Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 15
The 15. Sermon.
COLOSS. 2. V. 3. 4.
3 In whom are bid all the treaſures of wiſedome, and knowledge,
4 And this I ſay, leaſt any man ſhould beguile you with intiſing words:
WE hauehave heard how the Apoſtle hath entred into the commendation of the Goſpell by many properties and effects in it. And laſt we heard that it is matter of ſinguler comfort vntounto the people of God. And alſo that it is a miſtery hid in all ages, and in this, but onelyonly to the children of God.
There we hauehave handled that it is a perfit doctrine leading vsus the right way whither the Lord calleth vsus. For in the Goſpell of our Sauiour CHRIST is laid vp vntounto vsus all the treaſures of wiſedome and knowledge being onelyonly found in him. And therefore the Apoſtle 1. Cor. 2. would be knowne of nothing1. Cor. 2. 2. amongſt Gods people, but of CHRIST and him crucified, and therfore in him are all the treaſures of wiſedome and knowledge hid: And the woman Iohn 4 ſaith, the Meſſias ſhall tell vsus all things, which our Sauiour CHRIST confirmeth: ſaying, I am hee: And therefore Ioh. 14. hee profeſſeth that hee had taught to his Diſciples the whole will of God. And 1. Cor. 11. what the Apoſtles receiued they gaue all to the people, and therefore all wiſedome and knowledge is hid in our Sauiour CHRIST, and reueiled to vsus in the Goſpell, whereby he is brought vntounto vsus. And therefore this is a notable commendation of the Goſpell, which is able to perfect a man of God, who2. Tim. 3. 17. is to teach the people the will of God. And if the word of God is able to make perfect a Miniſter, then much more the people, it being needfull that he ſhould hauehave more then they. Which hee proueth by the effect, that the duty of the Miniſter is to teach the truth, and confute errours, which the word will perfectly miniſter vntounto him. And further to exhort the good, reproue corruptions, and dehort from that is naught. And therefore howſoeuer the Papiſts will not deny that it is a perfect word, yet wil they hauehave the Canons of Councels, & decrees of me…. But the perfection of the word appeareth heere to hauehave no need of mans inuentions.
It is hid) viz: in CHRIST who is the boſome of his Father, and therefore onelyonly can reueale the will of God his Father.
And howſoeuer a naturall man cannot deny the truth of the Law, yet not Adam himſelfe in his innocency was able to ſee the myſtery of the Goſpell, nor the Angels themſelues, though more excellent, yet could not without ſeeing and ſtooping to behold it, vnderſtand this ſecret Myſtery.
Here the Apoſtle incerteth an exhortation: Therefore take heed that no man deceiue you, with probable and likely ſpeach: which may ſeeme at the firſt to hauehave a faire ſhew. For this is a myſtery and hid thing, and therefore not ſeene at the firſt: Yea oftimes it comes to paſſe, that a lie is more probable and likely to be a truth, then the truth it ſelfe. Example.
The fruite that groweth now in Sodom hath a more excellent ſhew then other fruit, and yet come to feele it, it goeth to froth & wind, & that loathſom. Againe, in gold, before it be tryed, that which is not gold may hauehave a greater coulour and ſhew then the true gold. And therefore men are not to look vntounto the eloquent words and fine ſpeeches, and that men carry the matter away ſmothly, without any regard of the ſoundneſſe of the matter: For hence it commeth to paſſe that men are led away into errour: And the danger is not onelyonly when falſe doctrine is deliuered, as here it was, but euen when falſe doctrine is not deliuered, as among the Corinthians, where they did only with eloquent & braue words mount aloft in their eloquēce. And therefore the Apoſtle doubteh not to call them falſe Apoſtles: For when as men reſpect the wordes, and hauehave little reſpect vntounto the matter, and are led away by eueryevery wind of doctrin, there is a ſeducemēt. The Apoſtle then teacheth vsus, that no mans learning, authority, eloquence, ſhould draw vsus to beleeue that is ſpoken. For not onelyonly eloquence, but authority, & honour doth carry vsus vſually away. But the Apoſtle ſaith, let no man deceiue you: and therefore Gal. 1. Though an Angell from heauen Preach any other doctrine let him be accurſed: or after any other way: for as the matter which he Preached, viz: the Croſſe of Chriſt, is low and baſe in appearance, ſo muſt the manner of the deliuering of it bee.
Obiection. Obiect. Whereas the Apoſtle had ſpoken of his care, ſtrife, and wreſtling for them, they might ſay that he had no ſuch care as he pretends, becauſe hee neuer came to them. This ſecret obiection he anſwereth,Solution. that he is alwaies preſent with them, which hee doth by a diſtinction of preſence, viz: not bodily, but a ſpirituall preſence. Which ſpeech is vſed to the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 6.who reprouing them for that being bodily preſent, did ſuffer the inceſtuous perſon without excommunicating him: and therefore ſaith, I preſent in ſpirit do bid that he ſhould be excommunicated. ThisNote. preſence is not in regard of the ſubſtance of the ſpirit, for that is in the body, & cannot be in two places, no not the Angels, though nimble and ſwift, but onelyonly God is in all places. And therefore is meant, by the ſpirit, that he is preſent with the faculties of his mind, viz: in vnderſtanding their eſtate, and in his affection and will, viz: his louelove and care.
