An Exposition Upon Colossians, Metaphrase 3
THE METAPHRASE vponupon the third CHAPTER.
VERSE I. IF ye then be risen with CHRIST, seeke those things that are aboue, where CHRIST sits at the right hand of GOD.HItherto you hauehave been taught, exhorted, and dehorted in matters that concerne faith and opinions. Now it followeth that I should stirre you in such things as concerne your carriage both generall as you are Christians, and particular as you are of seuerall conditions of life. And the first thing you should be carefull of in the right order of your liues, is to raise vp your thoughts and affections to the studie and contemplation of heauenlie things; for hereby you doe effectually proue that you are risen vp in the first resurrection with IESVS CHRIST. And heauenly things are aboue, and therefore for their worthines fitting your contemplation; and for their difficultie, they cannot be reached without seeking, and diligent studie, and inquirie. Besides is not CHRIST aboue, your Head and Sauiour, and where should your hearts be, but where your treasure is? yea where CHRIST is there in singular glorie, aduanced aboue all men & Angels; next in glorie and power to GOD himselfe? ô then how should your mindes run vponupon him: and to contemplate of these things is to ascend after him.
Verse 2 Set your affections on things which are aboue, and not on things which are on the earth.And when I exhort you to seeke the things that are aboue, my meaning is that you should studie about them, and with all wisedome raise vp not your thoughts only, but your affections also to the louelove of heauenly things; and this you cannot doe vnlesse you withdraw your affections from things on earth, whether they be traditions, or worldly things, or the workes of the flesh.
Verse 3. For ye are dead and your life is hid with CHRIST in GOD.Now there are excellent reasons by which I may breifly stir you vp hereunto; both from the consideration of your present estate in this world, and from the meditation of your future condition in the day of CHRIST. In this world two things should much moue you. First, that ye are but dead men; for both you professe the forsaking of the world, and the world accounts of you but as dead men: and your afflictions drown and ouerwhelm you many times. Secondly, the spirituall happinesse which you hauehave, which is the life of your life, is hid, alwaies from wicked men, who hauehave no iudgement in or discerning in spirituall things: and sometimes by the violence of tentation, your selues discerne not your owne happines. Yet be not discouraged, it was so with CHRIST while he liued;Verse 4. When CHRIST, who is our life, shall appeare, then shall ye also appeare with him in glory. and though it be hid, yet is it hid with GOD, it is in him, it is in his power, and he will preserue it.
But especially if you thinke of the comming of IESVS CHRIST you should be stirred to the louelove and study of heauenly things: for then shall there be an end of all earthly felicities, then shall men make accounts of all their actions and studies, then will not riches auaile in that day of wrath, then will the incomparable gaine and glory of godlinesse be discouered: Oh the inualuable dignitie of heauenly minded Christians in that day. And thus of the meditation of heauenly things.
The second maine part of my exhortation,Verse 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are on earth, fornication, vncleannesse, the inordinate affection, euill concupiscence, and couetousnesse, wc is idolatrie. shall concerne the mortification both of vices and crimes. First, I would hence obserue those speciall sinnes which are most hatefull to God in your former course of life, and then hauehave been most prone to. When I say mortifie, I meane that you should vse all the meanes indefinitely that serue to kill the power and practice of those sinnes, neuer giuing ouer confession and godly sorrow till you finde the power of them abated and deaded. And this I would hauehave you doe not only in outward sinnes, but any sinne, though they were as deare to you as the very members of your bodies yet you must cut them off. Now some of the sinnes that I would hauehave you studious to auoide or mortifie are these: first, looke to the filthinesse condemned in the seuenth Commandement, not only auoide whoredome, but all kindes of wicked fleshly filthinesse and vncleannes; yea looke to, that internall burning or the flames of lust within, that habituall effeminatenesse; and passions of lust: and more then all this see that you make conscience of euill thoughts, and that contemplatiue wickednesse, which may be in your mindes without consent of the will to practise it: for euen those thoughts are filthy in GODS sight. Now the last sinne I will name is couetousnesse, which is a kinde of vile Idolatrie in GODS sight.
For these and such like sinnes,Verse 6. For the which things sake the wrath of GOD commeth vponupon the children of disobedience. bring downe the fearefull iudgements of GOD vponupon the offenders; and they wonderfully vexe GOD: and besides to liue in these sins and louelove them, and continue in them, is a manifest signe, that they are but wicked men, children of disobedience, whatsoeuer they seeme to be, or what shewes or profession soeuer they make.
