An Exposition Upon Colossians, Title page – Dedication
AN EXPOSITION VPONUPON THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS.
Wherein, NOT ONELYONLY THE TEXT IS Methodically Analysed, and the sence of the words, by the help of VVriters, both ancient and moderne is explayned:
But also, By Doctrine and Vse, the intent of the holy Ghost is in eueryevery place more fully vnfolded and vrged.
And besides, The very marrow of most Common-places is aptly diffused throughout the body of this EXPOSITION, as the nature of of this kinde of Teaching would beare.
And further, Many chiefe Cases of CONSCIENCE are here resolued.
ALL With conuenient Varietie and Breuitie.
Being, The substance of neare seauen yeeres VVeeke-dayes Sermons, of N. BYFIELD, late one of the Preachers for the Citie of CHESTER.
1 PET. 5.10.
The God of all grace, who hath called you vntounto his eternall glory, by CHRIST IESVS, after that yee hauehave suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, and settle you.
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for NATHANIEL BVTTER, and are to be sould at his Shop at the signe of the Pide-Bull in Pauls Church-yard, neare to S. Austins Gate. 1615.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, EDVVARD LORD RVSSELL, Earle of Bedford, and the Ladie LVCIE Countesse of Bedford; Grace and Peace be multiplied, with increase of all honor and happinesse for euer.
Most noble Lord, and my very honorable good Ladie,
THIS Epistle to the Colossians containes an excellent Epitome of the doctrine expressed in the rest of the books of the old and new Testament: as will appeare by a briefe delineation or adumbration of the proportion and parts of that sacred bodie of truth, paralelled with the seuerall parts of this Epistle, vsing the benefit of this Commentarie vponupon it.
The whole word of God may be diuided into two parts:The substance of all Theologie exprest briefly in this Epistle: as is manifested by instance. the first concernes faith, or what we must beleeue; the second louelove, or what we must doe. So the Apostle deuided it, as may appeare by the patterne vsed in their times, which stood of two parts, faith and louelove, 2. Tim. 1.13. And so is this Epistle deuided; for in the two first Chapters he tell… them what they must beleeue, and in the two last, what they must doe.
Now faith looks either vponupon God, or vponupon the world. In God two things are to be beleeued: 1. the attributes of the essence. 2. the trinitie of the persons. The attributes vnfold the nature and proprieties of God; such as are, his power, glory, knowledge, and the like; of the power of God, yee may read, Chap. 1.11. & 2.12. of the glorie of God, Chap. 1.11. & 3.17. of the knowledge of God, Chap. 3.10.
The Persons are three, the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost; of the Father, chap. 1.2.12. & 3.17. of the Sonne, chap. 1.2.13.15. &c. of the Holy Ghost, chap. 2.19. Thus of God.
In the consideration of the world, faith is taken vp especially about the creation of it, and the gouernment of it. In the creation it viewes the mightie workmanship of God, making all things of nothing, euen the very Angells, as well as men and other creatures. of the creation, chap. 1.16. of Angells also chap. 1.16. both good, chap. 2.9. and euill, chap. 2.15.
The gouernment of the world, is two waies to be considered: First, in the generall disposing and preseruation of all things. Secondly, and principally, faith is taken vp about the consideration of the gouernment of Men in the world: of the generall prouidence, chap. 1.16.17.
The prouidence of God ouer man, may be considered according to his fourefold estate: 1. of Innocencie. 2. of Corruption 3. of Grace. 4. of Glorie.
In the estate of Innocencie, faith chiefly beholds and wonders at the glorious Image of God, in which man was created; of this Image you may read, chap. 3.10. by analogie.
In the state of Corruption, two things do offer themselues to our dolefull contemplation: 1. sinne. 2. the punishment of sin. Sinne is both originall and actuall: of originall sinne, chap. 2.13. of actuall sinnes, chap. 2.11.13.3.5.6. of the punishment of sinne, chap. 3.25. & 2.13. & 3.6.