So that wee ſee the preſence of the children of God is other then the preſence of other men, euen with thoſe they neuer ſaw, if they be in good eſtate, to vnderſtand and reioyce, and praiſe God for it: If they be in diſtreſſe to grieue and mourne for them, & to pray for them. Let vsus then examine our ſelues, why we deſire to heare for newes out of other countries? Is it for this end? We ſee Nehemias being at the KingsNeh. 1. 2. 4. Court, when men came from Ieruſalem, by reaſon of the wicked, which troubled the people, he asked how the Church of God did, & vnderſtanding the miſery of it fell to faſting: So are we to do; to enquire of the Churches of God, to the end, that wee may reioyce for their good, or be ſorrowfull for their euill.
Reioycing: Seeing by the eyes of his mind and conſideringVerſe 5. their good order he reioyſed: So that the vnderſtanding, and ſeeing, is in the minde, which muſt go before reioyſing in the will and affections which proceedeth from it: So that we ſee that howſoeuer the children of God, hauehave many cauſes of ſorrow, yet they hauehave more occaſions of comfort, then the wicked hauehave.
Good order; viz: the good gouernment and diſpoſition of the Church, as is the diſpoſition of an army: So that in that they had a good order in the Church, it did his heart good: And then, in that it is ſaid to be ſet and diſpoſed as an Army, therein alſo is further matter of reioycing. So that here we ſee in a Church is matter of ioy, when the gouernment of the Sonne of God is there, and alſo when it is practiſed: So that where the order of our Sauiour CHRIST is not, there can bee nothing but confuſion, and diſorder. Moſes, though a man inſtructed in the willNumbers 1. of God would not himſelfe giuegive anſwere concerning the peoples comming to ſacrifice, yet would not himſelfe giuegive order vntounto them.
And we ſee, becauſe the Arke of God was carried in a cart, not by the Prieſtes, which the Lord had appointed, the plague beganne to breake on the people.
Againe, when as the Arke did ſhake, and vzzah being but a Leuite, not a Prieſt, did but touch the Arke, which none but the Prieſtes might doe, yet becauſe hee brake the Lords order, is ſmitten with death.
Heere wee ſee what Church is a happy Church, viz: that which hath the doctrine and word of God, & the Sacraments ſincerely deliuered & adminiſtred. After the Apoſtle hauing ſpoken of his own cre, he commeth to the care of the Coloſſians, exhorting thē as they had receiued, ſo they walk in that they had receiued. Two things then are neceſſary, viz: what wee receiue, viz. not the doctrine of Antichriſt inſted of the doctrine of CHRIST, not the doctrine of errour in ſtead of the truth. And ſecondly that hauing the doctrine of truth that we walke in it.
Walking being an ordinary ſpeech in the Scriptures. viz. as a wayfaring man not to ſit ſtill, or goe backeward, but to goe forward in that way.
The manner of walking is, firſt that they be rooted, and ſecondly that they be knit, viz. that they be conſtant and ſtedfaſt: before in the former chapter he ſaid that they ſhould be ſetled, which cannot be eaſely moued, and to be grounded.
Here he vſeth two other excellent ſimilitudes, firſt to be rooted, taken from trees, not like to reeds ſhaken with the wind, but like the Cedars, or as in Eſay the Okes, which cannot be remoued. And our eſtate, if rooted in CHRIST, is farre better then the tree, where as if we be not truely groundedNote. in CHRIST, our condition is worſe then the tree: for the tree being cut will ſpring vp againe, and being planted to an other plant will grow againe, but as one of the friends of Iob ſaith, if they be once gone and remoued, they neuer riſe againe.
But the children of God can neuer be diſplanted,Eph. 1. 4 being ſet before the beginning of the world in Gods2. Tim. 2. 19. election, which is a ſure foundation neuer to be raiſed and confounded.
And he ſaith built, viz. grounded on CHRIST,Ʋerſe. 7. and therfore ſhall neuer be ſeperated from him. Whereas if we be not built on CHRIST our cauſeEzech. 18. is more miſerable. It muſt be ſtedfaſt by faith in CHRIST.
So that one quality, is, to be grounded and conſtant: Another is that we abound, viz. not ſtand at a ſtay, but it is required that we runne ouer, as a veſſell filled to the top. So that we ought not onelyonly, not be drawne away by eueryevery wind of doctrine, but we ought to increaſe in grace; and therefore our eſtate is compared to the eſtate of a man, that is firſt a child, then a yong man, then in the perfect age.
Laſtly is ſet downe thankfulneſſe to God for the benefits receiued, and therfore we ſhould not be forgetfull of them, but cary them alwaies in remembrance: which thanckfulneſſe muſt appeare by our obedience in walking in the commandements of God, and in the continuall practiſe of our louelove to God, and to our brethren.
The end of the 15. Sermon.