And the rather should you be for euer carefull to keepe your selues from these euils and the like,Verse 7. In which ye also walked sometime when ye liued in them. or speedily to subdue them and forsake, seeing you hauehave felt by experience in your vnregenerate estate what it is to hauehave sinne like a Monster to liue and raigne in the heart or life.
You must also make conscience of iniurious dealing with others,Verse 8. But now put ye away euen all these things, anger, wrath, malice, cursed speaking, filthy speaking out of your mouth. and that not only of the grosse acts of iniuries, but of doing wrong in your very words, yea in the passions of your heart: yea to approue that now ye walke not in sinne, shew your vprightnesse, by putting away euen eueryevery thing that might tend to the iniurie of others. To expresse my meaning I will instance in diuers sins, the vnregenerate would make no conscience of. And first in the heart,Verse 9. Lie not one to another, seeing that yee hauehave put off the old man with his wo…kes. Verse 10. And hauehave put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him there is inward fretting, and that passion that discouers it selfe by outward signes, and that inueterate anger called malice: these you must make conscience of. Besides in the tongue there are three vices you must also auoide, viz. cursed speaking, filthie speaking, and lying.
There are three weightie considerations should moue you thereunto. First, when you repent of sin, you professe to put off the old man and his workes, this old man is the old Tempter of your natures, and his workes are such as these sore-mentioned passions, and distempers in the tongue.
Secondly, you are now in the state of grace, you are new men, and therefore must not liue after the old manner: you are renewed in knowledge to discerne these things to be euill, and therefore ought to shew it in your practice: and you are renewed after the Image of CHRIST, now there was no guile found in his mouth, nor any of these wretched perturbations in his heart, and therefore how sutable soeuer they be to the harmony of the most men, yet for that reason you must keepe your selues farre from them.
Verse 11. Where is neither Graecian nor Iew, circumcision nor vncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond, free, but CHRIST is all in all things.Thirdly, GOD is vnpartially righteous and iust; if men will not be reformed of those old corruptions he cares not for them, though they were Iewes, circumcised, free, and contrariwise if men striue after that holinesse they see in CHRIST, and mortifie these corruptions that abound in the world, …he will accept them, though they were Graecians, Scythians, bounden. Thus of the second maine thing needfull to holy life, viz. the mortification of vices and iniuries.
Verse 12. Therefore as the elect of GOD holy & beloued, put on bowels of mercy, kindnesse, humblenes of minde, meeknesse, long-suffering.The third thing you must be carefull of is the exercise of holy graces and duties; and here I shall put you in minde of three things: the matter, the meanes, and the end. For the first there are nine graces, should principally be remembred in your practise: and that you may be quickned thereunto, be much in the meditation of three things, 1. GODS election. 2. Your owne sanctification. 3. The louelove of GOD to you.
The graces are, 1. Tendernesse in all sorts of iniuries. 2. Curtesie. 3. True and hearty humility and lowlinesse. 4. Quietnesse and meeknesse, and tranquillity of heart. 5. Long suffering in respect of crosses.
Verse 13. Forbearing one another, and forgiuing one another, if any hauehave a quarrell to another, euen as CHRIST forgaue you, euen so do ye. Verse 14. And aboue all these put on LoueLove which is the bond of perfectnesse. Verse 15. And let the peace of God rule in your harts to the which also ye are called in one body: and be thankfull. Verse 16. Let the word of CHRIST dwel in you richly in all wisedome, teaching, and admonishing one another, in Psalmes, and Hymmes, and spirituall songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the LORD.And sixtly, Clemencie which stands in two things, in forbearing, and forgiuing. Forbearing in respect of wrongs and infirmities, and forgiuing freely one another. And this forgiuing must be extended to eueryevery man, and it must be as Christ forgaue vsus, and that is though they be our inferiors, and though they hauehave done vsus great wrong, & so as we forget aswel as forgiue.
But seuenthly aboue all other be sure you cloath your selues with louelove, for this will knit vsus together perfectly, and by this all the Saints and all the graces of the Saints tend vntounto perfection.
Eightly, Get the peace, that peace I meane that GOD only giues, and let it rule and preuaile with you▪ and if you cannot be at peace in your life, yet let it be in your hearts still, how vnreasonable soeuer men be, and the rather should you be carefull hereof, both because you are called of GOD to it, and besides you are all members of the same body. Lastly, adde vntounto all these amiablenes and thankfulnes, one to another. And thus of the matter of holinesse.
