Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 13
The 13. Sermon.
COLOSS. 1. V. 27. 28. 29.
27 To whom God would make knowne what is the riches of his glorious myſterie among the Gentiles, which riches is CHRIST in you, the hope of glory.
28 Whom we preach, admoniſhing eueryevery man and teaching eueryevery man in all wiſedome, that wee may preſent eueryevery man perfect in CHRIST IESVS.
29 Whereunto I alſo labour and ſtriue according to his working, which worketh in me mightily:
WE hauehave heard how the Apoſtle commended the Goſpell vntounto all men by moſt notable titles giuen vntounto it, as firſt, that it was a miſtery and ſecret. Secondly hid ſince the world began, and from all ages. Thirdly that this miſtery was giuen onelyonly to his Saints, & not to the reſt of the world, ſpecially in reſpect of the vertue, that doth attend vponupon it.
Further it followeth, ſo ſhew other points why this Goſpell of CHRIST ſhould be amiable vntounto vsus, viz. that as this miſtery commeth from God to his Saints, ſo it proceedeth from his owne will. In that he ſaith to whom God would. For whereas it may be Queſtion. asked why God hath made this difference betweene men, ſeeing all naturally are in the ſame caſe, and ſtate of guilt? The anſwere is, that it is the Lords owne will, his good pleaſure, and good-will.
Doctrine Where we are to conſider, that in our ſelues there is nothing, that can merite this. For nothing but nought can come frō the fountaine (or puddle rather) of our pollution and corruption.
Againe, it is not the fore-ſeeing of the good works,Note. which God ſaw we ſhould do; for it is falſe, that many wretched men & enemies to the free ſaluation of God (euen ſuch as make ſome profeſſion) ſay, that it was the good workes God foreſaw in Iacob which made God to chooſe him, and euill workes in Eſau to reiect him.
But here the Apoſtle cutteth of all that, that it isNote. the will of God that doth it, and whatſoeuer he willeth, is iuſt & righteous, which men can not do: And therefore it is a wretched thing, that men wil cal the will of God to the barre of their owne wil-wits and reaſon. Thou haſt hid (ſaith our Sauiour) theſe things Math. 21. 25. 26from the wiſe, and it is ſo, becauſe it was thy good pleaſure.
The pot doth not reaſon with the Potter why hee made one to ſtand vnderunder the bed, another for a better vſe: and yet vile and wretched men will reaſon with God why he doth this? But we are to learne to reſt contented with the will of God, for that is a marueilous ſaucineſſe in men: For will not a MaiſterNote. count it a great malepertneſſe if his ſeruant riſe vp & controule him? and is it not much more vile malepartneſſe and ſaucineſſe to riſe againſt God?
Vſe. And this is a notable argumēt to ſtir vsus vp to thankfulneſſe & obedience vntounto God, ſeeing it is onelyonly the good wil, mercy, & fauour of God. It ſerues to ſtir vsus vp to thankfulneſſe vntounto God more notably then if he did it through foreſeeing our good workes; As the ſeruant which hath receiued benefites from his maiſter of good will, it will make him more thankfull and bound to his maiſter.
Moreouer, the Goſpell is commended from theAnother commendation of the Goſpell. ſubiect and matter: for as the Trades and Arts that hauehave more excellent matter, are more eſteemed, as Gold-ſmiths, Printers; and thoſe that ſell ſilke: and Sciences alſo are commended in regard of the excellency of the matter, as Law more excellent then others, and after Phyſicke. So the Goſpell is more ſingularly commended by the matter, which is Chriſt, to whom God hath reueiled his will: and therefore the Apoſtle would know nothing among the Corinthians, but Chriſt and him crucified: and Chriſt is the1. Cor. riches, glory, and myſtery of his father. Now ſeeing all theſe things men effect, and they are all in Chriſt, and are offered in the Goſpell, what a madneſſe is it that men ſo little regard it?
