelyonly a patient, not onelyonly a Mediatour to ſuffer for our ſinnes; but he is an agent, a doer, a reconciler. As he is the Mediatour of the reconciliation, he is not onelyonly a ſacrifice, in the which the reconciliation is made; but he is a ſacrificer offering himſelfe in a ſacrifice to God for our ſinnes. For looke how willingly the father offered him a ſacrifice for vsus, as willingly, gladly, and ioyfully offered hee himſelfe for vsus: for if hee had not died willingly and gladly in the nature of man, but againſt his will as men will dye, his death would neuer hauehave done men good, nor ranſomed their ſinnes. So this is a point of our beleefe, that as wee beleeue hee died; ſo wee beleeue hee died willingly: and that Chriſt died willingly.they who crucified him, were not ſo willing to crucifie him, as he was willing to offer himſelfe to be crucified. If thou haſt not this faith, thou haſt no good of the death of Chriſt. So the perſon reconciler, is Chriſt. Then to amplifie this benefit of reconciliation, he cals them to remembrance of their miſerable eſtate before they were reconciled. What were they before? Who were in times paſt (ſaith he) ſtrangers and enemies, meaning to God: and where was this enmitie? In the inward mind. And why? Becauſe their mindes were ſet onelyonly vponupon euill workes. Hee will not ſpeake to them of this benefit of reconciliation, before hee aduertiſeth them of that eſtate they ſtood in before they were reconciled. Marke it: there is no ſight of the merciemercy of God in Ieſus Chriſt, no preſence of mercy and grace, except The miſerie of man without Chriſt.in the mirrour (to ſay it ſo) of the paſt miſerie wee were in: ſo that except thou looke to that, thou ſhalt neuer ſee, as thou ſhouldeſt ſee, the benefit of merciemercy and grace in Ieſus Chriſt. There is no ſinfull creature that is able to ponder and weigh aright in the heart, the greatnes of the bleſſing of God in Ieſus Chriſt, except hee take the bleſſing and merciemercy, and put in a ballance with the miſerie, and ſee which of them weigheth downe: otherwiſe thou ſhalt neuer know the weight of merciemercy, and glorie, if thou take it not from the miſerie of that ſtinking nature, and filthines of thine; neither ſhalt thou euer be touched with that ſound ioy, except the ſenſe of miſerie goe before. He that hath neuer found himſelfe in hell, hath neuer found himſelfe in heauen: for all the ſenſe of heauen breakes out of hell.
Now to weigh the words. The firſt word wherein hee ſets down their miſerable eſtate is this: Sometime (ſaith he) ye were ſtrangers farre off. From whom? From him, who ſhould hauehave bin their greateſt friend; whoſe domeſticks they ſhould hauehave bin, from God, and ſo from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, from his Church. If thou be a ſtraunger from God, and then from his Church, there is no life in thee: thou art but a dead rotten member in ſinnes and offences, Epheſ. 2. 1. Liue as thou wilt, breathe as thou wilt, hauehave thy ſenſes as quicke as thou wilt; fling here and there, and leape as lightly as thou pleaſeſt; thou art but dead, and more then dead, and dye ſhalt thou euerlaſtingly. Yet marke the words: hee cals not them ſimplie ſtrangers and aliants; but he ſaith, they were made ſtrangers; to let vsus ſee that all this ſtrangenes from God, is not by our creation: we were created friendly with him, and his domeſticks; but by our owne defection, we hauehave made our ſelues of domeſtickes and houſehold children, ſtrangers. And therefore it is ſaid in Eſai. 59. 2. Your ſinnes hauehave diuided betweene me and you. So it is thy ſinne, it is not that naturall ſubſtance of thy ſoule and bodie; but it is the corruption of the ſubſtance that makes thee a ſtranger from God. Yet marke the words, hee ſaith not that God was eſtranged from them; but that they were eſtranged from him. No, no, the Lord is not the beginner of this ſtrangenes, hee turnes neuer firſt vponupon thee, but thou turneſt thy backe firſt vponupon him: he neuer drawes from thee that ſweete countenance of his, firſt; but thou draweſt thy countenance from him. For brethren, to ſpeake the trueth; when thou haſt turned thy backe vponupon him, and eſtranged thy ſelfe from him; yet if thou be one of his elect, his louelove toward thee ſhall neuer leaue thee nor turne from thee. O that louelove of God! he loues a ſinner that is as it were ſpitting vponupon Gods louelove.him: for the louelove of God is