An Exposition Upon Colossians, Biblical commentary 3 · Chapter 3 · Verse 7
Verse 7.
In which ye also walked sometime when ye liued in them.
These words containe the second reason to inforce the mortification of vice, and it is taken from their owne experience: as if he would say, ye hauehave liued a long time in these corruptions & sinnes, & therefore it is sufficient that you hauehave spent the time past in these lusts of the Gentiles, it is high time now to abandon them: besides you should remember the misery you liued in by reason of sinne, and from thence learne to confirme your selues in a constant course of resisting and striuing against the occasions and beginnings of those sinnes.
From the coherence and the generall consideration of the whole verse diuerse things may be briefly noted.Obseruations …rom the coherence. First, that the knowledge and meditation of a mans misery by nature is a good medicine to kill lust and couetousnesse: The Apostle like a wise physition, vseth here the counsell hereunto as a principall part of his direction. For in that he puts them in mind of it, it shewes that they should mind it by themselues much more. For not only it will shew that these sinnes did then abound, but the very thought of such a wofull estate will beate downe & kill by degrees the vitious inclinations of nature vntounto such sinnes. Secondly, in that the Colossians can beare it to be told of their sinnes past, it giues vsus ocasion to take notice of this for a truth: that where a man hath soundly repented of any sinne, he can easily beare it, to be touched with the remembrance of it, and with lowlinesse doth endure the needfull discourse concerning i…. It is a notable testimony that a man hath not truly repented of sinne, when he is so impatient and vnquiet in the mention or remembrance of sinne.Simile. If a man hauehave a wounded arme, while it is vncured, the least touch of it, makes a man start and crie out: but when it is whole, you may gripe it hard and yet he aileth nothing at all. So is it with our consciences in matters of sinne. They are but in a miserable case that rage and fre… and reuile when the sinnes they hauehave liued in are by publike doctrine disgraced, or threatned. But may some one say,The profit of remembring▪ our miserie by nature. to what end doth the Apostle so often put them in mind of their sinfulnesse and misery past? I answer, he doth it for great reasons. For the more men thinke of their misery by nature, the more it quickneth to a sence and admiration of Gods mercy that hath drawen them out of such a wretched estate. Besides it is a notable meanes to keepe a Christian humble, and to make him watchfull ouer a nature that by lamentable experience hath been so prone to sinne: and it serues to stir vp Christians to a more eager desire and diligence in vsing the meanes to aduantage them in knowledge and grace. Tis now time, to redeeme the time, that hath been so long lost. And it will make a child of God industrious in Gods work, seeing he hath spent so much time in the seruice of the diuell, the world and the flesh And further it helpes a man to some measure of patience and meeknesse and compassion, in dealing with the sinnes of other men, considering that he himselfe hath been vnwise, disobedient, seruing the lusts and diuerse pleasures, &c. And lastly (as was before noted) it serues to kill the daily lusts that may bud and sprout out after calling.How farre priuate men may meddle with the former sinnes of others.
Now concerning the remembring of the sinnes of others, we must know the Apostle had a warrant by his calling and commission to rehearse the sins of others. For Gods ministers are enioined to shew Gods people their sinnes. But a like liberty is not lawfull to eueryevery priuate man. Priuate men may remember others of their estate past, if it may stir them vp to thankfulnesse, or if it may further them in humiliation for new offences, or they may exhort one another, least any be deceiued by sinne, and so for preuention of corruptions vntounto which they are by nature prone: or in some special cases to cleare Gods iustice against hard hearted sinners otherwise it is a vile and sinful course to be raking into the liues of others: but especially to be grating vponupon the faults past of penitent sinners. Where God hath pardoned, what hath man to doe to impute? And thus of the coherence and generall consideration of the words.