Men deſire to be rich: Now our Sauiour ChriſtNote. hath all the riches of his father, and he hath all honor & glory in his father, & hath the ſecrets of his father, being in his boſome: yea ſuch ſecrets, that the Angels ſtoope to looke into. And all-be-it theſe bee not tranſitory, riches and honour, but indure for euer: yet we ſeeke not after them.
Chriſt is commended to be the hope of glory: 1 heThirdly, by whom we looke for glory and bleſſedneſſe for euermore; which ſelfe-ſame words the Apoſtle vſeth,1. Tim. 1. that he is the Apoſtle of God, and of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt our hope. 1. Tim. 1. 1.
Doctrine All that are true Chriſtians are perſwaded of the louelove of God towards vsus in CHRIST, and do by hope expect and looke for the enioying & fruition of that fauour, which is eternall life. And therfore it ſtandeth with vsus to examine our ſelues, whether we hauehave this hope & expectation, whether we long & deſire after it, and breath after it, as the Hart after the waters, being ſmittē; ſo whether we do breath & long for euerlaſting life. Let vsus examine, whether if we might enioyNote. all the comforts of the world, & pleaſures of this life, vp to the knees, whether we would deſire to liue and continue in thē? then be we ſure that we hauehave not the hope of euerlaſting life, & thoſe heauenly ioyes, & then be we ſure we neuer beleeued aright. For it is a tokē that if we be thus nayled to the earth, we hauehave not felt how good Chriſt is: for if we did, we would contemne all theſe things to enioy him and liue with him.
In the two laſt verſes is cōmended the excellencyVerſe 28 & 29. of his Miniſtery: for if the Coloſſians hauehave a ſufficient Miniſter, then they ſhould cōtinue in the louelove & obedience of the Goſpel. For mē if they find a hole in the Miniſters coate, they think it is a good cauſe to leaue the Goſpel: And therfore to remoue that obiectiō the Apoſtle vrgeth the ſufficiency of his own Miniſtery.
Here 2 points in our Apoſtles Miniſtery are to be conſidered; 1. his faithfulnes: 2. his care, diligence, & painefulnes. For his faithfulnes it is noted in that he is ſaid to admoniſh all: Where we are to note that the callingNote. of the Apoſtle was an extraordinary calling, whereby he had the field of the whole world to Till. But the Miniſters now a daies hauehave onelyonly a ploughland in one Congregatiō to Till, & therfore that calling ceaſed. Again, herinis the faithfulnes of the Apoſtle, that as al were cōmited to him, ſo he cared for al: So is the duty of eueryevery good Miniſter, that eueryevery one that is committed to his charge, yong, or old, of what ſtate, or conditiō ſo ſoeuer, is to be regarded by him.
Furthermore it is againe to be noted, that hee did teach and admoniſh them, whereby is meant all thoſe means of ſetting an edge of the Goſpel, that it might peirce and go through, as admoniſhing & rebuking the froward, exhorting of all ſorts, the good by perſwaſion: In the doctrine, reproofe, reprehenſion; all theſe are contained in the word admonition: And the word ſignifieth as much, as a laying of any thing to the heart, which is done by all thoſe meanes. SoNote. that we ſee how neceſſary it is to hauehave the word Preached and applyed, and therefore far be it to bee content with bare reading. For it is not enough that there be knowledge to enlightē the vnderſtanding, but that the affections be moued, and the conſcience bee wrought, that men may be with-drawne from euill, & ſtirred vp to good. And therefore thoſe that are reproued, are to yeeld obedience vntounto the reproofe & reprehenſiō. And the Apoſtle further ſhews that he doth both teach & admoniſh in all wiſedome.
This is neceſſary in eueryevery Miniſter, for as the ſtewardNote. is not onelyonly to lay out that, they receiue for the family, but to giuegive eueryevery one according to their ſtate, ſicke or whole, ſo in the Miniſters.
This wiſedome is to be conſidered in the
Perſons.
Things belonging to the perſons.
In the perſons to be conſidered whether they hauehave knowledge, that they be gently taught. If they hauehave knowledge and yet no conſcience, they muſt vſe ſharpe reprehenſion, laying the iudgements of God to wake their ſleepy conſcience. If there be both then vſe partly threats, partly gentle dealing.