inalterable. And when thou haſt played thee with thy owne counſell, ſerued thy luſts in thy owne time, the Lord vtters that louelove towards thee and calles thee home againe. So there is the firſt degree of their miſerie. Yet it is not all ſaid: he comes on with another degree, and higher then the firſt; Sometime ye were ſtrangers, yet more, enemies. One man may be a ſtraunger to another, and yet not his enemie; but ſaith he, ye were not onelyonly ſtrangers, but you were enemies alſo. The words import not onelyonly a ſecret hatred, but a plaine and open hoſtilitie: they fought againſt him: there was neuer ſo hot a battell betwixt man and man, as was betwixt God and vsus, before the reconciler came: there was neuer Before the calling of the Gentiles by the Goſpell.ſo much bloud ſhed, as was from the time of the fall of Adam to the cōming of Ieſus Chriſt. So there is a higher degree of miſerie; not onelyonly ſtrangers, but enemies, fighting againſt heauen with an vplifted hand. This degree muſt follow the former. It is not betwixt God and man, as it is betwixt man and man. One man may be a ſtranger to another, and yet not his enemie; but if thou be a ſtranger to God, thou art his enemie. A ſtranger to God is an enemy to him.For Chriſt ſaith, He that is not with me, is againſt me. Beware then of the firſt. Turne not ſo much as thy foote from him: but ſtriue to be at home with him, and to creepe to his houſe, and to creepe vnderunder his boord: otherwiſe thou ſhalt take vp a banner againſt him.
Now to goe to the words: where begunne this ſtrangenes and enmitie? where is the firſt ſeate of it? which is the fountaine whereof it ſprings? It is not the bodie firſt: it is not in the eye, howbeit it be an enemie to God; if thou ſtand in nature thou wilt lift vp a proud eye, teſtifying that thou art an enemie to God: it is not in the mouth, howbeit thou blaſpheme God therewith: it is not in thy hand, ſuppoſe thou fight therewith againſt the heauens; but it begins within thee, and the chaire wherein it ſits is thy ſoule. If thy ſoule were not an enemie, thy eye and the reſt of thy members of thy bodie could not be enemies: It comes out of the heart that defiles the man, ſaith Chriſt Matth. 15. 18. Then againe it begins not at the inferiour powers of thy ſoule, at the ſenſuall appetite: it goes further, it begins at the minde of man; ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, that is to ſay, at the chiefeſt power of the ſoule, the Epheſ. 2. 3minde, the eye, and the light of thy ſoule. The Miſtriſſe, the Queene, that ſhould hauehave kept all cleane, ſhe hath ſet vp a vile whore, and troubles the whole ſoule. This reaſon which ſhould hauehave made the ſoule to ſee and know God, ſhe is the firſt enemie Very reaſon in the naturall man an enemie to God.of God. The very reaſon whereby thou not onelyonly excels the beaſt, but euen thy ſelfe is become a whore, and greateſt foe that God hath in man, and abuſeth the whole ſoule of man with her foule cogitation: and it defiles the whole parts of the bodie, the eye, the hand, and all the reſt with her motion. What is the cauſe of this, that the firſt ſeate of this enmitie is in the minde and reaſon of man? becauſe all her muſing is vponupon euill workes; ſhe is ſet vponupon them. Nay, muſe what thou wilt, if thou bee but in nature, all thy muſing and thinking ſhall be but enmitie againſt God. For thou ſhalt muſe nothing but of euill workes. Ye know (brethren) the firſt deuiſer of any miſchiefe, is the firſt enemie, and not the executor: he that abuſeth others is the firſt enemie and lowne, and ſhould firſt dye. But ſo it is, the firſt deuiſer of all euill workes is this corrupt minde of man. If it come not firſt in thy mind, would thy hand cōmit the euill? No, no, it is firſt in thy minde, and then ſhe puts it out into the inferiour parts of the bodie. And therfore if thou gets not grace, the firſt thing that the Lord ſhall torment, ſhall be thy mind: and he ſhall ſo torment it, yt thou ſhalt crie, would to God when I had had a reaſonable minde, that I had been a beaſt. Let the Philoſophers ſpeake of it as they pleaſe, as Plato that ſets vp the minde as a Queene, and the Pope with his philoſophicall reaſon diſputing ſo finely, as he troweth, extolling nature, and free will to good. Note.That mind of his and his rabble, ſhall one day be wrung and rent in peeces, with ſuch torments as the tongue of man and Angell can not expreſſe. And therefore it is that Paul commaunds ſo earneſtly the Epheſians, to bee firſt renued in their minds, Eph. 4. 