This verse containes two specialties of their misery by nature. First, their continuance in sinne, in that he saith ye walked. Secondly, their delight in sinne, in that he saith ye liued in them, that is it was the life of your life.
foreignIn which] That is in which sinnes: and so it teacheth vsus, that we should be more troubled for sinne then for crosses. For he doth not say, in which miseries or iudgements but in which sinnes and corruptions. As any are more spirituall, sinne is their greatest sorrow: and as any are more carnall they are more troubled with crosses.
Ye] A man can neuer be soundly and profitably humbled, till he mind his owne sinnes. The knowledge of sinne that is transient is dangerous, as we may see in the Pharisie. The more he knowes by the Publican, the prouder he is in himselfe, but the knowledge that is reflexed is profitable. And therefore the publican that troubled himselfe about his owne sinne, went home more iustified than the other. And therefore the Apostle here tells not of the misery of other men, but expresly guides them to the consideration of their owne misery. This should teach vsus without shifting or delay to search and trie our owne waies, and to grow skilfull in recounting the euills of our owne liues. The true knowledge of our selues, is a great step in a holy life. Tis that the most of vsus neuer attaine to. And yet it is of singular vse; it would make vsus humble in our selues, compassionate towards others, easie to be admonished, tender hearted in Gods worship, more apt to godly sorrow, and of great ripenesse and dexterity of knowledge in cases of conscience.
Also] Sinne is a poison that ouerflowes all sorts of men. This also takes in rich men and great men, and learned men, and old men, and the ciuiller sort of men. There is no estate calling or condition of men, nor sexe, or nation, but they hauehave been infected with this plague. It hath runne ouer the whole earth. And therefore it should humble rich men, and learned men, and all sorts of men. Looke not at thy wealth, or thy wit, or thy learning, or thy nobility, or thy fame amongst men, looke at thy filthy nature: thou hast now, or thou hast had the plague vponupon thy soule: and as wise and learned and rich and ciuill and noble, as thou, hauehave died of this sicknesse, and are in hell
Walked] This word, notes not only inclination to sinne, but action: not only words but practise and in practise, not only a falling by infirmity, but continuance and progresse in sinne. To walke in sinne, is to proceed in sinne from one kind to another, and from one sinne to another, and to lie and dwell in sinne. And this is the wretched condition and thraldome of eueryevery one by nature, thus hard is it to giuegive ouer sinne, and were it not for the great mercy of God, thus would all men continue.
Why men liue so long in sin.Qu. But what should be the reason that men continue so long in sin, and are so loth to get out of this miserable path? Ans. The soule by nature is dead in sinneiEphes. 1.2.. And all flesh is couered with a vaile of blindnessekEsay. 25.8.. And sathan the Prince of darknesse, works effectually in the children of disobedience: besides the course and custome of the world, that lies in wickednessel1. Ioh. 5.18. Ephes. 2.2., much hardens and confirmes the sinner, and the minde and will of the flesh is stubborne. And withall eueryevery wicked man is a great student. He deuiseth and imagineth and forecasteth how to find out waies, to set himself in a way that is not good. And many times God in his fearefull iudgement, deliuers many a man vp to a spirituall lethargie and slumber, and reprobate mind, that hearing he may heare, and not vnderstand, and seeing he may see and not perceiue, hauing his hart false, and his eares dull, and his eies closed vp, least he should be conuerted and humbled mAct: 28.27..
The vse may be to teach vsus to enlarge our hearts in the sence of Gods goodnesse that hath deliuered vsus from an estate that was in it selfe so fearefull. Especially it may comfort vsus against our infirmities: that howsoeuer we faile by occasion, yet by Gods mercy we do not walke in sinne. We proceed not from degree to degree, and from sinne to sinne: it is a happy time with a Christian, when he getteth victory ouer his sinnes, so as at least by degrees he gets downe the power of them. And on the other side they are in a wofull estate, that hauehave their corruptions growing vponupon them both for power and number and continuance. O woe will be vntounto them when the master shall come and find them so doing. And thus of the first specialty.