If any be caſt downe, then to giuegive them comfortable exhortations laying the mercies of God before them.
For if men be ſecure, hauing knowledge, then to lay the promiſes of God before them, would harden them more, ſo contrariwiſe in diſpairing.
Further it is to be conſidered whether they be children or men: and then they muſt, if they be Babes, hauehave milke, if ſtrong, they muſt hauehave ſtronger meat. Further in regard of the ſinnes of the perſons, conſider whether publicke or priuate, if priuate at leaſt to a few, if it be publikely reproued it is a want of wiſedome; If publike, then publikly, not priuately to be reproued.
Againe conſider, whether the ſinne be of infirmity or of maliciouſneſſe, if of malice and contempt, it muſt be more ſharply pricked through.
Thus of the faithfulneſſe of the Miniſter to preach CHRIST, both by the Doctrine, and alſo by the admonition, to giuegive a point to it, that the Doctrine may enter through.
We hauehave alſo heard of the wiſedome of the Apoſtle, The end of all this teaching and admoniſhing is, to make men perfect, alluding to the ſacrifices of the Prieſt in the law. For though the miniſter be no ſacrificer,Note. as the wretched Papiſts doe make of them, yet there is a reſemblāce in the Miniſters to the law, that by the word of God the people are, as it were, killed and cut, to be a fit ſacrifice vntounto God: and therefore all this care and wiſedome is to be vſed, that they may be acceptable to God.
Doctrine Here the Miniſters are to learne a good leſſon, that they are not to content themſelues with a beginning, that the people be entred onelyonly, nor the people content themſelues with beginning, that they thinke it enough that they are altred in iudgement &c. but they muſt ſtill labour to grow and increaſe to perfection, as we pray in the Lords praier to do the wil of God like the Angels, in all redyneſſe and willingneſſe. And we muſt grow: and not be dwarfes in Chriſtianity, but ſtill to grow for in ChriſtianityNote. there is no old age, but in the oldeſt age is a growth till ſuch time as all rebellion and imperfection be taken away in the kingdome of God.
Laſtly is ſet downe his diligence, wherein he laboured,Ʋerſe. 29. ſignifying a labour with wearineſſe, till he had ſpent his ſtrength: as Eſay ſaith of our Sauiour CHRIST, that he ſpent his ſtrength in his Miniſtery.
Doctrine And further the Apoſtle contents not himſelfe with that, but ſaith he ſtriueth. This is the duty of a good Miniſter, to labour continually, and therefore he is compared to a husband-man, that winter and ſommer neuer ceaſeth: and this labour muſt be with paines, and therefore compared they are to harueſtmen, that labour in the heat of the Sunne.
Another ſimilitude he vſeth, that he ſtriueth, taken from lawyers and counſellers at the bar, and from ſouldiers with their enemies. Where he noteth the duty of the Miniſter, not onelyonly to labour in doctrineNote. and admonition, but alſo to ſet himſelfe againſt any thing, that may let and hinder the Goſpell. And therefore it condemneth thoſe, that content themſelues with deliuering the word: for that is not enough, but they muſt labour to preuent, by all ſtriuing, that which may ariſe and hnider the Doctrine deliuered.
Laſt of all he ſheweth that the Lord bleſſed his labour in the miniſtery and proſpered him, which howſoeuer the Miniſters cannot alwaies looke for ſo full a bleſſing; yet the miniſters hauehave this to looke vntounto, and whereof they may be ſure, that they bring the ſweet ſauour of CHRIST vntounto God, whether in the ſaluation, or in the condemnation of them, that heare them.
The duties then of the Miniſter are 1. to preach CHRIST, ſecondly to doe it with faithfulneſſe, wiſedome, and diligence. Thirdly to ſtriue, and ſtruggle, vſing all indeuour to aduance the kingdome of their Maſter, and to hinder the proceedings of the Deuill againſt it.
The end of the 13. Sermon