23. The greater reaſon not ſanctified, an argument of greater damnatiō.It is the mother of all miſchiefe and Idolatrie: thou haſt not to glorie in thy reaſon, if ſo be it be not ſanctified; yea the greater conceit thou haſt in reaſoning, the greater damnatiō, except it be ſanctified in that ſpirit of Ieſus Chriſt. This is the eſtate they were in before they were reconciled, which the Apoſtle remembers them of, that it ſhould neuer go out of their minde. Let neuer the ſtinke of nature goe out of thy mind, but Let neuer the ſoule ſent of thy naturall corruption goe out of thy minde.weigh it diligently, that thou maiſt giuegive thankes and praiſes to God for his grace and deliuerie. Next he ſheweth the manner how he reconciled them to himſelfe and his father; for all is alike: marke the manner. It is two-fold. Firſt, in that bodie (with an emphaſis) of his fleſh. The meaning is this, he reconciled you by aſſuming and taking to him a true fleſhy bodie: hee calles it, The bodie of the fleſh: to let vsus ſee, that the bodie which Ieſus Chriſt bare in the world, and that hee beares now in glorie at the right hand of the father, is not a phantaſticall bodie, or an appearance of a bodie without ſoliditie (as the Heretikes called it) a mathematicall bodie, a maieſtaticke bodie. All is but vanitie; but it is a reall bodie, as reall as euer the bodie of man was, or is, of fleſh, bloud and bones: otherwiſe The bodie of Chriſt a reall bodie.hee could neuer hauehave been a Mediatour to vsus, and wee could neuer hauehave been the better for him, either in his death or life. Then the firſt manner of our reconciliation is the aſſuming of this fleſh, of this bodie of man: hee is firſt the ſonne of God, Bodie and ſoule.then he takes to him the bodie, the fleſh, and the ſoule of man. The next word is, by death, that is, by becomming a ſacrifice in that bodie which he tooke to him. For otherwiſe if hee had not offred vp his bodie, he could hauehave done vsus no good: for it is the pearced bodie, the ſhed bloud, the vexed ſoule, the tormenting of the man that redeemes and ſaues thee. And therefore Chriſt ſuffered in ſoule.when thou haſt recourſe to Chriſt, goe not to him, as hee is in heauen, or as he was going vp and downe in Iewrie; but goe to him hanging on the Croſſe, that is, to his bloud to ſprinkle thy ſoule; otherwiſe he ſhall neuer profit thee. The Father was not appeaſed in his wrath vntill hee got his bloud; nothing will pacifie the conſcience, but onelyonly this bloud of Ieſus. Now marke: the Father reconciles vsus to himſelfe; the Sonne againe he reconciles vsus to himſelfe. This is common, but in this worke there is a great difference betwixt the Father and the Sonne. The Father when he reconciles vsus, he neuer changeth nor alters his condition; he ſits ſtill in that maieſtie on his throne of glorie, keeping that kingly maieſtie of his. What doth he? He humbles his ſonne (for be aſſured that thy reconciliation could not be purchaſed, but by the humbling of God, not in God muſt be humbled before thou couldeſt be reconciled vntounto him.the perſon of the father, but in the perſon of the ſonne) and therefore the ſonne he leaues his throne, and ſteps down from it, to reconcile vsus to his father; and comes downe here to the earth, and as it is ſaid in the Philip. 2. 7. He abaſed himſelfe, by taking vntounto him a vile fleſh (howbeit it be cleane without ſin, yet it is vile in reſpect of that glorious maieſtie) he takes on him the ſhape of a ſeruant. What more? In that fleſh he becomes obedient to his father (that ſits ſtill on the throne) to the death. And what a death? to the death of the croſſe. So there is the difference. The father wrought it not, altring his maieſtie and glorie, but the ſonne wrought it, altring his maieſtie: and that ſo obediently, that the Angels wonders at it; yea they can neuer wonder enough, to ſee that glorious maieſtie of the ſonne of God ſo humbled as he was. Now, howbeit it differeth in the The father as mercifull as the ſon.manner, yet the father and the ſonne are equall in merciemercy. The father is as mercifull as the ſonne, and the ſonne is as mercifull as the father; they are equall in glorie in this worke: the father gets as great glorie in this worke as the ſonne; and the ſonne gets as great glorie as the father. Now to the father and the ſonne be all honour, glorie, and praiſe for euer and euer, Amen.