In the state of Grace, faith viewes three things: 1. the meanes of grace. 2. the subiect. 3. the degrees. The meanes is either before time, or in time: before time, tis the election of God; of which, chap. 3.12. in time, the meanes chiefly is Christ, and the couenant in him. In Christ, two things are to be considered, his person, and his office. The theorie concerning Christs person, is twofold: 1. concerning his two natures. 2. concerning his twofold estate in those natures. The natures of Christ are two, humane and diuine, ioyned in the bond of personall vnion; of the humane nature, chap. 1.22. of his diuine, chap. 1.15.16, &c. of the vnion of both, chap. 2.9 The state of the person of Christ is twofold: 1. of humiliation. 2. of exaltation. His humiliation comprehends, 1. his incarnation, as the antecedent. 2. his obedience to the law of Moses. 3. his passion: of his incarnation and obedience impliedly in diuers places; of his passion, chap. 1.14.20 22.14.15. His exaltation comprehends his resurrection, ascension, and session at the right hand of God: of his resurrection, chap. 2.12: of his sitting at Gods right hand, chap. 3.1.
Thus of the person of Christ.
The office of Christ is to mediate between God and man. The parts are 1. his propheticall office. 2. his priestly office. 3. his regall office. His propheticall office stands in propounding of doctrine, and in making it effectuall by his spirit. His priestly office stands in two things: 1. Expiation of sinne. 2. Intercession for vsus to God. His regall office is partly in the gouernment of the Church, as the head thereof: and partly in the subduing of the enemies of God and the Church; of the treasures of wisdome in Christ as a Prophet, chap. 2.3. of the sacrifice of Christ as a Priest, chap. 2.14. of the headship of Christ ouer the Church, chap. 1.18. & 2.19.
Thus of Christ.
The couenant followeth, which is considered both in it selfe, and in the seales of it; though the couenant of works be accidentally a meanes to driue vsus to Christ, yet the proper effectuall meanes is the couenant of grace, which God hath made with the elect in Christ: this being recorded in the word of the Gospell both in the old and new Testament, is the ordinarie meanes, by the power of Christ, to conuert soules to God, by the preaching of it in the ministerie of his seruants; of this chap. 1.6.
The seales of this couenant are the Sacraments, both of the old and new Testament: of the old testament, was Circumcision, and the rest; of which chap. 2.11. of the new testament, are baptisme and the Lords Supper; of baptisme, ch. 2.12.
Thus of the meanes of grace. The subiect of true grace is the Church, the bodie of Christ vnited to him by mysticall vnion. The Church consists of two sorts of men, Ministers and people; of the Church in generall with her vnion with Christ, chap. 1.18, 19, 20. & 2.19. of Ministers and peopeople with their duties, chap. 1.25, 28. & 2 1. and in diuers other places.
Thus of the subiect also. The degrees of grace in the third estate, are 1. vocation. 2. faith. 3. remission of sinnes 4. sanctification. of vocation, chap. 3.15. of faith, chap. 1.4.23. & 2.12. of remission of sinnes, chap. 1.14. & 2.13. of sanctification, in both parts, both mortification, chap. 3 5.8. and viuification, chap. 2.13. & 3.10.
Thus of the estate of grace.
The fourth and last estate of man, is the estate of glorie; which stands of three degrees. 1. resurrection. 2. the last iudgement. and 3. life eternall. of resurrection, chap. 1.18. of the last iudgement and eternall glorie, chap. 3.4. And thus of the first part of the patterne of wholesome words, and that is faith: now followeth the second, and that is louelove.
LoueLove comprehends all the dutie we owe to God or men, as being the bond of perfection, which ties together all holy seruices. LoueLove must be considered both in the adiuncts, and in the sorts of it.
The adiuncts are constancie, wisdome, zeale, care to auoide offences, and the like▪ of louelove in generall, chap. 1.4. & 2.2. & 3.14. of constancie, ch. 2.6. of zeale, chap. 4.13. of wisdom and care to auoide offences, ch. 4.5. thus of the adiuncts.
The sorts of works comprehended vnderunder louelove, are two chiefly: 1. works of worship. 2. works of virtue. The workes of worship are either internall onelyonly, or externall and internall also. The internall are, the acknowledging of God, the louelove of God, the feare of God, the trust or hope in God, and which floweth from thence, patience ▪ of the acknowledgment of God, chap. 1.9, 10. of the louelove of God, chap. 1.8. of the feare of God, chap. 3.22. of the hope in God, chap. 1.5. of patience, chap. 1.11. The workes of worship that are both externall and internall, are prayer and thanksgiuing ▪ of prayer, chap. 4.2, 3. of thanksgiuing, chap. 3.17.