The second is, Ye liued in them.] That is ye set the delight of your hearts vponupon them.The wickedest men many times most liuely. Sinne was the life of your liues. None many times more liuely and in greater iollity, then such as are in greatest danger of Gods wrath: and so cursedly vile is mans euill disposition, that as many men are the more sinfull they are the more secure, and full of caruall liuelinesse. Who more frollicke, then our drunkard swaggerers, swearers, abhominable filthy person? (yea, they carie themselues, as if they had found out a life of excellency and contentment aboue all other men: and yet are buried in the ditches of monstrous wickednesse, and are descending swiftly to their owne place, hasting to the vengeance to come. Many times the holiest men are most pensiue, and the vilest men, most liuely.
Liued] There is a fourefold life of men.a fourefold life. The life of nature, the life of corruption, the life of grace, and the life of glory. The first life Adam liued before his fall. The last, the blessed liue in heauen. The third the godly liue after their conuersion on earth, and the second, is the life of all the vnregenerate. Sin is aliue. It hath a liuing being in the vnconuerted sinner. It is a monster ingendred in the heart of man, by coniunction with sathan; seating his seuerall limbs in the seuerall faculties of the soule. Now it will not be amisse to consider how we may know when this monster is aliue and when he is dead. Sinne may be knowen to be aliue,How we may know when sinne is aliue, first by the flaming desires of the heart and thoughts of the mind, inordinately bent vponupon things forbidden. Secondly, by the command and authority it holds ouer all the faculties and powers of the soule▪ and body, vsing them as seruants and executioners of the lusts of the flesh. Thirdly, by the contentment men place in knowen euills. Fourthly, by customary practise. And lastly, if this monster by the deceitfull working of Sathan should liue still for a time, (as many times it doth euen in the worst men) yet there is a way to trie whether it be a liue or no. For bring it to the law, and it will presently reuiue. If it be pricked and pearced with the terrors and reproofes of a sound application, it will shew it selfe, by vnquietnesse, and vnruly distempers.and when it is dead. And on the other side it is certaine sinne is dead, if thy flaming desires to euill, be quenched. Secondly, if the command ouer the faculties of the soule, be ceased. Thirdly, if a man seeke and place his chiefe contentment in spirituall things. Fourthly, if the customarie practise of euill be broken of and dissolued, and lastly if the hart will abide the searching and sound application of the law.
In them] So wretchedly is the vnregenerate heart of man composed, that he doth not only liue and sinne, but he liues in sinne, and with sinne, and by sinne too. He liues in sinne, because he is drowned vnderunder the power and guilt of sinne. He liues, with sinne because he is not a guest only, but a soiourner also with his sinne. Sinne keepes the house and the …inne is at bed and boord there. And he liues by sinne to, for most sinners cannot contriue how to liue without them. The letcher cannot liue without his mistris, & the vsurer cannot liue without his gaine, and so of the rest. All these are wofull circumstances of euill, and doe maruellously decipher out a soule that feeles not the life of Iesus Christ in him, and they impart also a further misery. It is easie to commit sinne, but it is not easie to be rid of sinne, a man may also quickly forget his sinne, but he shall not so quickely forgoe his sinne, for howsoeuer by Gods singular patience, he liues, for all his sinne, yet by the singular wretchednesse of his condition, all his sinnes, will liue with him, they are not transient, but so long as he liues, his sinne will liue with him, yea it will goe with him too when hee dies, if it be not preuented with speedy repentance.
The vse also of all this may be to teach conuerted Christians, that are deliuered from this wofull misery, to walke as children of the light: hauing their fruit in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth: hauing no further fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse, seeing all is now made manifest by the light: nEphes. 5.8.9.11.13.yea they should striue to expresse as much life of contentment in the works of new life and light, as before they euer felt in the pathes of sinne and darkenesse, and if wicked men walke on with such vnwearied resolutions and endeauours in such a dangerous estate, how should Christians bee stird to all possible constancy in weldoing, seeing they are sure that all that walke vprightly walke safely. Thus of the seuenth verse.