An Exposition Upon Colossians, Biblical commentary 4 · Chapter 4 · Verse 8
Vers. 8.
Whom I hauehave sent for the same purpose that he might know your estate.
Doct. The state of the people ought to be knowne to the minister: not their worldly estate, but the estate of their soules and consciences, and the working of the meanes vponupon them, not onelyonly for the satisfaction of the ministers affection, but for the guiding of his priuate preparations and praiers, and for his publike doctrine. Which reprooues the carelesse ministers, that heed not the state of the people. We are watchmen for obseruation, as well as labourers in respect of preaching: neither can he be a good Preacher, that is not a carefull Watchman.
Againe, it is a great defect in the people, when the minister wants intelligence. For though it be a base humour of any to bring false reports, and a weake part in any minister to make the Pulpit a place to vent their priuate and personall businesses, yet in the generall he cannot be a good Physitian to the state of any congregation, that is not acquainted with their diseases.
Quest. But why doth the Apostle send to know their estate?
Answ. Because he would not credit reports concerning them: for he knew that wicked men out of their malice would raise monstrous slanders many times of the best deseruing people; and besides, the better sort of men are not carefull of their words in reports; matters grow with telling, and eueryevery man according to his seuerall affection sets a seuerall emphasis vponupon the matter hee tels, so that after a while the tale will not be worth receiuing. This carefulnesse should teach vsus how to heare, especially we should be warie, and well aduised, and thorowly informed, before by praier and fasting wee take vp the name of God concerning the absent.
The third end is, that their hearts might be comforted.
Heere in generall from the Apostles care to hauehave them comforted obserue,
1 That Christians need comfort and incouragement.
2 That comfort is the peculiar portion of true Christians; and contrariwise, nothing but sorrow and the curse is the portion of wicked men; and if any dramme of comfort be applied to wicked men, the truth of God is falsified.
Ob. But this is the way to make them despaire.
Answ. The blinde and dreaming world is mistaken. GiueGive mee an instance of one man in this place, nay in this age, nay in any age, (that I can remember) shew me any example in Scripture, or any instance in experience, of one soule driuen into despaire by the sincere preaching of the word. It is no great thing I desire.Note. That men hauehave despaired I know and finde, as Cain and Iudas did; but that it was seuere preaching that wrought it, I no where finde: and yet for one bitter word giuen by vsus, the Prophets gaue ten, and yet this euent neuer followed. Not but there is enough said many times to make despaire, but that there is this prouidence of God, that it comes not vponupon men by this meanes; but either of the melancholie of the body, or the speciall curse that God priuately poured vponupon them, or by the speciall working of Satan by Gods iust permission. And yet I allow not indiscreet rashnesse, or rude indiscretion in applying threatnings.
Doct. 3. That it is the dutie of eueryevery minister to labour to build vp Gods children in comfort, as the Apostle doth heerein expresse his care. But yet consider whom the Apostle comforts.
1. Such as had the faith of Iesus, Col. 1.4. 2. Such as loued all the Saints Col. 4.1. 3. Such as were fruitfull hearers of the Gospell, Col. 1.6. 4. Such as were constant, and laboured to be grounded in faith and hope, Col. 1.23. 5. Such as accounted Christ their greatest riches, and the Gospell a glorious mysterie, Col. 1.27. 6. Such as were circumcised with circumcision made without hands, and hauehave put away the body of sinnes, and had with painefull sorrowes put away, fornication, vncleanenesse, the inordinate affection, wrath, anger, malice, cursed speaking, filthy speaking and lying out of their mouthes, Col. 2.10. & 3.5.8.
4 A question may be here asked whether consolations do bar out rebukes and directions.
Answ. They do not, for Paul doth comfort and yet hee rebuked in the second Chapter, and directed in the third, nay many times rebukes, and directions are great doores of consolation.
Thus of Pauls care to hauehave them comforted.
Tichicus did comfort their hearts, 1. by his presence, 2. by bringing letters to the Church from Paul, 3. by his words, not of report onelyonly, relating Pauls estate to them, but of doctrine, perswading them to patience vnderunder their crosses, remembring them of the ioies to come, strengthning them against the gaine-sayings of aduersaries, the temptations of Satan, the rebellion of their owne flesh, and the inconuenience of Pauls imprisonment, and lastly instructing them how to goe on in holy life.
Thus of the first part of the narration.
In the narration concerning Onesimus I obserue two things: his praises, and the end of his mission. His praises are as they stand in relation to all Christians, or in particular to them; to all, he is a brother, faithfull, beloued to them, and so he is one of them: the end of his mission is in the end of the verse.
Onesimus.] This Onesimus was the theeuish and fugitiue seruant of Philemon, who comming to Rome, was conuerted by Paul in prison, and is now for honours sake sent with Tichicus. From hence diuers things may be noted.
1 That hatefull and vnfaithfull persons may be conuerted, and made worthy, faithfull, and beloued.
2 That religion and the word doth not marre, but make good seruants. The word will doe that which rating and stripes will not doe.
3 That no mans sinnes, of which they hauehave repented before God and the Church, ought to be charged vponupon them as any disparagement in subsequent times. Where God forgiues, men should not impute.
4 It is a good worke, to grace and credit such as by repentance returne from their former euill waies.
5 Repentance and true grace is the surest way to credit: the b…st way to lift reproach from a mans name, is to get sinne off his soule.
Now in the particular praise of Onesimus I obserue: First, that Christian louelove respects not persons; Paul is not ashamed of a poore seruant, and hee would hauehave the Church louelove whom God loues. Secondly, that there is faithfulnesse required of priuate men as well as ministers, and that faithfulnesse stands in three things, soundnesse in religion without errour or hypocrisie, diligence in the particular calling, and fidelitie in promises and couenants. Thirdly, that naturall and ciuill relations are not broken or disabled by religion; they must not only louelove Onesimus as a Christian, but also as one of them, for he was a Citizen of Colosse: there is louelove should be in men as they are fellow Citizens, and of the same trade or profession, or the like.
Thus of the narration.