Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 18
The 18. Sermon.
COLOSS. 2. 14. 15. 16. 17.
14 And putting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was againſt vsus which was contrary to vsus, he euen tooke it out of the way, and faſtened it vponupon the Croſſe,
15 And bath ſpoiled the Principalities and Powers, and hath made a ſhew of them openly, and hath triumphed ouer them in the ſame Croſſe.
16 Let no man therefore condemne you in meat and drinke, or in reſpect of any holy day, or of the new moone, or of the Sabbath dayes.
17 Which are but a ſhadow of things to come: but the body is in CHRIST.
WE hauehave heard how the Apoſtle doth propound to himſelfe to refute two errours: one of vaine Phyloſophy, which appeared to men to be wiſedome, but not true wiſedome.
The other was that the Coloſſians had crept in among them, ſuch, which held the neceſſity of ceremonies. We hauehave heard how the Apoſtle amongſt other ceremonies, which he confuteth, beginneth at the ceremony of circumciſion, which confutation he hauing entred vponupon proceedeth in confuting the vſe of the other ceremonies,Metaphraſe. as eating of meats, drincks &c.
As by his death he hath gotten vsus forgiueneſſe of our ſinnes: ſo by the ſame he hath blotted out the hand writing, which was a witneſſe of our ſinnes as of a det, where in we ſtood bound to God: which hand-writing ſtandeth in the rites and ceremonies of the Law, which by his death is not onelyonly blotted out, by the ſame nayles wherewith his bleſſed hands and feet were nayled to the Croſſe, this as it were was nayled thorough and cancelled.
Neither is it maruell if by his Croſſe theſe ceremonies are done away, ſeing vponupon the ſame Croſſe, he ſpoyled the deuill, and all the power and hoaſt of hell, and hauing diſarmed them, he made open ſhew of them, triumphing vponupon them in his Croſſe, wherein they thought to hauehave vtterly vanquiſhed and ouercome him.
Wherefore as by this meanes circumciſion is taken away, ſo is likewiſe taken away all difference of meates and dayes.
Therefore as in CHRIST no man ought to condemne you for the vſe of any meat or drinke, or in reſpect of a feaſt day, whether it be new moone or the three ſolēne Sabaoths: ſo if any man either ignorantlv, or malitiouſly condemne you, you ſhall not need to feare their iudgement, conſidering that theſe things were but ſhadowes, which hauehave no more place, CHRIST the body being come.
The ſumme is, the doing away of all the ceremonies of the Law by the death of CHRIST, and therefore of theſe, which the Coloſſians erroniouſly retayned.
The parts are the
Effect of CHRISTS death in all the ceremonies of the Law.
Application of that effect to the preſent errours of the Coloſſians.
The purpoſe of the Apoſtle is that becauſe that the ceremonies of the Law generally are done away by the death of our Sauiour CHRIST, that therefore the ceremonies, which the Coloſſians made conſcience of, are done away.
Here we are to note firſt, the power of the death of our Sauiour CHRIST in taking away ceremonies; ſecondly, the applying of that effectually to the perticuler eſtate of the Coloſſians, that they were in by reaſon of falſe Teachers.
For the firſt, the vſe of ceremonies of the law wereSundry vſes of the ceremonies. diuers. 1. To make a partition wall and ſeperation betweene Iewes & gentils, that neither ſhould come one to other, till it ſhould be taken away. 2. Another vſe in them was to traine vp the Iewes being children, in the principles of religion.
Another vſe here mentioned that they were a hand-writing, teſtimony, and a witneſſe vntounto the people of their ſinnes, that they were bound vntounto God.
For what meaneth their manifold waſhings, butNote. that they were excedingly filthy, and loathſome in the ſight of God. And what was the killing of the beaſts and ſacrifices, but to confeſſe, that themſelues were worthy to be ſlaine by reaſon of their ſinnes? further their circumciſion, which they bragged ſo of, did note the vncleanes of the whole man, becauſe out of that part came the ſeed, which proceded from eueryevery part of a man, and therefore all theſe were teſtimonies of the wrath of God due to them.
But the benefit we hauehave in our Sauiour. 1. our ſinnes are taken away. 2. The hand writing is not onelyonly blotted out but cancelled, for the ſame nayles, that went through his hands, perced the hand-writing and ceremonies.
And therefore what iniuries ſhould we doe to our ſelues, and what iniury to our Sauiour CHRISTS death if we ſhould hold the neceſſity of them? For what is he, that hauing the det payd, will not labourNote. by all meanes to hauehave the writing cancelled?
Now it were a farre more fooliſh thing if the detter, when he had payd the det, would deſire his creditor to keepe the bill ſtill.
And this was not onelyonly the ſinne of the Iewes,He meanes (I take it) ſuch ceremonies as are vrged as neceſſarie and parts of Gods worſhip. but now it is the fault of them, and farre greater, which will hauehave ceremonies in the Church, not Gods, but mans ceremonies, which are farre worſe.
So that here, ſee the difference of Beleeuers, vnderunder the Goſpell and Law.
For howſoeuer the death of CHRIST wasNote. effectuall to them, while the Law ſtood, yet the obligation and writing was in Gods hand.
Obiection. Obiection. Why then, was the hand-writing in the hand of God. Anſwer. It was in the hand of theSolution. good creditours, and it was by Gods will that it ſhould be ſo, to keepe them vnderunder: but now it is his will that they ſhould be taken away, and therefore it is a fearfull thing in vsus, that when God would hauehave it taken away, we will hauehave it remaine ſtill in his hand.