Thus of works of worship. Workes of virtue either concerne our selues or others: the works that concerne our selues, are chiefly two: the studie of heauenly things, and temperance. Temperance concernes chastitie and sobrietie in the vse of all sorts of earthly things. of the studie of heauenly things, chap. 3.1, 2. of chastitie, ch. 3, 5. of sobrietie, ch. 3.2.
Thus of vertue that concernes our selues.
Works of virtue towards others▪ are chiefly nine. MercieMercy, curtesie, humilitie, meeknesse, long-suffering, clemencie, peaceablenes, thankfulnes and iustice: of the first eight of these, chap. 3.12. to 16. Now Iustice is either publike or priuate: publike Iustice is in Magistrates, of which, chap. 2.5. priuate Iustice, is either commutatiue, in bargaining, or distributiue, in giuing that which is right to eueryevery one according to his degree: and so distributiue Iustice is either ciuill or oeconomicall. Priuate Iustice in ciuill conuersation with men abroad, is either to Magistrates, of which, chap. 2.5. or to all men, and so consists of truth and faithfulnes with sinceritie and obseruance. oeconomicall Iustice is that which concernes the houshold; and so containes the dutie of husbands and wiues, children and parents, seruants and masters; of which chap. 3.18. to the end, with the first verse of chap. 4.
And thus also of LoueLove.
Thus I hauehave shewed the excellent compleatnes of this worthy scripture: it remaines that I declare some of the reasons that hauehave emboldned me to make choise of your Honors names for the dedication of my exposition vponupon this scripture. Three things swaying godly men in like case, hauehave compelled me, protection, obseruance, and thankefulnesse ▪ the preaching of this doctrine as by the merciemercy of God it wrought abundant consolation and comfortable reformation in many hearers, so did it seldom rest from the assaults and calumnies, which one while prophanenesse, another while enuie powred out vponupon it: great cause there is therefore that it comming out now to a more publike view, should seeke shelter: and of whom should I seeke it or hope for it sooner then of your Honors, who are pleased by your daily countenance to assure me a iust patronage? For the second, to omit the high reputation which the religious eminencie of both your ancestors hath set your Honors in, and the praises of many singular endowments and gifts, in which you doe worthily excell, there are two things wherein your Honors daily winne a great increase of obseruance; the one is pietie towards God, the other merciemercy towards the poore: the loynes of the poore daily blesse your Honors, and their mouthes daily pray for you, your pietie is many wayes exprest: to omit my vndoubted proofes of it, your Lordship hath much confirmed the perswasion of your religious disposition by your daily and affectionate respect of the word of God and prayer in priuate, since the Lord hath made you lesse able to resort more frequently to the publike assemblies. And Madam, what thanks can we euer sufficiently giuegive vntounto God for that rare and worthy example, with which your Ladyship doth comfort and incourage the hearts of many, in your care of Gods sabaoths, and in your neuer-failing attendance vponupon the ordinances of God, with the congregation, morning and euening, not only in your owne person, but with your whole familie. For the third, I doe ingenuouslie professe before God and men, that I hold my obligation vntounto your Honors in the iust debt of seruice and gratitude to be so great, as the labour here imployed is no way answerable to a meete discharge, no though it had been taken onelyonly for your Honors vse; for to omit the debt which I am in for a great part of my maintenance, and that singular incouragement I reape daily in your Honors respect of my ministerie; what thanks can euer be sufficient, or what seruice can euer be enough for that incomparable benefit (which I hauehave and shall euer esteeme the greatest outward blessing did euer befall me; and which (Madam) by your Honors singular care and furtherance, after an admirable manner I obteined) I meane the clearing of my reputation from the vniust aspersions of my aduersaries, and that by the mouth and pen of the Lords Annointed, my most dread Soueraigne, whom the God of heauen with all abundance of royall and diuine blessings recompence in all earthly felicitie and eternall glory. And the same God of Peace and Father of mercies, sanctifie your Honors wholy, that your whole spirits and soules and bodies may be preserued blamelesse vntounto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ: faithfull is he that hath called you, who also will doe it. And I doubt not but God that hath inriched your Honors with the true grace that is in Iesus Christ, will daily winne vntounto you increase of honor from your perseuerance in well-doing: so as thanksgiuing for your sakes shall bee abundantly giuen vntounto God by many. Thus in most humble manner crauing your Honors acceptance and patronage of this worke, I end, and shall reioyce to remaine
Your Honors Chaplaine to be commanded in all seruice, NI. BYFIELD.