Now I must also stirre you vp to a due respect of the meanes of holines which is the word. And so both the word in generall and the Psalmes in speciall. For the word in generall, you must remember it is the word of CHRIST, both as the subiect and the cause of it: and you should neuer be satisfied till you grow familiar and plentifull in it, through the daily vse of it, both in your hearts and houses also, and that with all iudgement and discretion; not seeking or vsing it, coldly, peruersly, carnally or indiscreetlie: and this word you must imploy both to teach you and one another, what you know not, and to admonish you and other for what you do not. And in speciall be carefull of the Psalmes, remembring that they also are the word of CHRIST, and the rather considering the exquisite variety of sweet matter in them, but in singing obserue these rules, First, exercise the graces of the heart according to the matter of the Psalme. Secondly, do it with attention and vnderstanding. Thirdly, respect GODS glory in it and his holie presence.
Lastly, be carefull of the end of all your actions,Verse 17. And whatsoeuer yee shall do in word or deede, doe all in the name of the LORD IESVS: giuing thanks to GOD euen the Father by him. Verse 18. Wiues submit your selues to your Husbands as it is comely, in the LORD. both that all be done to the glory of GOD in CHRIST (all I say both in word and deed) beginning with calling on the name of CHRIST, and ending with the sacrifice of thanksgiuing, which must be offered vntounto GOD in the mediation of CHRIST aswell as your praiers. Thus I hauehave breifly laide before you the rules that concerne holinesse as you are Christians in the generall.
Now I thinke it meete to propound some duties that are more particular: and I will onelyonly instance in the familie: and there I beginne with Wiues, whose word is, be subiect, an epitome of their duty and a thing GOD most stands vponupon, and which Women most faile in. And great reason, for here lieth the true comelinesse and beauty of a Wife, tis not in her face and garments, but in her subiection to her Husband.Verse 19. Husbands louelove your Wiues and be not bitter vntounto them. Verse 20. Children, obey your Parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the LORD. Verse 21. Fathers prouoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Verse 22. Seruants be obedient vntounto them that are …our Masters according to the flesh, in all things, not with eye seruice as men pleasurs, but in singlenesse of heart, fearing GOD. Verse 23. And whatsoeuer yee do, do it heartily, as to the LORD, & not vntounto men. Verse 24. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritāce: for ye serue the Lord Christ. Verse 25. But hee that doth wrong, shall receiue▪ for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. And the rather should you be subiect, because GOD hath prouided, you shall not be pressed, but in the LORD, not in any thing against the word.
Now for Husbands their word is louelove, as that GOD most stends vponupon and they most faile in. And in particular I giuegive them warning to looke to one vice aboue many, and that is, that they be not bitter to their Wiues.
And for children their word is obedience, and they must know that GOD so inioines it, that he will hauehave it done throughly, they must obey in all things, and submit their wills and desires to their parents. For this is a thing that will not only keepe and increase their parents louelove to them, but it is also wondrous well-pleasing to GOD himselfe.
Parents also must take heed they sin not against their children, not only, by two much indulgence, but also by prouoking them, and that not only to sin, but to passion, by vniust precepts, or contumelies and disgraces, or hard vsage, or immoderate correction: and that as for other reasons so least they be discouraged either from louelove of weldoing, or of obeying them.
You that are Seruants must also with great care attend your duties, your word also is obedience: and the rather because your Masters hauehave authoritie, but only ouer your flesh, not ouer your consciences; but in your obedience see to it, it be in all things that concern the subiection of the outward man. But let not your seruice be onelyonly when your Masters looke on, or fitted only to please men, but obey euen in the singlenesse of your hearts, as in GODS presence, where you should feare to displease.
Neither let what you do be done out of a slauish feare, but from the heart with all willingnes, as doing therein seruice to GOD, and not to men only.
Knowing infallibly that if men would not reward you for your paines and faithfulnes, yet GOD will, who will not vse you as seruants, but prouide for you as sons and heires to him. For in all this labor GOD accounts you as the seruants of Christ, and will reward all as if all had bin done to him.
And contrariwise he that doth wrong be he Master or Seruant shall receiue of the LORD for the wrong that he hath done: for GOD is no accepter of persons.