Here we ſee that the children of God may hauehave aſſurance of euerlaſting life, and their hope is a certaine hope, contrary to the papiſts which make it doutfull according to our cōmon ſpeach But the Apoſtle ſaith: our hope cannot be confounded. The certainety ofRom. 5. 5. this hope the Apoſtle proueth both by that ou… ſins are forgiuen, and the debt bill is put out.
Another reaſon the Apoſtle rendreth, is for that our Sauiour CHRIST hath vanquiſhed the Deuill▪ the Prince of Diuels, called Powers and Principallities: For they were created ſtrong and hauehave notEphe. 2. 2. loſt much of their ſtrength. This is taught by our Sauiour CHRIST Math. 12. The ſtrong man, that is the Diuel, keepeth the houſe till a ſtronger cōmeth, which is our Sauiour CHRIST. When our Sauiour was vponupon the Croſſe, the Diuell aſſaulted him moſt ſtrongly: For at his firſt entring into his MiniſteryMath. 4. the Diuel tempted him fore▪ though he left him for a time, yet he came to him againe: But eſpecially hee vſed all his ſtrength to torment our Sauiour Chriſt vpō the croſſe, whē the wrath of God was vponupon him: that occaſion he took to vex our Sauiour as much as hee could, which in the 22. Pſal. which is the Pſalme of the paſſion of our Sauiour CHRIST, the Diuel's compared to Dogs, to Buls of Baſan, which tore his hands and feete, and compared alſo to Lyons, and to Ʋnicornes, ſo cruelly did they vſe him. And yet whereas they thought to hauehave triumphed ouer him, euen in the very Croſſe hee ſpoiled them and ouercame them, and triumphed ouer them, and led them captiues.
And therefore wee ſee there is no cauſe we ſhould bee aſhamed of our Sauiour CHRIST, ſeeing hee hath ouercome, and we are conquerous in him, and therefore to boaſt in that, as the Apoſtle ſaith: Death 1. Cor. 15.where is thy ſting? Hell where is thy victory?
And this is matter of comfort, that wee are to deale with one, that is maiſtred, & conquered already, with one that is a coward, and therefore if we reſiſt him, he will fly, but if wee giuegive place to him, thenIam. 4. 7. he will vſe vsus, and torment vsus as a Tyrant. And therefore wee are to take courage ouer him, being thus ouercome by our Sauiour CHRIST. For as the victory, which Dauid had ouer Goliah, was for all theA ſimile. people of God, ſo is the victory of our Sauiour not for himſelfe, but for vsus.
Thus much for the taking away of the ceremonies by our Sauiour CHRIST: The application of this doctrine to the Coloſſians followeth.
Doctrine. Doct. The office of a good Miniſter is not onelyonly The Miniſters duty. to deliuer the doctrine generally, for then the Coloſſians had gone away without comfort, but hee muſt apply it particularly. And as it teacheth Miniſters to deliuer and apply perticularly: So the people are to learne that they muſt be content to heare of perticulars, as of the generall: for will they ſay, let the Miniſter teach of adultery, but let him not ſpeake of me, but Nathan ſaid to Dauid, Thou art the man, 2. Sam. 12. 7.
Let no man iudge you) i; If any man take this boldneſſe to condemne you for eating of thoſe things, doing thoſe things, let it not grieue you.
The meates which were forbidden by the Law were thoſe which did not chew the cud, or which chewing it, had not clouen feete, &c. But now by1. Tim. 4. 5. Tit. 1. 15. Rom. 14. 20. the Goſpell thoſe things are left to our liberty, for if the word of God do teach vsus, wee may eate it, then wee are to eate it, ſo it bee with thanks-giuing. For now to the cleane all things are cleane. And though this liberty be left vsus, which was bought by our Sauiour CHRIST, yet it doth not take away authority from Magiſtrates, for Nauigation, or by reaſon of want to abſtaine from ſome meates at certaine times in the yeare.
For the Feaſts and new Moone:) In the new Moone the Lord had commanded, in regard of the benefit which God gaue by the lights, they ſhould hauehave Feaſts.
Sabaoths) There were three great feaſts in the yere: Firſt, at Eaſter when came their corne in, wherein God commanded them to celebrate a feaſt of thankfulneſſe, and therein was the Paſſeouer celebrated.
Pentecoſt was at that time of the yeare, that the fruite of the Vines were gathered.
The third feaſt was of Tabernacles, when all fruits were gathered in.
This is not meant of the Lords Sabaoths: for it isNote. ſaid Sabots not Sabaoth: Againe, the Lords day was neuer no ceremony: for it was before all ceremonies, euen in the beginning of the world, before there was need of CHRIST. And therefore the Sabaoth day heere is not meant: but it is yet to be kept wholly, and holily vntounto the Lord.
Againe, our Sauiour CHRIST prophecying of the things that ſhould come to paſſe 40. yeares after his death, willeth them to pray that their flight ſhould not come as in Winter, ſo not on the Sabaoth Math. 24▪ 20.day, whereby the Lords exerciſes ſhould be hindred, which might increaſe their griefe.
Laſt reaſon▪ becauſe theſe were ſhadowes, and therfore to ceaſe, now the Body was come. For our Sauiour CHRIST is the Body, & therfore what a madneſſeNote. is it in men, that being deſirous to looke vponupon one, had rather to looke vponupon his ſhadow, then vponupon the perſon himſelfe.
The end of the 18. Sermon.