Before (brethren) when he ſpake of the reconciliation in generall, ye heard the whole Church in generall was reconciled by this bloud and death of Ieſus Chriſt. Now ye heare that this particular Church at Coloſſe, is ſaid to be reconciled by this ſame bloud and death. Yea more, I ſay not onelyonly this, a particular Church (as for example the Church of this towne) EueryEvery one of gods elect reconciled by the bloud of Chriſt. Chriſts eye ſet vponupon eueryevery particular perſon.reconciled by that bloud, and death of Chriſt, but there is no man or woman that is choſen, but they are redeemed by that bloud. And this is a true ſaying; when the Lord died on the croſſe, and ſhed his bloud, his eye was not onelyonly in generall ſpread abroad, throughout the whole earth; but diſtinctly ſet vponupon eueryevery particular perſon. It was ſet vponupon this ſame Church of Coloſſe, and vponupon this Church of Edenborough (as certainly as euer it was on any, that was preſent at his death.) Howbeit, it was not a Church at that time, yet his eye was ſet vponupon it; and he ſaid in his heart, I will die for the Church of Coloſſe, and for the Church of Edenborough. Yea his eye was ſet vponupon eueryevery particular bodie; yea vponupon the pooreſt elect lad, or laſſe, now preſently liuing, or which ſhall liue hereafter. And he ſaid, I die the death for this particular perſon; otherwiſe if he had not ſaid it, that he would die for me, and die for thee, thou, nor I, could not hauehave been ſaued. I giuegive thee a token to know that his eye was vponupon thee in the time of his death. Findeſt thou reconciliation and redemption in thy heart? ſay then he had an eye to me, and the force of his death hath comen to me. For what auailes a generall knowledge of his death, if thou hauehave not a particular applying of it to thy ſelfe?
A queſtion may here be moued; how is it that it is ſaid that Chriſt ſhed his bloud for the Coloſsians, ſeeing they were not as yet called, but remained enemies till Epaphras came amōgſt them, and preached the word of grace, and ſaluation in Ieſus Chriſt, and by his trauell hath drawne on ſome to the faith of Ieſus? I anſwere, the reconciliation made in the bloud of Ieſus Reconciliation by the bloud of Ieſus of two ſorts.is of two ſorts; there is one made by the merit of his death: there is another made by the efficacie and powerfulnes of his death. When he ſuffered, that ſame very time and houre of his ſuffering, all nations that euer were to be reconciled to the end of the world, were reconciled by the merit of the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt. But if you will looke to the effectualnes, it followed long after. Scotland, Edenborough, that abode long after enemies, at that ſame houre, by his merit were reconciled. For why? that bloud that was ſhed, merited that ſaluation: but the effect of that merit followed. A man that will hauehave the merit, muſt feele the efficacie and power of it. When he is following his owne luſts, lying out at his whoredome and villanie, at that ſame time (it may be ſaid truly) he hath the charter of the merit in his keeping: howbeit vntill the time he looke about him, and begin to ſee Ieſus, the vertue of Chriſts merite vtters We muſt feele and finde the vertue and power of Christs death working in vsus, Rom. 6. 2. 3. 4. 5. Phil. 3. 8, 9, 10.not it ſelfe vntounto him. But when he findes it, then he remembers he had the merit. Howbeit, he wiſt not that euer he had it, till he found this working. Then he reioyceth that Chriſt ſuffered on the Croſſe for him.
In the laſt words he ſets downe the end of their reconciliation. The end is, that thou maiſt be preſented holy, vnreproueable, without ſpot or wrinckle, as he ſaith in Ephe. 5. 27. Firſt then, we are reconciled to the end we ſhould be holy; clenſed of that filthines and ſinne, wherewith wee were polluted before; and The end of our reconciliation is holines.being clenfed, wee ſhould be vnreproueable; for the cauſe of reproofe is ſinne: It is ſore to abide a reproofe of God. This holines is not gotten perfited in this life, but wee muſt ſtriue to it continually. Then thinke not that thou art reconciled with God in effect, if thou finde not holines begun in this life: if thou finde no holy motions in thy heart, and actions in thy hand, thinke not thou ſtandeſt in friendſhip with God. For as euer two ſtand together, theſe two muſt ſtand together vnſeparably, reconciliation with God, and holines of life. And if Holines & reconciliation inſeparable.thou hauehave not a ſanctified heart and life, thou abideſt a rebell to God. Thus for the firſt end.
The other end is expreſſed in the ſame words; That you may (ſaith he) be preſented before him: that is, that you may get his preſence, and he yours: and being preſented, ye may get your felicitie for euer. For brethren, that full bleſſednes of man ſtands in the ſight of God. Then marke this leſſon; vponupon this holines followes our preſenting before God: So it is he or ſhe that is holy, that gets the preſence of God. If thou be not ſanctified, if thou liue not in ſome meaſure in a holy life here, I Heb. 12. 14 Mat. 5. 4. 5giuegive thee this for doome, thou ſhalt neuer ſee the face of God, that is, thou ſhalt neuer be bleſſed; but ſhut in hell for euer. But to ſticke vponupon the words, the word in it owne language, to preſent a man perſonally in ſuch ſort that he hath the eye of him vponupon the Iudge, and the Iudge vponupon him. then theſe words import, that wee ſhall one day be perſonally with the ſame bodie and ſoule, and no other, preſented before the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. No, no, there ſhall not be ſuch a thing as one ſhall EueryEvery man muſt perſonally preſent himſelfe naked before Godappeare for thee, but thou ſhalt perſonally preſent thy ſelfe, and ſtand naked before God there. If thou ſtand vp in holines, and ſee thy Lord thy Iudge with a holy eye, hee looking on thee with a holy eye, there ſhall be a mutuall pleaſure: for if thou be preſented holy, thou ſhalt finde ſuch a ioy in thy heart, as it is wonderfull to ſpeake of, and God ſhall reioyce of thee, Luk. 15. So there ſhall be mutuall ioy on both parts: we ſhall be preſented before Ieſus, not as before a Iudge, but as a The faithfull preſented to Chriſt as a bride to the bridegroome.bride before the bridegroome: ſo ſpeakes Paul 2. Cor. 11. not as folke to abide the triall: nay, there is no iudgemēt for thee that ſhalt be preſented as a bride to thy bridegroome, with whom thou ſhalt liue in ioy and pleaſure for euer. You ſee when a bride is preſented to a bridegroome, there is ioy. O the ioy that thou ſhalt hauehave, when thou ſhalt be preſented to thy Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt as a bride! who can expreſſe and thinke of the greatnes and excellencie of that ioy? Then as thou wouldeſt hauehave this infinite and vnſpeakable ioy with thy huſband Ieſus, ſtriue to holines, and ſeeke to be preſented to him, and then it ſhall be well with thee. Now in this Ieſus with the Father and the holy ſpirit, be all praiſe,
Amen.